GRANTSVILLE, Utah — West Desert Motorsports Park in Tooele County is open to the public and ready for racing after national security concerns and Utah legislation forced out ties to the Chinese Communist Party, bringing in a new local investment group.
Private investment group PV3 Enterprises has poured $50 million into the complex, with more investment on the way. The group plans to expand the venue with tech and service schools, driver coaching, recreational use, restaurants, and entertainment.
"It's a big enough venue that this should be everybody's playground," Mark Hancock of PV3 Enterprises said.
Hancock said the vision extends to aspiring motorsports professionals.
"If they have dreams of being an F1 engineer or driver, we'll have a path for them to do that here," Hancock said.
The ownership change stems from legislation championed by State Rep. Candace Peirucci (R-Herriman), which prohibits restricted foreign entities — including Iran, Russia, North Korea, and the Chinese Communist Party — from owning and managing property in Utah. Peirucci said Utah had the fourth-largest agricultural landholding in the U.S. by the CCP.
"At this point we're more than 35,000 acres that the CCP has had to divest. We've replaced it with American-owned companies, which is amazing for the people of Utah," Peirucci said.
Gov. Spencer Cox said the approach is about smart stewardship, not isolationism.
"It's just about being smart, being wise, wise stewards." the governor said. "We want people to invest here. We want people from other countries to invest here, but they need to be our allies, not our adversaries."
Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore (R-Sandy) said the venue's potential is significant.
"It is a big investment. It's huge. I think it has enormous potential," Cullimore said. "And with the new investment group, I think you're going to see that this is a thriving place. Really unique asset and special place for Utah."
IndyCar racer Graham Rahal, a winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona who recently led IndyCar rankings, is also getting involved at West Desert as an entrepreneur and team owner. He said the facility stands apart from anything he has seen.
"Everything they have here they don't have anywhere else. I've been to tracks all around the country, all around the world really, and I've never seen one that has literally every aspect of racing at your fingertips," Rahal said.
Hancock said PV3 is committed to the long haul.
"We're not in it for the return on investment, in the short term," he explained. "This is a legacy heritage asset for us that we expect to hold for hopefully generations."
PV3 is now in talks with IndyCar and others to make West Desert a stop on the racing circuit.
The venue's appeal extends beyond hardcore motorsports fans. Cox noted his own enthusiasm for the sport, saying he grew up with motorcycles and is eager to watch world-class racing at the complex.
Cullimore and Peirucci also made clear the track stirs something competitive.
"I would like to race the governor. We'll see how that goes," Cullimore said.
"I think there's nothing that says freedom more than going 150 mph on a race track," Peirucci said.
Speakers at the ribbon cutting also said the venue will help Utah's bid to attract a Major League Baseball team.
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