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Miller Wins 23rd Feature Race at Auburndale
SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Florida Short Track Report.com
AUBURNDALE - Daniel Miller was issued a challenge by Auburndale race director
Ronnie Sims Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway: Start from the rear of the
field of the 30 lap Mini Cup Feature, win the race, and pocket an extra $25 from
Sims himself.
And if Miller didn’t win? Miller would have lost $25 to Sims. Miller took the
challenge without much thought and responded in dramatic fashion - picking off
cars one by one enroute to the win,
Starting in the rear if the field, Miller passed three cars by the time he got to the
third turn on the opening lap. He would continue to methodically move up through
the traffic and would eventually move into fourth on lap 14, albeit a long way from
the race leaders. However, that would change on the very next lap when a caution
bunched the field and allowed Miller to erase the nearly two second gap to the third
place car of Frank Pfister.
Miller got by Pfister on two laps after the restart, and quickly reeled in Jason
Schroader, who had been leading since the drop of the green flag. Miller caught
and passed Schroader for the lead on the 21st lap, but a bobble by Miller allowed
Schroader to get back on the inside of Miller. The two raced side-by-side around
the ¼ mile oval for the next three laps until the yellow flag flew again on lap 25, with
Schroader being ruled as the leader for the restart.
Once the green flag flew again, Miller slid underneath Schroader again for the lead
- only to see the caution come out again for the final time before he could complete
the lap as the leader. On the final restart, Miller got under Schroader again, and
the pair raced around the entire speedway side-by-side again for nearly two laps.
Miller got the edge when Schroader appeared to bobble a bit in turn one, which
allowed Miller to drive away for the win. Schroader held on for second and Pfister
was third.
For Miller, it was his 23rd win of the season in the Mini Cups - which makes his the
winningest driver in the state of Florida for all classes in 2007. He was also able to
celebrate the series championship in victory lane. His incredible season has
earned him a spot in the Florida Short Track Report Driver of the Year contest as
well.
In other action at Auburndale, Scramblers points leader Bobby Kelley Jr. passed
Rick Norman near the halfway point of the 20 lap feature and drove on to the win.
David Canfield was third. Norman and Justin Kirkland won the heat races, which
were ran in road course fashion using part of the infield figure-8 track. This was
the way the Scramblers ran at the track many years ago, and the style may return
in the near future.
Fred Harrison Jr. swept the races in the Mini Stocks, sweeping both the 20 lap
feature and heat race events. The win didn’t come without a little bit of drama, as
Chris Spring made contact with Harrison going for the lead in turn 1 near the end
of the race. Harrison spun, but was allowed to regain the lead with Spring being
sent to the rear. Donnie Guy was second with Spring rallying back to finish in the
third spot.
In the Sportsman, it Aaron Williamson’s night as he led wire-to-wire in the 25 lap
feature race. Wayne Morris was second and Kyle Cooper was third. Williamson
also won the heat race earlier in the evening.
There was yet another wire-to-wire winner in the Modified Minis as Jason Birch led
all 25 laps from his starting position on the pole. Levi Parsons, who had serious
engine trouble in the heat race, finished second, with heat race winner Jonathan
Guy rounding out the top three. James Wright III did the exact same thing as Birch
in the 20 lap Street Stock feature in leading all the laps from the pole and taking
the win. Brandon Morris came home second and Bobby Mobley was third.
Auburndale Speedway returns to action this Friday night, with racing beginning at 8
p.m.
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