As we continue to take a look ‘Behind the Gates’, our second installment of this new segment allowed us to sit down with Riot MOTORSPORT’s Michael Shumway. A tenant of the Utah Motorsports Campus for two years, Riot MOTORSPORT has a huge brand and following that allows them to conduct business trackside at UMC. Read below and find out more about Riot MOTORSPORT and their motorsports-related businesses.
UMC: How long have you been a garage tenant at the Utah Motorsports Campus and what does the Campus provide you to aid in the successful operation of your business?
Michael Shumway: We’ve been a UMC tenant for two years now. Because our Riot family of brands is heavily involved in the motorsport and automotive markets, being part of the community at the track has been paramount to the culture we’re trying to build.
UMC: Your company has a large presence trackside and online. How did you get your start, how long have you been involved in motorsports and what are your future plans?
Michael Shumway: We started in 2020 as a group of friends that loved all things motorsport, and the program rapidly grew into a competitive race shop and team. While we currently store and service 20+ customer race cars and compete with a driver roster of 10, we are looking to expand. We want to help more people get into racing as well as campaign race cars at the highest levels of motorsport.
UMC: Why did you choose UMC as your home base?
Michael Shumway: We are Utah locals and are super fortunate to have an amazing facility right in our backyard. It’s a natural choice for us to base the race team here and the future plans of UMC are exciting not just for our business, but motorsports and the local community as a whole.
UMC: For people that do not know about Riot, can you tell us what you do and where your focus is?
Michael Shumway: The Riot brand includes Riot MOTORSPORT – www.RiotMotorsport.com, the full-service marketing agency, Riot which can be seen at www.WeAreRiot.com, and our specialty film vehicle division, Riot MOTION, www.RiotMotion.film.
Riot MOTORSPORT is based at Utah Motorsport Campus. We store and service customer race cars, as well as provide driver development coaching and track support. Our focus is on cultivating a race community that is inclusive and supportive to our fellow drivers.
UMC: Can you tell us a little about your customer base and your race program?
Michael Shumway: Motorsport tends to have a lot of alpha-type personalities which can lead to divisiveness and needless ego-scratching. We think there’s a better way. We push to be competitive and to be the best, but Riot MOTORSPORT is built on a culture of inclusion and remembering why we were all drawn to the sport in the first place – we race because we love it. Whether you are a weekend warrior or campaigning a car in a pro/am series, you’re driving a race car at your limits. What could be more fun than that?
UMC: Can you tell us a bit about LVRY and what you’re doing there?
Michael Shumway: Yes! We’re so excited about LVRY® (pronounced ‘livery’). LVRY is a motorsport equipment brand based right here at UMC. We’ll be opening a one-of-a-kind driver lounge and pro shop on campus where you can come have a coffee, talk with fellow drivers, and race enthusiasts, receive driver coaching, drive on a simulator, and purchase racing equipment. LVRY designs state-of-the-art racing suits, Nomex® base layers, gloves, and other motorsport-related gear. We are also partnered with Chicane® racing shoes (another local company) and will have their Michelin®-soled shoes available in the store. We’ll have several high-end race cars on display from the Riot team as well as the other race teams at the track. The lounge and store are also connected to the new supercar gallery managed by Automotive Addiction® which was previously the Miller Car Museum. Please feel free to drop in anytime. The lounge is open to the public and the motorsport community and can be found at www.LVRY.co.
UMC: Thank you for taking the time to sit down with UMC and all of this information.
Michael Shumway: Thank you for having me. We are very excited about the future at the Utah Motorsports Campus and can’t wait for the warm weather to be here and for the 2023 season to get underway!