Pirelli World Challenge Returns This Weekend
for Grand Prix of Utah
A smorgasbord of sports cars, three days of on-track action
TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (August 8, 2018) — The best event of the year for sports car enthusiasts throughout the Intermountain West takes place this weekend, August 10-12, when the Pirelli World Challenge Championship returns to Utah Motorsports Campus for the Grand Prix of Utah.
The entry list for the three-day event includes entries from 20 different manufacturers, representing 24 different models in eight classes.
“Clearly, if you love sports cars, or just cars in general, this is your weekend,” said Willem Geyer, general manager of Utah Motorsports Campus. “There are few places on Earth where you can see this variety and quality of racing cars, running the complete gamut from Mazda MX-5s and Volkswagen GTIs to Ferrari 488s and Lamborghini Huracans. It is a literal ‘something-for-everyone’ event, and we hope all our great fans will come out and enjoy it with us!”
Action will get underway on Friday with practice and qualifying sessions, and admission will be free for all guests. Racing will take place on Saturday and Sunday, and tickets will be available at the UMC Box Office. VIP and camping options are available.
There are three locally-based teams competing this weekend. Ian Lacy Racing, based at UMC, will field four cars: three Ginetta G55s in the GTS-X class for Amateur points leader Drew Staveley of Salt Lake City, Steve Burns and Frank Gannett and a Mazda MX-5 in the TCA class for Jenny Gannett. DXDT Racing, also based at UMC, will field a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for David Askew of Salt Lake City in the GT class, and Rearden Racing, based in Salt Lake City, will field an Audi R8 in the GTS-X class for Jeff Burton of Salt Lake City as well as a Nissan 370Zs for Vesko Kosarov of Salt Lake City and Paul Terry of Fillmore, Utah.
Off the track, there will be lots for families to enjoy. The paddock is open, as always, allowing up-close-and-personal inspection of the various cars and teams. Driver autograph sessions will take place Saturday from 1:00-1:45 pm (TC/GT drivers) and 3:00-3:45 pm (GTS drivers). The UMC Kart Center will be open for kart and racing simulator rentals all weekend, and there will be a variety of food trucks onsite to suit everyone’s tastes. In addition, the onsite Rodizio Grill restaurant will be open on Friday and Saturday nights.
Fans will also enjoy a unique display from one of UMC’s sister companies. The parent company of UMC is a global auto manufacturer that also owns the Volvo, Lotus and London Taxi Cab brands. Another wholly-owned subsidiary is a company called Terrafugia, which is designing and developing the first practical flying car.
The Terrafugia Flying Car will be on display in the paddock throughout the Grand Prix of Utah. Officials from Geely and Terrafugia are investigating the possibility of using the State of Utah and UMC as a testing facility as the vehicle continues to be developed for public use.
Utah Motorsports Campus is managing the facility formerly known as Miller Motorsports Park on behalf of Tooele County while the procedures to sell the facility take place.
Mitime Utah Investment, LLC, which operates Utah Motorsports Campus, has agreed with the Tooele County Board of Commissioners to an extension of the existing facility management agreement through December 31, 2018.
For event or ticket information, or for questions regarding UMC, call 435-277-8000 or visit the track’s website at www.UtahMotorsportsCampus.com.
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Photo Caption: The Pirelli World Challenge returns to Utah Motorsports Campus this weekend, August 10-12, for the Grand Prix of Utah. (Photo courtesy UMC/Jeremy Henrie)