From Deseret News archives:

Fast track: Larry Miller's park called one of the finest courses in the country

Published: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 3:23 p.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
• The West track (2.2 miles) is very technical, with lots of little tricks that drivers and riders will have to be ready for. They've got to know what they're doing to go really fast on this track. Lots of people will be able to go out at 98 percent, but very few will be able to pull out 100 percent, and fewer still will be able to go at 100 percent consistently. They'll think they've got it right, but then may make a minor mistake and they'll see their lap times get longer and longer. A mistake in one corner carries over from section to section. It was deliberately designed that way, said Wilson.

• Put the East and West tracks together for the full 4.5 miles, with the 3,500-foot straight, and the track requires a whole new set of driving skills. It's fast, challenging and is getting very favorable comments from pro drivers.

• Bypass the turns in the center and take just the outer loop and the track becomes very fast, not as technical, but flows well.

Vickie Kinder-Fritz, clubhouse manager and former G.T. endurance and Formula Ford driver, said incoming drivers will find the Miller track deceptive.

"It's going to take most drivers, I would say, between 10 and 20 laps to get comfortable, which is very unusual for an experienced driver. Normally, they'd be able to just look at a track and go fast. Not here," she said.

Story continues below
"Alan moved a lot of dirt around to get a lot of off-camber turns. So you end up driving one way, think you've got things figured out, and the track flips you in the other direction. There are a lot of unique elevation changes and a lot of blind, downhill corners. As for the spectators, this is the most fan-friendly track I've seen in the world. Race fans are going to have to become educated. Most race fans follow NASCAR, where cars race on an oval and make only left turns. We turn right as well as left."

Wilson explained that he spent as much time designing spectator sites as he did the track.

"Everyone is talking about the track, but I'm probably more proud of the way the entire facility works. I'm as happy with the interaction the spectators will have with what's happening on the track as I am with the track itself, and I'm pretty happy with the track," he said.

Miller admitted that it's going to take time and money to educate race fans to the type of races that will be held at the park.

"A friend asked me if there were enough auto-racing fans here in Utah for this type of track. I told him there were a lot of fans out here, they just don't know it yet," he said.

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Image

Spectators will be able to see between 90 to 95 percent of the whole track from any of the viewing sites.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

Red Shirt, Your response at 12:15 p.m. is exactly why we should be scared to...

Kurt Bestor: Joy for the world

Yes, let's google Kurt Bestor and get totally accurate information on his...

What Anderson did was wrong. Yes, he lied, and should be held accountable....

I hope they go against the Mormons and Seventh Day Adventists now too.

I wonder if our beloved Pres. Obama will tell the Iranian students (as he...

This is hard to understand, that JW's are hard working, tax paying, community...

Obama urges major new stimulus

Sorry to say this BUT guess what?. We were BORN into this world,...

To "thanks redshirt | 12:31 p.m. " what conspiricay have I touted?

Abortion can legally only be performed by a physician. To seek the assistance...

TCU versus BSU unpopular

BCS - how do we deal with these BCS buster teams? Just let them play each...

Advertisements