Utah: Prototype drivers pre-race quotes

VOICES OF UTAH: THE PROTOTYPES

A "new" Miller Motorsports Park awaits the American Le Mans Series this week for the Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by the Grand and Little America Hotels. The prototype field is expected to reach near-record speeds on the 3.048-mile, 15-turn outer circuit as the Series returns to a natural road course for the first time since mid-March.

Ben Devlin, B-K Motorsports
Lola B07/46-Mazda MZR-R (LMP2)

"It's great because it's so flat as well. We were there a little while ago testing, and the grandstands they've put up this year really made it more for the spectators. So it's great they can see a lot more racing, see all the action all the time. On a street course, it's very hard to understand what's happening with the race because you're out of vision for so long."

Chris Dyson, Dyson Racing
Porsche RS Spyder (LMP2)

"We love Miller Motorsports Park. It's great to be back on a traditional road course. The outer track ... is going to be quite a bit faster than the track we've run the last couple of years. But that's just the new challenge. The facility is fantastic. The beauty of the American Le Mans Series is you're in a great place every weekend we go racing."

Marino Franchitti, Dyson Racing
Porsche RS Spyder (LMP2)

"Obviously it's the newest track we go to, therefore it's the best - the facilities are second-to-none. The welcome we get out there is fantastic, and it's just a beautiful area to go racing in; it's such a picturesque place. We're usually up there for a week, and it's good training as well in the high altitude so it's a place I really enjoy going to.

"I think the interesting thing this year is there's a slightly different track layout so what's going to be interesting is how different it is and just tuning the cars to the new configuration. Drivingwise, it's not a problem going from a street circuit to road courses. They're both a lot of fun. The set-ups are so different that it's like driving a different car almost."

The Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix presented by The Grand and Little America Hotels is set for Sunday, May 18 from Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. The green flag is scheduled for 1 p.m. MT with live television coverage on SPEED. Live radio coverage will be available on XM Satellite Radio Channel 144 and American Le Mans Radio at americanlemans.com, which also will feature IMSA's Live Timing & Scoring.

-credit: alms