SCHOOL FAQ /

Is there an age requirement to take the course?
Participants must be at least 16 to participate in any activity on the race track and possess a current, valid driver’s license. Teen School participants can participate in the safety school off track if they have a valid driver’s permit. Karting School restrictions for height and age are 64 inches and at least 14 years of age.

Are there automatic transmission cars?

Not available on the big track. Safety course vehicles are automatic. Karts are automatic.

Do you provide helmets and racing suits?
 We do provide helmets for the course but participants are welcome to bring their own if it is rated Snell 2000 or better. We provide one layer driving suits for our full day participants and three layer race suits for race weekend arrive and drive participants. Helmets, full face helmets, Hans devices and suits are available for rent. Reservations required. Rental pricing and contact information is in the school section under “equipment rental”.

Can I bring a guest?
 Participants are welcome to bring a guest. The guest can join us for all classroom and training sessions, as well as all meals for an additional $50 fee. Guests will not be permitted to ride with participants, however they may sign up for Hot Laps at noon to ride with an instructor. Guests will be required to sign track waivers.

How much time is spent in the classroom vs. track time?
 Our program runs from 9:00 AM to approximately 4:45 PM each day. First day students will spend roughly 30% of the time inside in the classroom, including lunch. The remaining 70% of the day is spent behind the wheel. Second and third day students are guaranteed a minimum of five 20 minute sessions.

Are travel and accommodations included?
 No, but we can provide recommendations for lodging depending on your criteria.

Do you offer gift certificates?
 Yes. You may purchase a gift card. All gift cards are non-refundable. Please follow the link to the MMP storefront.

Can I bring my own car?
 We provide the cars for the course. You are welcome to bring your own car and we will do our best to accommodate you to potentially drive it on the course in our last session of the day, if determined safe to do so.

What should I wear?
 Comfortable, seasonal attire is recommended. Shorts are not allowed. Wear soft-soled shoes, such as driving or tennis shoes.

What is your cancellation policy?
 A 6% fee will be charged for cancelling or rescheduling dates outside of twenty-one (21) days or more prior to the first day of the program. Programs cancelled eight (8) to twenty (20) days prior to the first day of the program will be charged 50% of the face value of the program. Programs rescheduled eight (8) to twenty (20) days prior to the first day of the program will be assessed a 15% reschedule fee against the face value of the program. No Refunds or credits will be given for programs canceled or rescheduled within seven (7) days of the first day of the program.

What is my liability?
 Each participant has a liability of full replacement, per occurrence, for damage to the car they are driving. We offer an opportunity to reduce your deductible from full replacement to $5,000. The additional insurance costs $100 per day for the Mustang GT, $125 per day for the Challenge Car and $200 per day for the Challenge Car on race day.

When does class start and end each day?

• Mustang Experience - class starts at 8:00 AM and finishes at approximately 10:00 AM.
• Ford Racing High Performance Driving School and the Lapping Program – class starts at 9:00 AM and finishes approximately at 4:45 PM.
• Hot Laps are conducted generally from Noon to 1:00 PM on any given school day. Reservations required.
• Teen School and Highway Safety (full day course also available) - class starts at 8:00 AM for the morning session and 1:00 PM for the afternoon session.
• Kart School – contact the Kart Center for more information – 435-277-8575

Which airport is most convenient to the Miller Motorsports Park? 
Salt Lake International Airport (SLC) is 25 minutes to Miller Motorsports Park, door to door. Five easy turns away – freeway on, freeway off, one right and two lefts.

Yamaha Champions Riding School FAQs

Where is Miller Motorsports Park?

Miller Motorsports Park (winner of the World Superbike "Organizer of the Year" award in 2008) is near Tooele, Utah, about 30 minutes from Salt Lake City International Airport. The Salt Lake airport is the nation's main Delta hub so flights are inexpensive and readily available.

What about schools in the winter?

Schools will run at Miller from May through September, and then the entire school will move to a more southerly location for the winter months. We are in discussion with some great tracks, so stay tuned for our winter schedule. Same great R6s, same motivated instructors and a great winter riding tune-up for you.

What programs do you offer?

The Yamaha Champions Riding School offers three distinct programs: The first is the two- or three-day Champions Riding School aimed at every and any street or track-day rider. This school covers it all, from u-turns to trail braking to footpeg loading to entering blind corners in an unknown canyon. You will find brand-new sportbike riders in this school, as well as seasoned veterans back for their fourth class, all interested in becoming better street riders and more proficient track-day participants.

The second offering is the Champions Graduate School, open only to graduates of a previous Champions Riding School at Miller Motorsports Park, or graduates of the Freddie Spencer High Performance Riding School (must have and show graduation certificate from FSHPRS to take part in Graduate School). The Graduate School will be a three-day program and those taking part can plan on an incredible experience that combines skills with unexpected challenges.

The third program is the Champions Pro School, aimed at track-day participants and racers. Instruction will include start procedures, race psychology, tire and suspension information, passing... everything you need to succeed on a closed course.

What bikes will I ride?

How about the best 600 on the planet, the Yamaha R6? Thought you'd like that. We also have a handful of R6Ss, a more street-oriented version of the R6, and a few FZ1s for those of long inseam that just can't fold themselves on a 600.

How do I sign up?

You have two choices in sign-up: online or over the phone. Click on the link if you want to use your computer, or give us a call at 435-277-8797. We take all forms of payment.

What kind of money is this whole deal?

Our two-day schools are $1995 and the three-day programs are $2995. We offer liability insurance on your R6 for $200 per school. Gear rental is $30 for an Arai helmet, $100 for an Alpinestars suit, $20 for Alpinestars gloves and $20 for Alpinestars boots. If you want the whole gear package, plan on spending $140 per school.

You will need to pay your airfare and hotel bill (the Champions Riding School will offer a reduced rate at a local hotel), plus plan on picking up the bill for your dinners. The school will feed you lunch and keep you hydrated. We will pick you up at the hotel each morning, and deliver you back each night. Hey, massages are on your tab.

Who will be teaching me?

The Yamaha Champions Riding School can't overemphasize the importance of the instructors. The five-man crew is led by Nick Ienatsch, with Ken Hill, Dale Kieffer, Shane Turpin and Mark Schellinger also onboard. See their bios for more information, but know that these five are not only championship-winning racers, but are dedicated to the task of making you a better rider, whatever your goals. In addition to the five men listed above, we then add a guest instructor from the Yamaha Racing world to further your experience. All told, you will be hearing, seeing and eventually emulating some of the best riders in the sport-bike world.

I own a Victory cruiser. Can I still come to your school?

Yes! Our group of instructors has done extensive work with cruiser and touring-bike riders over the years and can help anyone on any bike they ride. But we want to warn you right now: you will be hooked on sportbikes and will be visiting your Yamaha dealer to spend money! These things are addicting!

My friend is really fast and I just started riding. Can we come to the same school?

Yes. Because we keep our class sizes small (a maximum of 20 students), you and your friend will get personal and specific instruction to move each of you along your learning curve. This is not a "one-size-fits-all" school; we work with each individual, from the just-licensed beginner to the AMA pro racer.

How old do I need to be? Do I need a motorcycle license?

Let's not get all uptight about age and licenses. You need two things to attend the Yamaha Champions Riding School: The ability to operate a 600cc sportbike, like releasing the clutch, shifting the gears, using the brakes, and lifting it off the sidestand. Our school can handle complete beginners, but most students find the school more beneficial if they have already had some riding experience on a dirt bike or small street bike during a Motorcycle Safety Foundation school. The second thing you need is a clear, focused and sincere desire to learn from the best in the business.

I will never race, don't want to race, don't care about racing. Is this a racing school? No, no and, again, no! Our main focus is improving any rider of any discipline on any bike on any piece of pavement. Racing and street riding share the common skill set of bike control. Do a bad job of bike control on the track and you lose the race, run off the track and possibly even crash. Do a similar bad job of bike control on the street and you face much greater risks, like crossing the center line into oncoming traffic or running wide into a guardrail. Come to the Yamaha Champions Riding School to learn bike control on a "big, wide road" with nothing to hit should you run wide in a corner.

Can you teach me to run perfect laps?

No, sorry. That "perfect lap" just doesn't exist in this sport. But what we will teach you is how to adjust speed and line with the bike's controls, your eyes and body. Humans make mistakes, but learning how adjustable this sport is allows you to recover early and easily to not just your mistakes, but surprises that often crop up during a street ride. We rarely crash on a perfect day, on perfect pavement…we crash when something else enters the picture, like too much entrance speed, gravel in the lane, a tree limb blocking your line. We will teach you how to deal with and avoid these problems. Our instructors have won championships due to their ability to finish races at an extremely fast pace on used-up tires, in the rain, passing backmarkers…not just hope for a "perfect lap." You can do it too.

I see that four of your five instructors (Nick, Ken, Dale and Shane) taught at the Freddie Spencer School. What does that mean to me?

Yes, they did, and the fifth instructor (Mark Schellinger) participated in the Spencer School as a guest instructor twice…see his bio for more bragging about him...and has worked with Nick extensively in rider training.

What it means to you is this: If you enjoyed the Spencer School, or heard something good about it, have faith that the Yamaha Champions Riding School will provide the same single-purpose desire to HELP YOU. Each of these instructors has struggled mightily to succeed in this sport and they realize how difficult "riding well" can be. It's a little thing called humility. These guys have fought through the same barriers you are finding in your riding now, and they can help you lift your game. This is not a random group…these guys are good so you can be better.

I'm tall and the 600s are a tight fit. I guess I shouldn't sign up, huh?

No, sign up and we'll put you on an R6S or an FZ1. The S is a slightly-roomier version of the R, and the FZ1 is a fantastic sport bike for tall guys.

Can I bring my own Yamaha?

Hmmm…not yet. But we're thinking about allowing Yamaha riders to use their bikes in the near future during the final lapping session of each school. But know that our R6s, R6Ss and FZ1s are fresh, clean, tuned and taken care of, complete with sticky Michelins.

Will I be able to ride really fast at your school?

Yes, you will be allowed to ride as fast as the bike, rider and track allow. We have no speed limits at the Yamaha Champions Riding School, but we do have control limits. Speed is a direct reflection of how you use the controls, and we will stress proper control usage. To us, too much entrance speed isn't really a speed issue, it's a "lack of control" issue.

I'm a girl and want to come to your school. What should I do?

Get yourself signed up!. We expect that 20 to 50 percent of each school will be women riders and we have facilities to make anyone comfortable. We encourage husbands and wives to attend together as well as fathers and daughters. There has been some talk of doing all-women's schools, so let us know if that interests you.

What happens if I crash?

Hopefully you spent $200 on the liability insurance, right? If you're hurt or your bike is unrepairable, you're done riding for that school. If you're okay, understand why you fell down and we can fix your bike, we'll get you back on track. We all make mistakes and the Yamaha Champions Riding School crew knows that you came to ride, so we'll do our best to get you back on a bike…if you know and understand why you fell.

Can my family come out and take pictures and stuff?

Yes.

Do we ride in the rain?

It's always the student's choice to ride in any conditions, but yes, the school will continue in the rain. Don't worry, the coffee will be hot.