The fact that Miller Motorsports Park made the "short list" in voting for International Motorsports Facility of the Year was, in itself, unexpected.
The fact it won was a "fun surprise," Larry Miller remembered.
The Utah track was one of four finalists announced at the Professional Motorsport World Expo in Calogne, Germany. The other three candidates were the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Cranfield University in England and Paul Ricard HTTT track in France.
"It came as a complete surprise to us," said Miller, "with this being our inaugural season. In fact, Alan (Wilson, track designer and manager) told me, just in passing, we were on the list, and while he didn't think we'd win, he thought we should be represented."
Voting was done by some of the greatest names in auto racing, including Michael Andretti of Andretti Green Racing, Trevor Carlin of Carlin Motorsport and noted motor racing writer David Tremayne.
"A highlight for me was what they had to say about the track. They talked about how our track exploded onto the racing scene and how well it was received, especially by the drivers. They were so taken by how challenging it was, with the off-camber turns and hairpin turns, and yet how safe they felt driving the track. They talked about how safe they felt and how, if they made a mistake, they knew they weren't going to slam into a wall," said Miller.
"Safety. That's one of the first things we put at the top of the list when we started out on this project."
This first year, too, was a real learning experience for Miller. First and foremost, he said, that while the track caught the attention of the world, it has been slow in grabbing the attention of the local fans.
"For this next season, we need to do a better job educating the fans. That is, not only telling fans about the races, but just who these drivers are and what they are all about. We had some of the best drivers in the world and some of the fastest cars, and I don't think we got that message out very well," Miller said.
"We had five nationally sanctioned racing organizations last season, and all of them are coming back, plus three or four new ones. That says a lot for the level of racing. A lot of it has been word of mouth. That is, drivers telling other drivers just how good the track is."
He added that it's been a challenge trying to fit in some of the events because of the busy schedule. Every weekend, from March through October, will feature some type of racing event.
This would include the addition of NASCAR's Grand National Western Series.
Returning will be the American LeMans, AMA Superbikes and Supermoto, Historic Sportscar Racing and the Grand American.
Miller also noted that work over the winter will involve improving accommodations for fans. There were four 1,000-seat grandstands, or oasis, around the 4.5-mile track. By next season, there will also be a large grassy area around the track for fans. Restrooms and concession stands at the four oasis will also be open.
One thing that was done that has received a lot of positive response, he noted, was building a playground for kids and putting in a basketball court.
"Mothers have told me how nice it is to have a place where the kids can play during the day, in between races," he noted.
Overcoming the perception that the track is a long drive from metropolitan areas is another obstacle Miller feels needs to be overcome.
"It's 28 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City. It takes me longer to get to my office than it does for me to drive to the track," Miller said. "A friend explained it best. He said, people think it's a lot further from Salt Lake to Tooele than it is from Tooele to Salt Lake. It's the perception people have that Tooele's a long ways away and it isn't.
"We can give ourselves an A-plus for track design and the racing. We've got racing nailed. What we need to do is a better job accommodating fans and in particular families ... and we're working on that."
Among the things available to fans at the track is the High Performance Driving School and the Freddie Spencer motorcycle school. Kart rentals and corporate events are available on a daily basis during the season.
E-mail: grass@desnews.com