OUTSIDE SALT LAKE CITY, UT — Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz of the Lowes Fernandez LMP2 racing team head into qualifyung this afternoon with a big target fixed solidly to them — at least psychologically — as they look to carry their undefeated streak to four straight events. Standing in their way is the 15-turn, 3.048-mile Miller Motorsports Park circuit that is nestled on the plain just west of Salt Lake City, UT — and of course the two Mazda Lolas that have been inching their way closer and closer to the front runners since the opening event at Sebring in March.

In the first session on the track on Friday Guy Smith and his Mazda powered Lola let Fernandez and Diaz know that they have bore-sighted the Lowes Fernandez Acura by turning the fast lap of the practice session for the LMP2 class with a little over half a second faster than Fernandez’s best lap of the session.

Saturday morning’s session was no different as Smith again bested the Lowe’s Fernandez Acura with a speed that was slightly faster than Friday’s session and near two tenths of a second faster than Fernandez’s best lap.

In other action at the American Le Mans Series’ Larry H. Miller Dealerships Utah Grand Prix,  David Brabham turned the fastest lap in the first official practice session of the LMP1 class with a 1:34.104 (116.603 mph) on his final lap of the Saturday morning session, taking back the top time from Frenchman Simon Pagenaud by just over half a second.

Corsa Motorsports Zytek 09HS hybrid prototype of Johnny Mowlem and Stefan Johansson was sixth overall and fourth fastest in P1 on its race debut.

Jörg Bergmeister was the quickest driver in GT2 for Flying Lizard Motorsports. The German Porsche factory driver turned in a lap of 1:48.123 (101.484 mph) in the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR that he will share with American factory driver Patrick Long. Bergmeister was 0.756 seconds quicker than Risi Competizione’s Ferrari F430 GT of Jaime Melo and Pierre Kaffer and another 0.153 seconds better than Farnbacher Loles Racing’s Wolf Henzler and Marc Lieb.