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TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH — Miller Motorsports Park and the Utah Sports Commission are pleased to announce a major new event for 2013. The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will make its first appearance in Utah in 40 years on Saturday, August 17.
"Utah is excited to welcome the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and the opportunity it brings to showcase Utah to a nationally televised audience and to generate significant economic impact to our great state," said Governor Gary R. Herbert.
"We are very pleased to announce the addition of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to Miller Motorsports Park's schedule of events," said Greg Miller, CEO of the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies. "This announcement has been a long time in the making and we appreciate the cooperation of everyone involved in helping it become a reality. We look forward to hosting the riders, teams and fans in August, and to providing another world-class event for the State of Utah."
Miller Motorsports Park will construct a purpose-built, national-caliber, permanent motocross facility in the infield of its road racing course to host the Utah National, Round 11 of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship. This will be a very unique venue for the series, which normally hosts its events on rural motocross tracks rather than at established racing facilities. The proximity of Salt Lake City will be very popular with teams and fans, and the ability to use the permanent garages, grandstands and suites at Miller Motorsports Park will be a first for this series.
"We are very proud to bring the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to Utah," said John Larson, General Manager of Miller Motorsports Park. "We believe the addition of a world-class motocross facility to our campus makes Miller Motorsports Park the most versatile motorsports facility in North America, if not the world. This will be one of the most exciting events ever staged at our facility, and we know that it is going to be a big hit with motocross enthusiasts and action-sports fans throughout Utah and the western United States."
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship features the world's best outdoor motocross racers, aboard the best motorcycles each manufacturer can build, on the most competitive and challenging racetracks in the world. Motocross is the original action sport; it's where legends like Ricky Carmichael, Jeremy McGrath, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart and Ryan Dungey were made.
"The Utah Sports Commission is thrilled to welcome the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to ‘The State of Sport,'" said Jeff Robbins, president and CEO of the Utah Sports Commission. "Our passionate Utah fans are already familiar with such household-name action-sports athletes as Ryan Dungey, Ryan Villopoto, James Stewart and Chad Reed through their annual Supercross visits to Salt Lake City. The Utah National at Miller Motorsports Park will give them another chance to see their heroes in action. We are anxiously looking forward to adding this great event to Utah's calendar of world-class sporting events in 2013."
The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is one of the fastest-growing forms of motorsport in the world. Thanks to a very aggressive campaign by series operators MX Sports Pro Racing and Alli Sports, a division of the NBC Sports Group, the 2013 series will have more than 60 hours of television coverage among NBC, the NBC Sports Network and Fuel TV. In addition, the series will have nearly 40 hours of international television coverage in 18 languages, reaching more than 104 countries and 200 million homes worldwide. Also, the series has a very popular live-streaming audience with over 60,000 visitors per race weekend. In addition to the estimated $4 million in media value the event will generate, the stop in Utah will draw thousands of motocross fans, media, sponsors and others, generating approximately $10 million in economic impact to Utah's economy.
The 12-round series will begin at Hangtown, near Sacramento, Calif., in May and end at Lake Elsinore, Calif., in late August. It includes stops at the premier motocross racing facilities in America, with events in Colorado, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Washington, Minnesota and New York. The Utah National at Miller Motorsports Park will be the penultimate event of the season.
"The Utah National is going to be a milestone event for the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship," said Davey Coombs, President of MX Sports Pro Racing. "Miller Motorsports Park is an amazing facility, with incredible amenities that our teams and fans will love, in a market where action sports are everywhere. It is a different sort of venue than we are accustomed to visiting, but it is ideal in light of the rapid growth our series is enjoying. We think it's a perfect fit for us, and we can't wait to show the great fans in Utah what the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship is all about."
"Bringing the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship to Miller Motorsports Park is indicative of the series' phenomenal growth," said Wade Martin, President of Alli Sports. "Our audience is growing exponentially as a result of great onsite attendance, a tremendous worldwide television footprint and our aggressive digital outreach. Having a world-class venue like Miller Motorsports Park, and an enthusiastic partner in the Utah Sports Commission, takes the series one step closer to achieving its goals."
Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship events feature competition divided into two classes: one for 250cc bikes, and one for 450cc machines. Each event includes two 30-minute-plus-two-lap motos (races) per class, with the scores from each race combined to determine the overall winner.
Tickets for the Utah National at Miller Motorsports Park will be on sale December 15. Ticket information for every round of the 2013 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship can be found at www.AlliSports.com/motocross with special incentives for advance ticket purchasers.
To obtain tickets for or information about Miller Motorsports Park, call 435-277-RACE (7223) or visit the track's website at www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com. For more information on the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, visit their website at www.AlliSports.com/motocross and follow the series on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for exclusive content and the latest Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship news.
For media information about the Series, please contact MX Sports Pro Racing via email at media@MXSportsProRacing.com.
MX Sports Pro Racing MX Sports Pro Racing manages and produces the world's most prestigious professional motocross series - the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing. The industry leader in off road power sport event production and management, its mission is to showcase the sport of professional motocross competition at events throughout the United States. Through its various racing properties, partnerships and affiliates, MX Sports Pro Racing organizes events for thousands of action sports athletes each year and attracts millions of motorsports spectators. Visit www.MXSportsProRacing.com.
Alli Sports Alli Sports, is an action sports lifestyle brand whose mission is to connect fans with athletes and brands through best in class events, media, and authentic branded products. Alli Sports includes: the Dew Tour, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship and the Red Bull Signature Series; Alli Media, which creates, produces, and distributes original content; Alli RideShop, an online retailer carrying top skate and BMX consumer products; and Alli MotoShop an online retailer carrying top moto consumer products. Alli Sports is owned by NBC Sports. More information can be found at www.AlliSports.com.
AMA Pro Racing AMA Pro Racing is the premier professional motorcycle racing sanctioning body in the United States, operating a full schedule of events and championships for a variety of motorcycle disciplines. From its Daytona Beach headquarters, the organization sanctions professional motorcycle racing competition, which includes, AMA Pro Motocross, AMA Pro Road Racing, and AMA Pro Flat Track. Visit www.AMAProRacing.com.
NBC Sports Group When the Comcast-NBCUniversal transaction was completed in January of 2011, the broad reach and storied history of NBC Sports united with Comcast's 24/7 ability to super-serve fans to create the NBC Sports Group. The new sports media company consists of an array of broadcast television, cable television and digital sports assets, including NBC Sports & Olympics, Golf Channel, Versus, 11 SportNets (regional sports networks) and their respective websites. Together, the new combined assets of the NBC Sports Group possess an unparalleled collection of television rights agreements, partnering with some of the most prestigious sports properties in the world: the Olympics, NFL, NHL, PGA TOUR, PGA of America, USGA, IndyCar, Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, Wimbledon, French Open, Tour de France and Kentucky Derby.
Lucas Oil Products Lucas Oil is a worldwide leader in the production of oils, lubricants and additives. Based in Corona, Calif., Lucas Oil Products is one of the fastest-growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry, featuring a premium line of oils, lubricants and problem-solving performance additives. Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top-selling additive line in the American truck-stop industry. Lucas Oil is involved in an array of motorsports sponsorships, including the "Official Motor Oil of the Pro Motocross Championship." Visit www.LucasOil.com.
(Photo Caption: The Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship, sanctioned by AMA Pro Racing, will make its first Utah appearance in 40 years when the series comes to Miller Motorsports Park on August 17, 2013. Photo courtesy Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship)
