Miller Motorsports Park
Encyclopedia
Miller Motorsports Park is an auto
, motorcycle
, bicycle
and kart racing
facility located in the unincorporated Erda
area just outside Tooele, Utah
.
. It is about ½ mile (0.8 km) longer than the previous holder, Road America
. The Outer course is one of the fastest road courses in North America, with AMA Superbikes posting average speeds over 100 miles per hour (44.7 m/s).
Its corner names (in order) are Sunset Bend, Dreamboat, Work Out, Scream, Black Rock Hairpin, Right Hook, Knock Out, Demon, Devil, Diablo, Indecision, Precision, Fast, Faster, Gotcha, Mabey Y'll Makit, Satisfaction, Agony, Ecstasy, 1st Attitude, 2nd Attitude, Bad Attitude, Tooele Turn, Kink, Club House Corner, Wind-Up, and Release.
Located to the North of the main track Miller Motorsports Park also contains a 0.89 miles (1.43 km) kart
track that can be configured as a first-rate supermoto track with the inclusion of two dirt sections. The main straight approaches 900 feet (274.3 m) in length and 30 feet (9.1 m) in width.
The facility has a 24 acre (97,124.6 m²) paddock that contains 220 team garages, 40 day garages, 27 grand prix garages located along the hot pits, an on-site medical facility, five million dollar Club House, vintage car museum, and a helicopter pad.
Miller Motorsports Park has been named as the exclusive Ford High Performance Driving School providing a wide range of driver training programs including an opportunity to drive one of four Ford GT
's on course.
During the annual Tour de Utah
bicycle race, the park is known for hosting the tour's "trademark" time-trial stage.
, owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz
and various automobile dealerships in the area, to use as a personal playground, with a budget of about $5 million. Due to enormous local motorcycle and auto industry support the concept gradually grew into an $85 million plus project, one of a kind in the U.S.
The track was designed by world renowned engineer Alan Wilson
.
The kart track was opened in September, 2005 and the large track was opened to the public on 1 April 2006 when APEXtrackdays hosted the first motorcycle track day
. A ceremony conducted by Miller kicked off this inaugural event.
In 2006, the track's first year of operation, it hosted the Utah Grand Prix
with the American Le Mans Series
, a Honda Summit of Speed AMA Superbike double-header event, and the Discount Tire Sunchaser 1000, a nine-hour endurance race held by the Grand American Road Racing Association
(since shortened to 250 miles). It was unusual for a race track to attract so many relatively big-budget race events in its first year of operation. The track is also host to a WERA Grand National motorcycle roadracing event and the regional motorcycle roadracing series Masters of the Mountains, promoted by the Utah sport bike association
.
The facility was named Motorsports Facility of the Year on 8 November 2006 by the Professional Motorsport World Expo in Cologne, Germany.
On 14 July 2007, the track hosted its first-ever NASCAR
event with a 150 miles (241.4 km) Grand National West Series race on the 3.048 miles (4.9 km) Outer Track. The series has visited Miller every year since than, having switched to the outer course.
On 22 August 2007, Miller Motorsports Park announced a three-year deal to bring the FIM Superbike World Championship
to the track; the Superbike World Championship will race at the track for the first time on 1 June 2008 with the AMA Superbike
Championship. To avoid direct comparisons between World Superbike and AMA Superbike, and because of sponsorship issues, the two championships will race on different configurations of the circuit. World Superbike will use the Outer course, while AMA Superbike and its support classes will use the Full course.
The American Le Mans Series
did not return to the Utah Grand Prix for 2011, and a K&N Pro Series West race was substituted. It was also announced that AMA Superbike
would return to the track in 2011 with World Superbike.
Auto racing
Auto racing is a motorsport involving the racing of cars for competition. It is one of the world's most watched televised sports.-The beginning of racing:...
, motorcycle
Motorcycle racing
Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all "races" or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.-Motorcycle racing:...
, bicycle
Bicycle racing
Bicycle racing is a competition sport in which various types of bicycles are used. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain bike racing, track cycling, BMX, bike trials, and cycle speedway. Bicycle racing is recognised as an Olympic sport...
and kart racing
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
facility located in the unincorporated Erda
Erda, Utah
Erda is a census-designated place in Tooele County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,473 at the 2000 census, a significant increase from the 1990 figure of 1,113.-Geography:Erda is located at ....
area just outside Tooele, Utah
Tooele, Utah
Tooele is a city in Tooele County in the U.S. state of Utah. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 22,502 at the 2000 census, and 30,708 as of the 2009 estimates. It is the county seat of Tooele County...
.
The Track
The Full course is a 23-turn (28-apex), 4.486 mi (7.219 km) road circuit run counter-clockwise. The front stretch can see vehicles reaching speeds of 200 mph (89.4 m/s). Smaller configurations of the track can be made from the full course, including a 3.048 miles (4.905 km) outer course that does not use the tighter infield lay-out, as well as two 2.2 miles (3.5 km) layouts that each use half of the full course and can be run simultaneously. At almost 4.5 miles (7.2 km), it is the longest road racing facility in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. It is about ½ mile (0.8 km) longer than the previous holder, Road America
Road America
Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series , American Le Mans , SCCA Speed World Challenge Series, ASRA, and AMA Superbike series.- Current track and...
. The Outer course is one of the fastest road courses in North America, with AMA Superbikes posting average speeds over 100 miles per hour (44.7 m/s).
Its corner names (in order) are Sunset Bend, Dreamboat, Work Out, Scream, Black Rock Hairpin, Right Hook, Knock Out, Demon, Devil, Diablo, Indecision, Precision, Fast, Faster, Gotcha, Mabey Y'll Makit, Satisfaction, Agony, Ecstasy, 1st Attitude, 2nd Attitude, Bad Attitude, Tooele Turn, Kink, Club House Corner, Wind-Up, and Release.
Located to the North of the main track Miller Motorsports Park also contains a 0.89 miles (1.43 km) kart
Kart racing
Kart racing or karting is a variant of open-wheel motorsport with small, open, four-wheeled vehicles called karts, go-karts, or gearbox/shifter karts depending on the design. They are usually raced on scaled-down circuits...
track that can be configured as a first-rate supermoto track with the inclusion of two dirt sections. The main straight approaches 900 feet (274.3 m) in length and 30 feet (9.1 m) in width.
The facility has a 24 acre (97,124.6 m²) paddock that contains 220 team garages, 40 day garages, 27 grand prix garages located along the hot pits, an on-site medical facility, five million dollar Club House, vintage car museum, and a helicopter pad.
Miller Motorsports Park has been named as the exclusive Ford High Performance Driving School providing a wide range of driver training programs including an opportunity to drive one of four Ford GT
Ford GT
The Ford GT is a mid-engine two-seater sports car. Ford Motor Company produced the Ford GT for the 2005 to 2006 model years. The designers drew inspiration from Ford's GT40 race cars of the 1960s.- Development :...
's on course.
During the annual Tour de Utah
Tour of Utah
The Tour of Utah is a U.S. professional road bicycle racing stage race across the state of Utah. It began as a regional race, the Thanksgiving Point Stage Race, and became the Tour of Utah in 2004. The Tour of Utah takes riders over Utah's climbs and diverse terrain. It was founded and managed by...
bicycle race, the park is known for hosting the tour's "trademark" time-trial stage.
History
This track was originally conceived as a novelty track for Larry H. MillerLarry H. Miller
Lawrence Horne "Larry H." Miller was a Utah businessman and philanthropist who was well known as the owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz and the of Triple-A baseball team, the Salt Lake Bees, 41 automotive dealerships throughout the Western United States , and a variety of other business ventures...
, owner of the NBA's Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and various automobile dealerships in the area, to use as a personal playground, with a budget of about $5 million. Due to enormous local motorcycle and auto industry support the concept gradually grew into an $85 million plus project, one of a kind in the U.S.
The track was designed by world renowned engineer Alan Wilson
Alan Wilson (motorsport)
Alan L. Wilson is an American designer of motorsports road course race tracks.Considered one of the most prolific track designers, Wilson has designed and built more than 20 race courses, including Miller Motorsports Park, , Barber Motorsports Park, Motorsports Park Hastings, Gingerman Raceway and...
.
The kart track was opened in September, 2005 and the large track was opened to the public on 1 April 2006 when APEXtrackdays hosted the first motorcycle track day
Track day
A track day is an organised event in which members of the public are allowed to drive or ride around established motor racing circuits, or alternatively on closed or disused airfields...
. A ceremony conducted by Miller kicked off this inaugural event.
In 2006, the track's first year of operation, it hosted the Utah Grand Prix
Utah Grand Prix
The Utah Grand Prix is a weekend of sports car races held since 2006 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah. Until 2010 it climaxed in an American Le Mans Series race, while in 2011 the headliner changed to the regional NASCAR K&N Pro Series West stock-car competition...
with the American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
, a Honda Summit of Speed AMA Superbike double-header event, and the Discount Tire Sunchaser 1000, a nine-hour endurance race held by the Grand American Road Racing Association
Grand American Road Racing Association
GRAND-AM Road Racing or GRAND-AM is an auto racing sanctioning body that was established in 1999 to organize road racing competitions in North America...
(since shortened to 250 miles). It was unusual for a race track to attract so many relatively big-budget race events in its first year of operation. The track is also host to a WERA Grand National motorcycle roadracing event and the regional motorcycle roadracing series Masters of the Mountains, promoted by the Utah sport bike association
Utah Sport Bike Association
The 'Utah SportBike Association' is a not-for-profit sport motorcycle club, based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Their primary focus is to promote safe, fun sport biking, primarily by educating sport motorcycle riders through rider education programs called ARTs and by hosting the Masters of the...
.
The facility was named Motorsports Facility of the Year on 8 November 2006 by the Professional Motorsport World Expo in Cologne, Germany.
On 14 July 2007, the track hosted its first-ever NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
event with a 150 miles (241.4 km) Grand National West Series race on the 3.048 miles (4.9 km) Outer Track. The series has visited Miller every year since than, having switched to the outer course.
On 22 August 2007, Miller Motorsports Park announced a three-year deal to bring the FIM Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship
Superbike World Championship is the worldwide Superbike racing Championship. The championship was founded in . The Superbike World Championship season consists of a series of rounds held on permanent racing facilities...
to the track; the Superbike World Championship will race at the track for the first time on 1 June 2008 with the AMA Superbike
AMA Superbike
AMA Pro Superbike is the premiere superbike racing series in the United States. It is part of the AMA Pro Racing series which was sold to and is managed by the Daytona Motorsports Group...
Championship. To avoid direct comparisons between World Superbike and AMA Superbike, and because of sponsorship issues, the two championships will race on different configurations of the circuit. World Superbike will use the Outer course, while AMA Superbike and its support classes will use the Full course.
The American Le Mans Series
American Le Mans Series
The American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón is a sports car racing series based in the United States and Canada. It consists of a series of endurance and sprint races, and was created in the spirit of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Teams compete in one of five classes: LMP1, LMP2 and LMPC...
did not return to the Utah Grand Prix for 2011, and a K&N Pro Series West race was substituted. It was also announced that AMA Superbike
AMA Superbike
AMA Pro Superbike is the premiere superbike racing series in the United States. It is part of the AMA Pro Racing series which was sold to and is managed by the Daytona Motorsports Group...
would return to the track in 2011 with World Superbike.
Simulations and video games
| Simulation / Video Game | Year | Configuration | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full | Outer | East | West | |||||||||
| rFactor RFactor rFactor is a computer racing simulator, designed with the ability to run any type of four-wheeled vehicle from street cars to open wheel cars of any era. rFactor aimed to be the most accurate race simulator of its time... |
2007 | |||||||||||
| SBK-09: Superbike World Championship SBK-09: Superbike World Championship SBK-09: Superbike World Championship is a motorcycle racing game developed by Milestone S.r.l. and published by Black Bean Games for the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Windows, and Xbox 360 in 2009.-Reception:... |
2009 | |||||||||||
| SBK X: Superbike World Championship SBK X: Superbike World Championship SBK-X: Superbike World Championship is a motorcycle racing game developed by Milestone s.r.l. and published by Black Bean Games in 2010. The game features three modes of gameplay: the arcade mode, the simulation mode and the multiplayer mode. Also for the first time in the series the game features... |
2010 | |||||||||||
External links
- Miller Motorsports Park website
- Miller Motorsports Park Performance Schools website
- Yamaha Champions Riding School at Miller Motorsports Park website
- SBK USA, FIM World Superbike at Miller Motorsports Park website
- Lap Battle Time Attack Series at Miller Motorsports Park website
- APEXtrackdays, Motorcycle Trackdays at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah
- 1tail Resource Database: Miller Motorsports Park
- Trackpedia guide to driving this track
- Miller Motorsports Park Kart website