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Johntt, Miller just has the one long straight, and a heck of a lot of those long, medium-speed turns. So even running the perimeter circuit (~45 seconds faster a lap compared to the full course), average speed in mph is only marginally faster. For it's length, it's pretty slow, and there is an awful lot of the lap where you can't do much in the way of actual racing, unless you can afford to resort to NASCAR-like tactics.
As to Ottowa, I would agree that the larger scale would help. For comparison, the front straight at Watkins Glen is more on the order of 1/3 of a mile instead of 1/4 (~1800ft vs. just ~1300ft). More powerful cars really need at least that third of a mile to get a good run, and really, a respectable "straight" for the more serious stuff should be at least half a mile.
I don't think really long straights are essential for a good or even great circuit; look at Laguna Seca, Sears Point, Lime Rock, or Brands Hatch for evidence of that. Then again, a lot of my favorite circuits do have substantial straights: Road America, Mosport Park, Interlagos, and Bathurst for example. Also, out of my own designs, my favorites tend to have long flat-out runs. I find that often with the ones that don't, they just seem too tight and busy over the whole lap.
Overall, I'd say I like the layout of Ottowa.
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