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Miller coming into his own both on and off the track
By SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Florida Short Track Report.com
When a race car driver has nearly seven years of experience under his belt,
he is usually considered a veteran of his craft. Such is the case for 11
year-old Daniel Miller, who has been racing since the at the tender age of 4 -
even younger than 4-time NEXTEL Cup champion Jeff Gordon, who began his
career in quarter midgets at the age of 5.
Miller, in a career move parallel to that of Gordon, began his own driving
career racing quarter midgets in 2000. He proved to be a fast learner with the
small but quick cars, and captured his first career win 2001 at Apopka
Speedway. He would get even better in 2002, when he set fast time for the
States Race and set two track records. By the time the 2004 season came to
an end, Miller had racked up over 20 feature wins and 50 top-5 finishes.
With those impressive stats behind him, Miller was ready to step up in class.
He made it his goal to get into a Mini Cup car, which is a 1/2 scale NEXTEL
Cup race car. He made a pair of starts in those cars near the end of the 2005
season - both which ended with top-5 runs and sending a message that Miller
was clearly on his way.
In his first full season in the Mini Cups in 2006, Miller won 6 feature races and
finished in the top-5 20 times. He was the points leader at the season's
halfway point but eventually finished second in the final tally. He would be
exponentially better in the 2007 season, piling up an astounding 23 feature
wins - which led all drivers in all classes in the state of Florida. He not only
took home the Championship in the junior division, but also drove with the
adults in the pro division and out drove them on a regular basis
In addition to his on-track success, Daniel Miller has participated in autograph
sessions and has appeared in advertising and media campaigns. He has
made several appearances on the Florida Short Track Report.com internet
radio show (Broadcasted on TBSNradio510.com), as well as on the
RealRacinUSA internet radio show. His highly consistent and productive
driving style led him to be nominated by the Florida Short Track Report as a
statewide rookie of the year candidate, where he, as the youngest driver
nominated, finished sixth out of a field of 18 drivers that were voted on by race
fans on the Florida Short Track Report web site. His success in the 2007
season has led him to be nominated for this year's overall driver of the year
award.
Daniel Miller will be moving up again in the 2008 season, preparing for a run in
the ASA Late Model Series when he turns 13. Without a doubt, the future
looks bright for Miller as he grows as both a driver and a man.
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