Posted on 05/08/2015 2:23:18 PM PDT by Spktyr
The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies will not renew its lease with Tooele County and Miller Motorsports Park will close.
The summer schedule will continue as planned then the park will close at the end of the season on October 31, 2015.
“On behalf of my family, I would like to thank all of those who have supported the track over the years, both locally and worldwide, for their enthusiasm and use of the facility,” said Gail Miller, owner of the Larry H. Miller Group.
The 511-acre facility opened in April 2006. It hosted seasonal automobile, motorcycle, kart, off-road, bicycle races and is the longest track in North America.
Major events hosted at the park include: NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Utah Grand Prix (2007-14), FIM Superbike World Championship (2008-12), American Le Mans Series (2006-10), Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (2006-10), Pirelli World Challenge (2006-08, 2010-12, 2014-15), and the AMA Superbike Championship (2006-08, 2011-13).
Beautiful track in the middle of nowhere. No demographic to support it.
“I’d almost bet money the county tried to extort way more money out of them for a lease renewal (”because racetracks make lots of money and you can afford it!”) and Miller just said “no.” Government killing the golden goose yet again if so. “
Far more likely is the business owner over estimated his revenues and customers, under estimated his costs.
If the lease was “under market” in the early years, both parties would have known that from the start.
There would not be a sinister surprise whereby evil county government unveils rent increase on business owner.
In order to determine the FACT would require looking at attendance numbers, etc. I suspect Mormons are pretty frugal, and may balk at ticket prices, for example.
Salt Lake is an isolated metro area, unlike DFW, Twin Cities, and many other intermediate sized areas.
Middle of nowhere is about the only place you can economically build a track complex any more - not just for land/construction cost reasons but because of legal NIMBY lawsuits and other liabilities.
This is also possible, but from all reports prior to this, Miller was actually doing financially well out of it, hence my supposition.
What state?
SLC is not isolated. You should see the turnout at in town Mormon events. Towns all over Idaho empty out.
Utah
If the track was profitable that sounds like the most logical conclusion, I wouldn’t put it past environmentalists or PETA also having a hand in it, they do like to put a stop to anything Americans enjoy doing.
Thank you.
Add this to the long list of businesses failing in the hussein economy. Even during the Bush years, companies were profitable — not as good as the Reagan years, of course. During the Clinton era, prosperity was lost. And now with hussein at the helm, profits have been wiped out and company after company is going under. This is but one more concrete example of what the regime has done to wreck the economy.
“NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Utah Grand Prix (2007-14), FIM Superbike World Championship (2008-12), American Le Mans Series (2006-10), Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series (2006-10), Pirelli World Challenge (2006-08, 2010-12, 2014-15), and the AMA Superbike Championship (2006-08, 2011-13)”.
Only one of the series listed has been there since 2013. K&N West. Not exactly high spectator draw. There is a reason the other series left and I doubt it is the track, since I have heard nothing but praise for it. I suspect location is a major part of the problem. While near SLC, Tooele ain't exactly a town known for it's tourist draw(s).
The Bonneville Salt Flats is a different story. Cheap and easy to operate AND land speed trials is participant driven.
Tooele County is in Utah, west of Salt Lake City.
I’d say it is within a 2 hour drive, for at least 80% of Utah’s 2.9 million
Been there a couple of times to watch my buddy Cory West compete in the AMA Superbike races. It is a great facility.
Reading about this on a Rennlist Porsche racing subforum, it was mentioned that the founder, Larry Miller, died over 5 years ago. The family’s engagement in the business could be a factor, but idk.
As far as demographics - people will drive a long way to race. I have friends driving 12 plus hours next month to race at Virginia International Raceway. They drive similar or greater distances during the year to race at Road America, Sebring, and Daytona, not to mention 6-7 hours to NOLA, Road Atlanta, and Putnam. At these weekend events, participants, come from all over the place.
A quick glance at the MMP calendar indicates the facility hosts a lot of events. That doesn’t tell us about attendance, but I’d be surprised if groups like National Auto Sport Association and Porsche Club of America Club Racing would have been annually scheduling driving instruction and racing events there if participation and revenue weren’t sufficient to support the operating/track rental costs.
Original cost was to be $7,000,000. eventual cost was $80,000,000.
the only track I’ve ever driven on during affordable monthly open track evens.
and a museum with Miller’s Cobras, Lemans GT-40s, Shelbys, etc.. this facility will be missed.
Maybe somebody else will take over the business, if as one said it was financially sound.
Maybe the surviving family has no interest or skill in the business.
An opportunity for somebody else.
No, it is dead letter.
Wait just a minute. I thought the common belief was "Build it and they will come"
The company that ran the track still exists, it didn’t go under. This is one reason why I was saying it was far more likely that the county simply started asking for exorbitant rents.
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