Local drivers will race new class of car, the GT3

TOOELE — A new wrinkle will be unveiled during this year's edition of the Utah Grand Prix. The American Le Mans Series will debut a new class of car, the GT3 — dubbed the challenge class — at Miller Motorsports Park.

That new class should offer of plenty of interest to fans here in Utah as it will feature a pair of local drivers making their return to the series.

Melanie Snow will team with her husband, Martin, to race in the challenge class this Sunday. It marks the first time in nearly a decade that the couple, who reside in Pleasant Grove, has been behind the wheel of a Le Mans car.

"I'm so excited to get back to Le Mans racing and get our foot back in the door there," Snow said. "Me and my husband are really thrilled to be able to do it as a team again too. We haven't raced as a husband-and-wife team for a few years, so it's pretty exciting for us."

All drivers in the Challenge class will compete in Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars. The Series created the Challenge class to help promote the next wave of world-class sports car teams. When Corvette moved down to the GT2 ranks earlier this year, it depleted the GT1 and created an opening for this new class to step into the void.

For the Snows, competing in the class brings them back to a series that featured their greatest success as a husband-and-wife racing team.

In 1999, they teamed with Patrick Huisman in a 911 Porsche Turbo to win the GTS class at 12 Hours of Sebring — the inaugural race for the American Le Mans Series.

Taking on the challenge class does impart a few nerves into Snow. This is essentially her return to actively racing in the series after taking a break to raise their four children.

"My husband — he just kind of goes with the flow," Snow said. "He tries not to think about it. I can't help but think about it. I'm already having nightmares at night — that our car breaks or something."

The one advantage the Snows will enjoy is a sense of familiarity with Miller Motorsports Park. Melanie is an instructor at the track's Ford Racing High Performance Driving School, and three of the couple's four children also participate in kart racing on the kart track.

Within the confines of what is essentially their home track, Snow thinks she and her husband will do well in Sunday's race.

"Once you're out there, it all happens smoothly," Snow said.

E-MAIL: jcoon@desnews.com