Miller Motorsports Park news 2008-07-09

Racing 2 Save Lives Raises $30,000 For Children's Charities at Miller Motorsports Park

TOOELE VALLEY, UTAH (July 9, 2008) -- Racing 2 Save Lives, an organization that brings together motorcyclists to help raise funds for children's charities, wrapped up its season-opening event at Miller Motorsports Park over the weekend of July 3-6 by donating net proceeds of $30,000 to charity.

More than 150 riders took part in the four-day event, during which, in exchange for a minimum donation, they were able to ride their bikes on MMP's world-class race tracks without the pressure of competition. The average donation per rider was nearly $300 which, after expenses, netted $30,000 for charities including the Make-A-Wish Foundations of Utah and Colorado, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Larry H. Miller Charities.

"We couldn't be more thrilled with the results, and are enormously grateful to the motorcycling community for its incredible generosity," said Sharon Foxworthy, R2SL's president. "Just six weeks ago we didn't have a date or a track lined up. The entire Miller Motorsports Park organization, along with all our R2SL volunteers, stepped up and made this happen in an incredibly short time."

Foxworthy also acknowledged the contributions of the event's sponsors, including Miller Motorsports Park, Pirelli, Vitamin Water, Freddie Spencer's High Performance Riding School, LeoVince, Apex Trackdays and Utah Sportbike Rental. "It's a cliche, I know, but R2SL would never happen without the help of our sponsors," she added.

A significant element of every R2SL event is a silent auction of motorcycle memorabilia and accessories. The R2SL auction in Utah brought in nearly $4300, which was included the $30,000 donation.

R2SL Vice President Ralph Forsythe acknowledged that while there were a few on-track mishaps during four days of riding, none resulted in serious injuries. "We promote a culture of safety and smart riding, and it shows in our safety record," Forsythe said. "We'd like to thank all of our volunteer rider coaches, including racers Shane Turpin, Scott Jensen and Scott Rybarik, who helped riders of all levels experience the thrill of track riding."

Racing 2 Save Lives is a 501(c)3 charity that operates unique track-day events for motorcyclists, with proceeds donated to deserving children's charities in the communities where R2SL takes place. Since its founding in 2004, R2SL has donated over $230,000 to charity.

The next R2SL event will be at VIRginia International Raceway, in Alton, Va., on August 11-14. For more information on participating or volunteering, visit R2SL's website at www.racing2savelives.org or call 303-767-RACE.

-credit: www.MillerMotorsportsPark.com.