[bwhip]

We had a great time today at the fabulous new Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, UT. It was opening day - the first event of any kind at the new multimillion dollar facility.

And what a facility it is - huge and impressive. We rode the west track, which has some extremely fast turns, and lots of variety. The east track is tighter and more technical.

With no rubber yet on the track, but lots of construction dust and dirt - not to mention the 40-something temperatures and occasional sprinkling of rainfall, everyone took it fairly easy and tried to figure out the best lines. Kind of windy too - we even watched one of the air fences take flight over the concrete wall it was designed to protect.

They had been forecasting rain all week, with the percentage going up every day - so we were happy to have more than half the day completely dry!

The track itself was really great. 12 turns over 2.2 miles, with lots of variety, high speed, rights and lefts, decreasing radius turns - very challenging! The training I had last week was really helpful in navigating the turns, since there were no tracks or riders to follow that had experience with that track.

I really enjoyed meeting and be able to ride with BDA116 - a great guy and talented rider. As you can see from the photos, we were able to make use of one of the plush garage areas they have there - along with a couple of friends from Idaho and their '06 R6's.

Other highlights of the day included chatting once again with Freddie Spencer, who will be offering his school there beginning this year, and meeting the guy that put up the bucks to build the place - Larry Miller (the owner of the Utah Jazz NBA team and multi-zillionaire).

It's not every day you get to be among the first riders to christen a new track! I can't wait to get back there when it's a little warmer and the track's a little stickier.

I've spent the last few hours here in the hotel making a video from today's action that should be pretty good. Unfortunately my computer keeps locking up when I try to convert it to MPEG form, so I'll post it as soon as I can.

[Getsome]

more pics...... did you get any video today?

Damn I need to make it to a track but I am afraid I will become addicted and lead myself into the poor house.

[ND4SPD]

Originally Posted by Getsome

more pics...... did you get any video today?

Damn I need to make it to a track but I am afraid I will become addicted and lead myself into the poor house.

Originally Posted by bwhip

I've spent the last few hours here in the hotel making a video from today's action that should be pretty good. Unfortunately my computer keeps locking up when I try to convert it to MPEG form, so I'll post it as soon as I can.

[NinerPilot]

So who was the first to christen the asphault and slide across it?
Chris

[BDA116]

One rider did go down today, nothing big. I've been trying to word up a post, but bwhip's a far better wordsmith than I. It was great meeting and riding with him today, he's got mad skillz yo!!
I can't wait to get back out there in a few weeks with sticky rubber and have some more fun.
There were a couple track photogs out there today, and I did manage to find one image of me from the one, the other has't posted his stuff yet. Unfortunately, I didn't see any of bwhip in that gallery.

[Red Rider]

Glad to hear you both had a good time. Does the track have any elevation changes? Can't imagine riding on a newly surfaced track. My sister lives in Salt Lake...just might have to pay her a visit.

[abtech]

Maybe I'll have to sign up for some postgrad stuff at my alma mater . . .

[Mojave954]

Looks like a nice place. Might have to get the desert riders together for an even up there.

The west track Pharump had some sort of sealer on it, slicker than snot until it got warm.

Thanks for the write up, can't wait for the video.

[bwhip]

Originally Posted by Red Rider

Glad to hear you both had a good time. Does the track have any elevation changes? Can't imagine riding on a newly surfaced track. My sister lives in Salt Lake...just might have to pay her a visit.

Elevation changes are minimal - I think more so on the east track. BDA116 was showing me one section that looks to be rather Corkscrew-like. Looks like fun!

[bwhip]

Here are a couple more pics I found at the USBA site - not of us, but they'll give you some idea of the dramatic skies we were seeing Saturday. It was sure nice when there was some blue sky up there.

[Getsome]

Originally Posted by ND4SPD

shut up, Jim Beam had been talking to me for quite a while last night when i posted that.

[BDA116]

There are quite a few "elevation changes", but they are slight and gradual. You don't feel it a whole lot while on the track, but standing trackside you can see how sections go up and down. The east side track definately has more and is tighter as well.
The track surface really wasn't too bad even with the temperatures and being dirty and new. The first session of the day I was a bit nervous after not being on a track for ~4 years and not even riding a sprot bike for ~3 years. It was a shakedown of both me and the new bike - not to mention the new track. Bwhip and I both went out in the B group, which meant a boatload of traffic to deal with. I had to fight target fixation a couple times, but had a blast getting my riding legs back in that first one. We all took it slow for three sighting laps, came into the hot pits then went out for fun.
The other sessions before lunch were much more comfortable. Again, lots of traffic as you'll see on 'whip's video, but we had some good stretches of clear track as well. The first few corner sections are going to be very fast at full speed on a good warm track. It was still chilly, and there was a decent crosswind on a couple portions of the track, but the exra layer under the leathers kept most of the cold out.
After lunch came the cold weather. It would sprinkle, then stop, warm up a few degrees then drop around freezing. At one point while standing in the hot pit I noticed the rain hitting my jacket was no longer liquid, more like corn snow. How nice.
A couple sessions after lunch - I forget which exactly, maybe Bwhip will remember, we went out and I was so farking cold. We were just starting to come around the second lap when my hands started going numb. Then the third corner, which happens to be quite quick, the bike did a nice two wheel drift. That was enough for me. Came in and parked the bike, ripped off my gloves and my hands were purple. Moments later it started raining and Bwhip and the others came in. Wasn't worth it at that point.
Freddie Spencer opted not to ride, understandably, but was hanging out and would talk to anyone that talked to him. He is a really nice guy. Also interesting while we were all hanging out waiting for better weather was I heard a voice in the garage next to us ask how things were going and how they liked the place. I glanced over, then did the double take as it was the very man that has sunk $80M into that parcel of land. He had just wandered into the garages and wanted to chat with us about the place. I thought that was really cool to have him come by like that. He's a car guy, but a motorhead as well. He runs a few race cars, including his Ford GT, and told us that he thought we were nuts. Nice guy.
We shared our big day garage complex with a few cars. I had no idea Bondurant was going to be at the track, but it appears he may be setting up a school here as well. There is a second bank of garages like the one we were in, as well as the GP garages along pit lane and the team garages available to rent. There are a total of something like 300 garages there.
Here are some pics I took, the garage, the track (east side is still seeing some construction activity on curbs and buildings) and the kart track. There were karts running yesterday as well. Also the dirt sections at either end of the kart rack that compose the supermotard track.

[luvtolean]

Originally Posted by BDA116

There are quite a few "elevation changes", but they are slight and gradual. You don't feel it a whole lot while on the track, but standing trackside you can see how sections go up and down. The east side track definately has more and is tighter as well.

Sounds like Buttonwillow.

[phobiaphobe]

Is the Marauder for Bondurant's school?

What was the cost for the track day?

[BDA116]

Originally Posted by luvtolean

Sounds like Buttonwillow.

Yeah, somewhat. Same idea in that the land parcel is mostly flat and some intentional changes were created.

Originally Posted by phobiaphobe

Is the Marauder for Bondurant's school?

What was the cost for the track day?

That car had the same decals as the Bondurant Mustangs, so I'd guess it's used in there somehow.
The event was $175.

[abtech]

Just Saturday or the weekend? Since you're posting, I'm guessing Saturday only.

The facility looks incredible. After listening to so many would be "State of the Art" dialogs regarding new tracks and then seeing them either never materialize or get about half way finished when the money runs out, it's great to see something this nice get off the ground.

The skyline shots are breathtaking and something I had nearly forgotten about after spending 4 years in the area.

Do they plan on putting in any grass? Injureman looked very similar when it opened and the sand and dirt became a serious hazard whenever the wind picked up (and made 2 stroke GP bikes a real liability).

All in all, it looks like a potential for SBK and possibly MGP with the linked tracks.

[BDA116]

Yeah, just the Saturday. The MPRA events will be two days for $165 - one day of practice, then the second with a couple practice sessions and a couple races.
They have planted grasses in the infield, maybe it will start sprouting in a few weeks.
The weather was typical Utah spring weather. Everything from sunny and (relatively) warm to freezing and a little bit of snow, then repeat.
Yeah, I'm glad Mr. Miller has followed through with his word - and them some, as he has spent more already than he initially planned. I guess it helps that he's a car clubber like us motorcyclists, so he wants it nearly as bad as the rest of us.
Plus something make me think he's getting sick and tired of dealing with his whiny-assed pro basketball players and wants his own personal sanctuary.
The whole complex adjacent to the track makes it one huge recreational opportunity for the whole family. Seriously. The Deseret Peaks complex has a BMX bike track, a motocross track, an ATV motocross track, a firefighters musem, soccer fields, baseball diamonds, a water park, equstrian area, archery range, rodeo grounds, etc. Add all that to the track complex and the whole place is kinda big.

EDIT: I forgot to add to my previous post about the experience that you can get the front end of a stock 600RR to chatter like mad and send the rear fishtailing when you are cut off by a freaked out rider coming nearly to a stop in a braking area.

[nhfirefighter13]

Sure does have some beautiful scenery surronding the track. I'm jealous.

[ND4SPD]

Wow, that facility is amazing Exactly how expensive is real estate out there?

[bwhip]

Here are a couple of aerial shots from a few weeks ago, showing the overall layout of the facility. In the first pic, the track we were on was on the left.