Lapping Day at Miller Motor Sports Park

Recently I was afforded the opportunity to attend a track day at Larry Millers new Motor Sports park. I must tell you, if you have not been to this track, you've got to get out there! Wether it is to see a race, practice, or to actually participate in an event, it is well worth the effort. This track must be seen to appreciate the scope and expense of this facility. What a long wait it has been for us motor sports fans in Utah (30+years) to have a full on road race course in our town.

The main course is over 5.2 Miles long. The main course can be broken into 2 great tracks, each with over 2 miles of track. The east course is slightly more technical, and the west course perhaps a little more open. I ran on the west course, and found it to be both challenging and fast!. There are several ways for the average British car enthusiast to enjoy a "track day". The group I participated with is called "Lapping Days" They have been in existence for some time, operating events at a track near Las Vegas, and one or two other venues.The Miller Motor sports track will be their "home track" now. They are experienced and professional in how they conduct their events. Each new participant must attend a "chalk board" session in the morning, and have certified instructors ride with them for the first day of track time.

The instructors are experienced racers themselves, and offer valuable help in learning the fine points of the track, safety, your cars capabilities, and improving your lap times. The instructors take you around in your car at first to show you the capability of your car, and ride with you as you progress through the day. A couple of the instructors for this and other events at Miller Motor Sports park are BMCU members themselves. I was lucky to have one of them be my instructor for the day. Ron Christensen is a BMCU member with a long history of racing to his credit. I'm sure most of you know Ron from BMCU events. Ron has been a friend of mine since the early SCCA days in the 60s, and has always amazed me with his driving skills. Ron is a quiet unassuming guy..... that is until he gets behind the wheel. Then you cannot believe the transformation that occurs, positively Jekyl and Hyde. He takes corners with such abandon that you are sure you will be in the weeds, only to have the turn accomplished with speed and smoothness.

I would not have believed that my Super 7 could corner that fast! The straight away speeds are another story, as my Seven would reach about 100 MPH (which I thought was quite fast), at which point some Porsche GT3 or something would blow by at 165 MPH! I learned the value of good rear view mirrors, and have since installed a Wink wide angle rear view mirror. One fellow in a new Porsche Cayman blew by us on the straight, and entered turn one 60 feet ahead of us. By the end of the 10 turns on the west track (one lap) we were on his tail, then onto the straight, and reel him in in the turns.

After 3 laps of this he pulled over on the straight and let us by, to end his stress. What fun! I initially finished building the Caterham 7, 10 years ago, and other than some tuning and the occasional oil change etc., had not done much to it since. I went over the car for a pre track day tech, tightening this and that, and with the help of Mark at Mike Baileys' Garage, got some play out of the rear solid axle, and was ready to go. Still I was nervous something large would fall off at speed. So when Ron took the car out for a test the day before we were to run, I watched with anticipation from the grandstands. When he pulled in after 3 laps I was sure something had failed, but as Ron pulled off his helmet, I saw a wide grin as he announced that the Seven "runs like a Lotus should". Relief.

The rest of the day went well.I almost took that "trip to the sandbox" that a few of the other participants did as they examined Millers design for slowing cars as they left the paved portion of his track. One guy was seen shoveling large amounts of gravel from inside his BMW M Coupe after such a trip. All in all we figured the Seven did near 100 laps by the end of the day, with Ron giving rides to members of his and my families. (students cannot have passengers other than instructors)So you can get you moneys' worth in a day of lapping. As I mentioned, there are several other cars on the track at the same time, of various levels of performance, so you have got to keep on your toes. But with the instruction and experience you gain, the laps get faster and more fun as the day goes on.

For further information on the track and the various ways to experience it, go to www.millermotorsportspark.com and check it out. The cost is in the $300/day range, and they require a approved helmet to run.

-- Rob Green

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