Chinese Buy American Racetrack, Plan Vehicle Production Facilities

Geely SC7 (Credit: Geely)

According to multiple news reports, Miller Motorsports Park, which is located in Tooele County, Utah, has been purchased by Chinese company Geely Holding Group. The county commission was gathering multiple bids after the track’s owner said it could no longer keep it up.

A number of locals took to the county meeting and social media to express their frustration with seeing the park go to a foreign company.

During the announcement made by the county commission, accusations were thrown around that Geely did not in fact submit the highest bid amount. Offer amounts weren’t revealed to the public, meaning such accusations are the subject of speculation, not public knowledge. It has, however, been revealed that Geely offered $20 million for the motorsports park.

A number of improvements will likely be made to the facilities, including the addition of a drag strip, a 3/8ths-mile oval track and a Rally-X course. At the very least, Geely promises that the track will be maintained at its current state, which might have been what helped close the deal. The company is also planning to partner with local schools to provide training in motorsports management and technical subjects. The plan also includes boosting Chinese tourism to Utah and the Intermountain West region.

Geely has been expanding into new markets over the past several years, and has had an eye on the United States for some time. It bought Volvo Cars and has been funding an aggressive reformation of the Swedish automaker’s lineup. The first wave of Chinese-built Volvos are also entering the U.S., which might help soften consumers’ negative views of vehicles assembled in the Asian nation.

The fate of Miller Motorsports Park was uncertain not too long ago. Talk of razing the track and building a prison on or nearby the 511-acre site was thrown around, but the county opposed shutting down the park. Among the various races that are held at the facility each year is the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and NASCAR K&N Pro Series West competitions.