Auto racing: Major new race coming to MMP

TOOELE — A new major race will join the racing lineup in the schedule of events at Miller Motorsports Park next summer.

The Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series will make its debut at the Tooele County track with races on June 26-27. It is one of the many new wrinkles in the 2010 racing schedule announced by Miller Motorsports Park on Wednesday.

Two-wheel-drive and four-wheel-drive trucks and buggies are used in short-course, off-road racing in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series. Adding the series to the schedule of events at Miller will require track officials to construct a new off-road racing circuit within the infield of the existing paved racetrack.

Some trucks in the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series utilize engines approaching 900 horsepower and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to build.

In other major changes, the Utah Grand Prix will move from a mid-May racing date and run on July 10-11 and the NASCAR Camping World Series will be staged on Sept. 11-12 — the same weekend as the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series.

The HANNspree Superbike World Championship will stay in its slot as the featured event over Memorial Day weekend. It will run from May 28-31.

e-mail: jcoon@desnews.com