Sale of Miller Motorsports Park blocked

The planned sale of Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele County, Utah, to a Chinese investment group has hit a legal snag.

In July, Tooele County awarded the sale of the road course and surrounding property to Mitime Utah Investment, LLC for $20 million. However, a competing bidder, Wyoming-based Center Point Management, subsequently filed a lawsuit to prevent the sale, claiming that the county had unlawfully rejected its better offer for the property.

On Thursday in the Third District Court in Tooele, Utah, Judge Robert Adkins blocked the sale. According to Salt Lake City's KSL, the judge explained his decision by noting that, using its own data, Tooele County taxed Miller Motorsports Park at a rate that valued the property at about $28.1 million, and therefore the Mitime deal unlawfully sold the property below market value.

"We are deeply disappointed with Judge Adkins' decision to enjoin the proposed agreement between ourselves and Tooele County to purchase the Miller Motorsports Park property," Alan Wilson, president of Mitime Utah Investment, LLC and Utah Motorsports Campus, said in a statement. "However, Mitime Utah Investment, LLC is fully committed to following whatever process that Tooele County deems necessary to complete the sale of the property.

"We feel it is imperative that the facility remain open for business, ensuring the employment of the track staff and enabling the garage tenants and their various businesses to remain intact. Keeping the track open for business will also benefit the revenues of Tooele County and area businesses.

"We look forward to a successful resolution of this issue as soon as is possible."