The race … This event is the 10th race for the NASCAR Camping World Series West in 2009. It is the third of three road-course events this season and marks the only visit to the state of Utah this year.
The track … Miller Motorsports Park is a multi-purpose road course with four possible configurations. The track is located adjacent to Tooele County’s Deseret Peak Recreation Complex, approximately 35 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City.
The procedure … The starting field is 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 41 laps (125.46 miles).
The records … Qualifying: Jason Bowles, Aug. 2, 2008, 94.888 mph, 116.095 seconds; Race: Jason Bowles, July 14, 2007, 70.384 mph, 1 hour 46 minutes 57 seconds.
Long returns to MMP … The entry list for this event includes Patrick Long (No. 9 Sunrise Ford/AASCO Motorsports Ford), a Porsche factory driver from Thousand Oaks, Calif., who has been on the winner's podium at Daytona and LeMans. He won the GT2 Utah Grand Prix at Miller Motorsports Park with teammate Jörg Bergmeister in May. This will be Long’s third NASCAR Camping World Series West race this season. He is a teammate to Jason Bowles (No. 6 Sunrise Ford.com Ford) in the NASCAR Camping World Series West.
Championship battle … Jason Bowles has increased his lead in the championship standings to 33 points over defending series champion Eric Holmes (No. 20 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota).
See-saw rookie chase … The tight battle for this year’s Sunoco Rookie Award continues between Blake Koch (No. 21 GodSpeaks.com Chevrolet) and Paulie Harraka (No. 12 NAPA AutoCare/Adaptive One Brakes Toyota).
McGriff rolls on … After finishing 13th at Portland (Ore.) International Raceway, 81-year-old Hershel McGriff (No. 04 Park Corp. Chevrolet) heads to Utah – where he will get his first look at MMP.
Experience at MMP … Only eight drivers competed in both NASCAR Camping World Series West races held at MMP – in 2007 and 2008.
Top finishes … Mike David (No. 2 Bennett Lane Winery Ford) is the only series driver with two top-five finishes at the Utah track. He finished third in 2007 and second in 2008.
Top 10s … Mike David and Jason Bowles are the only drivers to finish in the top 10 in both series events at MMP. Bowles won in 2008.
Fast Facts
The Race:
Miller Motorsports Park 125
The Place:
Miller Motorsports Park, Tooele, Utah
The Date: Saturday, Aug. 1
The Time: 1:45 p.m. MT
Track Layout: 3.06-mile road course
Race Purse: $171,211
2008 Winner: Todd Souza
2008 Pole: Jason Bowles
Schedule:
Friday: Practice 11 a.m.-12 p.m., 1:45-2:45 p.m.
Saturday: Time Trials 10 a.m.
Track Contact:
John Gardner
(801) 563-4250
jgardner@millermotorsportspark.com
NASCAR Contact:
Kevin W. Green
(661) 392-8543
kgreen@nascar.com
Driver Standings
Rk Driver Points
1 Jason Bowels 1,524
2 Eric Holmes 1,491
3 David Mayhew 1,400
4 Greg Pursley 1,347
5 Paulie Harraka 1,279
6 Brett Thompson 1,272
7 Blake Koch 1,238
8 Moses Smith 1,206
9 Jim Warn 1,065
10 Mike David 1,060
Last year’s event ...
Todd Souza won a wild scramble at the finish to take the victory in this event last year.
Souza took the lead on the final lap from Jim Inglebright, who suddenly ran out of fuel and slowed going around the back portion of the winding 3.06-mile course.
Inglebright had stopped early for fuel, but his plan of making it to the finish came up short as a late-race caution led to the race distance being extended for a green-white-checkered finish. Inglebright was not the only leader to suffer misfortune late in the race, however, as the first and second-place cars of Jason Bowles and David Mayhew both had to pit with flat tires just a few laps from the finish. The final lap also featured several cars spinning off track and a couple of drivers limping to the finish line with flat tires.
Souza’s crew had cautioned him, meanwhile, that Inglebright might run out of gas. While some leaders had trouble late in the race, Souza had encountered a problem earlier with a flat tire on his No. 13 Central Coast Cabinets Chevrolet. His flat tire may have ended up benefiting him, he later admitted.
Souza crossed the finish line with a margin of victory of 1.460 seconds.
Mike David was able to avoid trouble late in the race to take the runner-up spot, followed by Austin Cameron. Cameron’s teammate, Moses Smith, had a career-best fourth-place finish, with Daryl Harr coming home fifth.
