MILL E R M OTORS PORTS PA R K
— WHAT AN AMAZING RIDE —
By John Gardner
When its gates swung open to the public in the spring
of 2006, Miller Motorsports Park shocked the world of racing.
At the time, it was the nicest, most advanced and most welldesigned facility of its kind in the world.
The 511-acre campus, nestled in the Tooele Valley between
the Oquirrh and Stansbury mountain ranges with its multiconfigurational 4.5-mile road course and 0.9-mile karting track,
was the result of Larry H. Miller’s passion for the sport and his
desire to share that passion with the citizens of Utah and the
world. Renowned track designer Alan Wilson brought Larry’s
vision to reality, and it was hailed by fans, racers and industry
leaders as the best in the business.
In fact, so outstanding was the facility’s design that the 2006
Professional Motorsport World Expo in Cologne, Germany,
awarded Miller Motorsports Park as the “Motorsports Facility
of the Year” over a list of renowned facilities that included Las
Vegas Motor Speedway, England’s Cranfield University and
France’s Paul Ricard HTTT.
In the decade to follow, many
of the world’s top racing series
and racers traveled to Utah to
experience Miller Motorsports
Park. The American Le Mans
Series and the Grand-Am
Rolex Sports Car Series (which
have now merged into the
IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar
Championship), along with the Pirelli World Challenge, brought
the best of sports car racing. The FIM Superbike World
Championship and AMA Pro Racing (now MotoAmerica)
graced Utah with the amazing spectacle of motorcycle road
racing at nearly 200 mph, practiced by many of the sport’s
legends.
Ensuing years saw the track add an off-road course and
a motocross track, in an effort to broaden the facility’s
scope and better serve the interests of Utah’s motorsports
enthusiasts. The Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series became a
popular annual attraction, with its 900-hp, gravity-defying
trucks and buggies, while the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross
Championship and its household-name athletes thrilled fans
with their high-flying competition.
The Miller Kart Track, one of the nation’s best, hosted many
of the top karting events in North America and its built-in
Supermoto track was very highly regarded among the top
riders in that hybrid form of motorcycle sport.
Along with the professional racing
events, Miller Motorsports Park grew
to be a hotbed of amateur racing
action, starting from scratch in a
market where no such racing existed
before. The original Miller Park
Racing Association for sports cars
morphed into the Utah Region of
the National Auto Sport Association