Motorsport
Enterprises Racing, Team MER Add Business Partner Top level Mazda race team and growing motorsports business bring on
additional manpower for expansion
FORT WORTH, TX (January 2, 2007) --- Motorsport Enterprises Racing (MER)
have announced today the addition of a new partnership to the growing
organization. Marc Miller will partner with team principals of MER to
assist in the development of the company in all aspects of the business
and the company's motorsports program, "Team MER", which spent
much of the 2006 season dominating the inaugural 'SCCA Sirius Satellite
Radio Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Hankook' Championship.
A veteran professional racer, Miller has competed for the past four seasons
in Canada's National stock car series, CASCAR (now owned by NASCAR) as
the only American pilot. Throughout his career, Marc has been at the forefront
of racing-related promotions, graphic design and sponsorship. He will
lend these and other talents to the team, giving Team MER a renewed presence
and promotional prowess. In addition, Marc will lend his driver instruction
experience to the team, serving as lead instructor and data engineer for
the team's customers.
"I'm excited to be working with an organization like Motorsport Enterprises
Racing (MER)," said Miller. " Upon discussions with the team
principals, it quickly became clear that my skills and experience were
a perfect match for them. It's not often that everything aligns quite
so well, so I look forward to a fruitful partnership."
Team
owner Shannon McMasters echoed that sentiment, adding that he's excited
about the higher level of satisfaction the team's customers will enjoy.
"Marc brings a lot to the table with as a driver and someone with
a keen marketing sense," said McMasters. "Though he may not
be in the seat for the year, we will count on him to help elevate all
of our driver's abilities and bring more championships and race wins to
the team."
First
on the list is to establish the MER name further among the motorsports
community. The company plans to expand the range of business objectives
as well as to provide more incentives for both their prep-service customers
and racing team. MER will sport anew look and website by middle-January
and will be announcing the driver line-up for the 2007 racing season within
the next few weeks.
For
more information, contact Jason Saini or Marc Miller at Motorsport Enterprises
Racing at 817.396.4831 or email at info@motorsportenterprisesracing.com.
About
MER
Motorsport Enterprises Racing & Team MER, are Leaders in Mazda Performance.
With a trackside location at the original Motorsport Ranch just outside
of Fort Worth, TX, MER is uniquely positioned to build, maintain, develop
and store racecars for individuals looking for the utmost performance.
Armed with an in-house chassis-dyno and a test track on premises, they
are prepared to develop the fastest cars for any series their customers
choose to compete in. In addition, MER owns and operates a fleet of Mazda6
School cars for instruction and corporate outings. Visit the team's new
website at www.motorsportenterprisesracing.com.
July
24, 2006
Miller
and Carhartt Racing Have Successful Weekend At Edmonton Grand Prix Carhartt Dodge Charger driver, Marc Miller, showed speed and poise
in 13th place finish in 38-car field
EDMONTON, AB (July 24, 2006) --- Marc Miller of Holland, Michigan and
his Carhartt Racing team put in a solid performance this past weekend
at the Edmonton Grand Prix en route to a solid 13th place finish in a
tough 38-car field. The sole American in the CASCAR Super Series qualified
his #8 Carhartt Racing Dodge Charger in the11th position and had worked
his way up to as high as 6th place early on.
"I'm pretty excited about what we accomplished this weekend,"
said Miller. "We were in the top-10 in every session, had a good
race car that was consistent and easy to drive and other than a bad call
in the race by the officials, would have had even a better finish. The
amount of time I had to spend in this racecar this weekend was really
a confidence boost for me. We were right in the thick of it this weekend."
After an early caution, Miller had worked his way up from the 11th starting
position to 10th and when the race resumed, he was able to avoid a turn-1
incident to move up to 6th. Heading into the chicane however, both Miller
and Dodge driver, Mark Dilley went for the same real estate and made contact
sending the Carhartt Dodge off course before returning back in front.
Miller was black-flagged for what was deemed "cutting the course"
and had to serve a drive-through penalty, dropping him back to 24th position
when he returned to the track.
"I felt that was a pretty bad call," said Miller. "I didn't
gain any positions and it was a racing deal as Mark and I were going for
the same spot. I think if they actually looked at the events that put
me off course, then the officials would have never made that call. It
was a shame really, as I think Dilley and I would have had a great battle
in the race and he is always fun to race against."
Once back on track, Miller made short work of several cars as he fought
back through the pack to finish 13th.
"We might have gotten a couple of more positions there at the end
but I really used up every bit of the car after the pit drive through,"
said Miller. "I had no brakes left at the end."
The team will next head to Trois Rivieres, Quebec for the Grand Prix of
Trois Rivieres (www.gp3r.com) from august 4th to the 6th, The event will
be a challenging venue for the CASCAR series though should enjoy a large
amount of fan support.
July
1, 2006
Local Race Car Driver Makes Cut for Reality TV Show Holland's Marc Miller Draws Wildcard Spot for Racin' for a Livin'
(HOLLAND,
Mich) - It's the hottest new reality show - and a West Michigan man has
just been given the green flag to be a contestant. Marc Miller of Holland
has secured one of 21 "wildcard" spots for Racin' for a Livin',
a creation of JVI Productions. An additional 50 rookie drivers are in
the race for a chance for one coveted spot to race with a NASCAR Busch
Team.
"As
far as I know, there are only a few people from Michigan in the competition
- and no one else from the Grand Rapids or Holland area - so this is a
great opportunity to gain exposure for myself, my hometown and my home
state," said Marc.
Miller
is one of only five drivers from Michigan selected from a pool of more
than 3400 nationwide to be part of the competition. Born in Grand Rapids,
Marc moved to Virginia when he was young and it was there that he started
racing on a dirt go-kart track. By age 14, he'd progressed to stock car
racing. After moving back to Michigan and the community of Zeeland at
the age of 16, he jumped back into karting.
After
graduating from Zeeland High School, Marc made tracks for Western Michigan
University in Kalamazoo, where he pursued a degree in communications and
marketing, which have been instrumental in the development of his career
as a race car driver and professional driving instructor.
In
1998, Marc made his first ever start in an open-wheel racecar, winning
his first time out in the Canadian Pro F1200 Championship Series. He has
just entered his fourth season of running a limited schedule in the CASCAR
Super Series in the Carhartt Racing #8. He's hoping his years of experience
will land him in the driver's seat as the winner of the Racin' for a Livin'
competition.
"For
a guy like me, this competition is a great opportunity to showcase that
talent and determination is only part of the game," said Marc. "I
just want people to know that racing as a career can be done without having
deep pockets. There are lots of skills you can hone to make a living in
this game."
The
concept for Racin' for a Livin' is easy to follow. The field of 70 will
be narrowed down by fan voting, which began May 1 for the rookie division
and kicks of July 1 for the "wild card" drivers. Voting ends
on July 31, yet fans can vote as often as possible and rankings are updated
on a regular basis. It's this first leg of the competition that can make
or break Marc's chances to advance, as he will rely on his fans - both
here in Michigan and around the country - to help spread the word and
generate votes.
"There
are also bonus points awarded for media coverage, with major bonuses for
anything nationally syndicated," Marc said "Those points could
pretty much assure advancement in the field and a spot on the show."
Once
the field of drivers has been narrowed down to 15 rookies and 5 wildcards,
the drivers will begin rigid training by veterans in the business and
will compete against each other, both on and off the track for the actual
filming of the show. Driver elimination will be based on scoring comprised
of three components: lap times, scoring by a judging panel of NASCAR veterans
and their appearance and attitude away from the track dealing with the
fans. It will be the veterans who are responsible for narrowing this field
to the final two drivers.
Each
week, one of the rookie drivers' dreams will be dashed as they're eliminated
from the competition. They will not however, be black flagged from the
show. The eliminated drivers will be on the track with the weekly winners
to "trade paint" on the track. Although they're eliminated from
the chance to make it to the Victory Lane, they are still trying to impress
all the owners and sponsors who are taking note of the action on the track.
During
the course of the show, these rookie drivers will take you through the
ups and downs of their aspirations, dreams and realities. You will learn
how a driver becomes a pro. How the driver deals with his crew. How the
driver schedules his or her time and coordinates how to live and win.
This
is the most intense training program ever devised for auto racing, where
top veteran drivers and crew chiefs will train the rookies and polishing
them into winners ready for their NASCAR debut. The intense training time
will bring out the most aggressive and skillful drivers who have the drive
to succeed.
When
the contest is down to the final two rookies, their fate returns to the
hands of the fans who will cast votes during a live two-hour special.
The overall winner will then get seven races to prove his or her stuff.
The winner will then move on to their shot at the NASCAR Busch Series
and will truly live out the ultimate goal of every rookie driver who dreams
of Racin' for a Livin'.
Racin'
for a Livin' will be shot at an undisclosed location this fall with the
show to air in late January or early February 2007. In
the United States, NASCAR ranks second only to the NFL, with a fan base
of more than 75 million.
June
19, 2006
A
Strong Run Ended Early By Part Failure For Miller and Carhartt Racing Carhartt Dodge Charger driver, Marc Miller, on way to Top-5 result
before being sidelined with broken axle
BOWMANVILLE, ON (June 19, 2006) --- Marc Miller of Holland, Michigan still
can't shake his bad luck streak at Mosport International Raceway, even
after several stellar drives through the field over the past few years.
The sole American in the CASCAR Super Series and driver of the #8 Carhartt
Racing Dodge Charger fell out on lap 34 of the 51-lap event while running
in the 6th position in the 31-car field due to a broken axle. The part
failure sent the #8 machine into a spectacular 100mph+ impact against
the turn eight retaining wall. He would end up in 26th place.
"That was a pretty big impact," said Miller. "There was
pretty much nothing I could do at that point except brace for the hit
of my life. My crew chief, Dave Wight, prepared such a good car this winter
that I was able to walk away from an impact like that easily. The only
good things about a situation like that is we know we were contenders
for a top-5 and it should look pretty dramatic on television."
"I think our pit strategy had worked well for us and we were pretty
poised for a top-5 finish before that," continued Miller. "The
guys in the shop gave me a great handling car that was just fantastic
under braking. I think we will have some other great opportunities for
top-5 results this year, we just need some better luck."
Miller struggled in practice and qualifying with a fuel delivery issue
that limited the car's ability to get down the long Andretti straight.
He still managed to get the car qualified in the 17th spot. The team,
led by Wight, diagnosed the problem Saturday evening and it never resurfaced
during the race.
After starting in the 17th-spot, Miller picked up spots quickly over the
first 15 laps, eventually moving into the 10th place before stopping for
fuel during green. After the pit stops had cycled through, thanks to a
quick stop by the Carhartt Racing team, Miller was sitting in the 7th
position before the track went back to green on lap 33.
"Up until that caution, we were in tire conservation mode and just
picked up positions when other guys made it easier for me," said
Miller. "I had picked up a small push in some of the fast corners,
but I really had just begun to really squeeze the most out of the car."
With 18 to go, the race went back to green and Miller immediately picked
up one more spot and settled into the 6th position and in the draft of
the top-5. At the end of the straight however, the axle seized and chattered
and sidelined the team's chances for a top-5 result.
"We are going to have the car ready to go for Edmonton and go through
the car from front to back," said Dave Wight, crew chief on the #8
machine. "Marc showed he can run up front and was smooth and consistent
on his way through the pack. We should be good to go in Edmonton."
The team will next head to Edmonton, Alberta for the Edmonton Grand Prix
(www.grandprixedmonton.com), an event that drew over 150,000 fans in 2005.
Marc
Miller Takes Two In First Career SCCA Weekend Michigan driver started on pole and led every lap in both SRF events
at Grattan's SCCA Double Regional Event
HOLLAND, MI (May 30, 2006) --- Holland, MI native, Marc Miller, used this
past Memorial Day weekend as a warm-up for the 2006 season, but instead
of staying home and watching the races on TV, he spent the weekend burning
up the track at Grattan Raceway, a scenic 2.0-mile road course in Grattan,
MI. Driving for JAY Motorsports, Miller drove a Spec Racer Ford to victories
both Saturday and Sunday after leading the 22-car group from the pole
position each day.
"This deal came about last minute and I am really thankful the opportunity
was there," said Miller. "I have been doing a lot of kart racing
lately for exercise and to help me focus mentally and physically. I think
that helped me prepare for this double race event in the SRF and ultimately
I hope that this event helped prepare me for the upcoming CASCAR season
in my Carhartt Dodge. I really want to thank MMP Design, TLM Design Services
and JAY Motorsports for giving me this opportunity for the added seat
time."
Miller normally competes as the only American driver in the Canadian Association
of Stock Car Auto Racing (CASCAR), Canada's national professional racing
series. He will pilot the #8 Carhartt Clothing Dodge Charger in six events
in 2006 starting at the June 18 road course event at Mosport International
Raceway.
"I hope I can continue these successes headed into the rest of the
season," said Miller. "The CASCAR series is extremely tough
and I have worked hard to prepare myself mentally for a good season and
really want to represent my team and sponsors well."
Carhartt™
Racing Has Re-Signed American, Marc Miller for 2006 CASCAR Season Michigan driver will compete in limited schedule in the RaceSportz/DJK
Racing Carhartt Dodge Charger #8
DEARBORN, MI (March 28, 2006) --- Holland, MI native, Marc Miller, will
return as the driver of the #8 Carhartt Racing entry for the 2006 CASCAR
Super Series. The sole American in the series will pilot the RaceSportz/DJK
Racing prepared Carhartt Dodge Charger in a limited schedule in 2006.
"I am very proud to be back representing Carhartt again this year,"
said Miller. "This will be my fourth season with Carhartt as our
primary sponsor and they have been terrific to us as we continue to grow
our program. We have essentially a new car coming out of the DJK Racing
shop that should be right there with the best in the series. It is now
important to get out and start testing as soon as possible."
The all-new Carhartt #8 Dodge Charger was debuted at the 2006 Toronto
Sportsmen's Show this past weekend at Exhibition Place in Toronto. The
car showcases an aggressive new paint scheme for 2006 and was a very popular
addition to the Carhartt, Inc. booth that saw over 125,000 spectators
pass by over the five days of the show.
"We felt it would be a great opportunity to have our Carhartt CASCAR
on display at this show," said Field Marketing Specialist for Carhartt,
Jason Reynolds. "Some of Carhartt's most loyal customers are avid
sportsmen as well as race fans and I think we even under-estimated the
response from having the car on display. We are looking forward to having
Marc back in the seat this season and hope to see him put the Carhartt
Racing machine up front."
The season will see Miller and his team compete in some of the largest
events on the CASCAR schedule including the hugely popular Grand Prix
of Edmonton (www.grandprixedmonton.com),
the GP of Trois Rivieres (www.gp3r.com)
and four additional venues that are expected to draw over 300,000 spectators
combined.
The Carhartt Racing "Day at the Track" sponsor day was a great
success with representatives from DeWalt, Praxair, UA & Miller Welder's
on hand. This is a unique experience to our sponsors as they get professional
instruction and the opportunity to climb into a true 400+ HP stock car
and run around the half mile track at Mosport Park. In Canadian Motorsports,
there is NO program like this anywhere and by the response from our group
on Tuesday, everyone left happy! We also snuck some rides over at Mosport's
2.5-mile road course. A squealing tire is a happy tire - and boy were
those tires squealing.
It
was a chilly and overcast day, but that did not stop the fun at all.
"These sponsor events is a great opportunity for me to interact with
the people that support our race program," said Miller, driver of
the #8 Carhartt Dodge. "On race weekends, I get maybe an hour to
spend with everyone combined as the schedules are so hectic, but days
like these are a real treat and offers time to really get to know everyone
personally. I look forward to these sponsor rewards programs."
The
Mark's Work Wearhouse 2nd Prize Winners were also on hand to experience
the thrill of driving a true race car. (See photo below). Dean and his
friend Steve had a great time and we were happy to have them there!
"These are uncomfortable surroundings for most people," offered
Miller. "We try to prepare everyone who goes through our "Day
at the Track" that in my "office" there is a lot of distraction
in the way of vibration and noise and almost zero visibility compared
to your street car. Once you overcome those obstacles, then we can apply
what we learned in our instruction class to get the car around the track."
Thanks again to those of you that are part of our Carhartt Racing #8 program.
We look forward to the "DAY AT THE TRACK" events for 2006!
Caption
#1: Marc poses with the Mark's Work Wearhouse / Carhartt 2nd Place Award
Winner.
Caption
#2: Marc chats with Adam Findlay from DeWalt Canada.
Caption
#3: Marc helps one of local UA members from Bowmanville get strapped into
the race car.
Miller
& Carhartt Racing Team Positive About Performance Even With 21st Place
Finish Early pit stop keeps driver from top-ten result in final race of year
PETERBOROUGH, ON (September 18, 2005) --- Marc Miller and his Carhartt
Racing #8 Dodge began their final race of 2005 with a desire to finish
off the season on a positive note. Miller was happy with the car in practice
and qualified the Carhartt Dodge in 19th of the 29-car field. Considering
the team has always focused on a long greenflag run strategy, Miller and
team were confident with how their race day would go. Once again, Miller
moved up several positions on the opening laps and was poised for a strong
top-ten result before having to pit to repair broken wheel studs early
in the event, putting the driver down 18-laps. Miller rejoined the race
and showed what could have been by passing several cars and running among
the leaders for the remainder of the race. He would finish 21st, 19-laps
down.
"We never qualify well with this car, but we know what it can do
on long runs," said Miller. "It was definitely unfortunate that
we had a mechanical so early, but after the race I had several fans let
us know that our car and team looked great and was definitely among the
top 7 or 8 out there most of the day. That is definitely encouraging and
something to build on heading into the off-season."
Miller routinely ran in the top ten most of the day as far as track position,
though several laps down due to the lengthy pit stop.
"I really want to thank Carhartt and all of our sponsors this season,"
Miller said. "We did well in a part-time program with little to no
testing and competed with the best. We had some good luck and some bad
luck, but I was happy with how my guys worked this season. I will never
be truly happy until we compete for wins, but I know that we are capable
of that."
The Carhartt Racing team looks forward to planning a stronger program
for the 2006 season.
"Right now it is a waiting game," said Miller. "We hope
we can improve on our program enough to run the entire schedule, with
a new oval car. The added experience and updated equipment should give
us a good shot at running for top-5 in the series and that is the goal."
September
10, 2005
Miller
& Carhartt Racing Awarded Hard Charger Award After Tough Cayuga Race
Day Miller
made early push for a top 10 before mechanical damage hurt his chances
HAGERSVILLE,
ON (September 10, 2005) --- Marc Miller and his Carhartt Racing #8 Dodge
entered their sixth career oval event with a strong desire to continue
the top 10 streak they began at the Molson Indy Toronto in July. Miller
struggled in qualifying before putting together a strong charge through
the field and into the top 15 early on into the Crown Jewel 200 at Cayuga
Speedway. The team was poised for another strong top 10 before damage
on a restart took away the team’s momentum. Miller was still able
to finish a solid 17th place and collected the “Fast Eddie Hard Charger
Award” for the driver who improves the most positions in a race.
“We
struggled to find speed in the car throughout practice,” said Miller.
“I can honestly say we had a dismal time trials and we were off in
qualifying. The car, however, was really good on longer runs and after
15 laps, it was very consistent and easy to drive, but when you start
in the back, you really have to keep moving up to stay out of trouble.”
Miller
showed that ability and starting on lap 15 began working his way through
the pack, at one point running right with the fastest cars on the track.
He had moved into the top 15 by lap eighty and was looking at a solid
finish until contact with another car on a restart damaged the car.
“I
essentially put myself in a tight spot to gain position and possibly get
back on the lead lap and it didn’t work out,” Miller said. “It
was a risk I felt I had to take to run in the top 10, but that is the
way it goes. After that, I was just hoping to stay out of trouble as the
car was a handful. We dropped back quite a bit and we were fortunate to
finish where we did the way the car was working.”
The
Carhartt Racing team will next head to Kawartha Speedway for the “Dodge
Dealers of Ontario RAM TOUGH 250” this coming weekend, September
18.
“I
am looking forward to Kawartha,” said Miller. “I had a decent
run last year there and the track is smooth and fast which I really enjoy.
We will definitely have to step up and qualify better though.”
NEWS - September 9, 2005
Yankee Has
Big Shoes to Fill Jamie Maudsley article feature in Performance Racing News Click
here for article
July
25, 2005
Miller
& Carhartt Racing Continue Top 10 Success in Calgary Miller drove to second consecutive 7th place finish in MOPAR 500
CALGARY, AB (July 25, 2005) --- Marc Miller and his Carhartt Racing #8
Dodge had roughly four career oval races coming into the MOPAR 500 event
at Calgary's Race City Motorsport Park this past weekend. Regardless,
Miller drove like a veteran, finishing in 7th place after starting 21st
in a large field of CASCAR National & Western Series drivers. This
was Miller's second consecutive 7th place after coming off his previous
career-best race at the Toronto Molson Indy only a few weeks ago. Miller
proved that seat time on the ovals is all he needs to compete at the top
level.
"Realistically we were looking for a top-15, maybe top-10 here at
Calgary," said Miller. "I had never been here before and the
competition is very tough in this series, so I'm very happy with how we
did as a team this weekend."
Miller was in the hunt for a top 10 most of the day, but it wasn't until
the last 100 laps did he start working lapped traffic and cars in front
of him for position.
"This car was so good on long runs," said Miller. "Being
that this race was 300 laps, we went into the mindset that we needed to
finish and set the car up to handle a long race. We would get jumped on
the restarts, but 20 laps into the run I could drive back by."
The Carhartt Racing team will next head to Cayuga Speedway, a half-mile
banked oval near Niagara Falls, on August 14.
"I hope we can keep this momentum up," said Miller. "We
are running only a partial schedule, but our team is meshing well right
now and we seem to be working together better than ever. Usually part-time
teams struggle in that situation, but we are really making it happen."
July
10, 2005
Miller
& Carhartt Racing Race Into 7th Place at Toronto Molson Indy Miller drove to solid top 10 finish after starting 15th
TORONTO,ON (July 10, 2005) --- Marc Miller and his Carhartt Racing #8
Dodge in a solid run from his 15th starting position to finish in an impressive
7th place in this year's ATTO 100 event at the Toronto Molson Indy. ,
sitting 7th fastest in the first time session of the 35 entries for the
event.
"Obviously we would have loved to run in the top 5 all day but I
think we were all happy to get out of here with a strong run," said
Miller. "Our car isn't hurt and we have another big event in two
weeks to prepare for. This is such a tough series, any time you can run
solidly in the top 10, especially in a part-time effort, you shouldn't
complain too much."
Miller started off strong, sitting 7th fastest in the first time session
of the 35 entries for the event. Qualifying wouldn't go quite as well
for the team, logging only 15th quickest.
"Inexperience got me heading into qualifying," said Miller.
"I am still very new to these stock cars and I requested a rather
large change that felt better, but was definitely slower. I felt I had
let my team and sponsors down there, but thankfully no one really remembers
where you start, it's where you finish."
The Carhartt Racing team will next head to Calgary, Alberta for the Mopar
500 weekend at Race City Motorsports Park. The event is one of the fan
favorites and it will be the first appearance for the Carhartt team.
"I have heard some great things about Calgary," said Miller.
"I have watched the last two races from there and look forward to
running the track. If we can have another good showing there I will be
very satisfied."
June
20, 2005
Miller
& Carhartt Racing Show Plenty of Muscle At Mosport Miller took the #8 Carhartt Dodge through the pack three times before
mechanical gremlins sidelined the team
BOWMANVILLE,ON (June 20, 2005) --- Marc Miller and his Carhartt Racing
#8 Dodge looked to be in the driver's seat for a top 8 finish at this
weekend's Berms-R-Us / Clarington 200 CASCAR event at Mosport International
Raceway's 2.5-mile road-course event. The sole American driver in the
field qualified the car 9th in the 33-car field but was forced to start
in the back after discovering an ignition misfire on the warm-up lap.
The driver fought his way up through the field three times - making more
passes than any other driver (over 50) before moving into a position for
a top-8 finish with 11-laps to go. That top-10 finish slipped away when
he was tagged from behind on a restart then black-flagged by officials
with 6-laps to go. Miller would finish 23rd.
"Once we just put it all together I think we are going to have one
amazing race weekend," said Miller. "We got the car gridded
in the top 10 and had a top-6 car for sure. I doubt that I could have
driven any harder. I was on a mission and passing cars anywhere I could
to claw our way back up to the front. I think I made over 50 passes for
position!"
Miller had to pull out of his 9th place position on the pace lap and pull
into pit-lane so the team could diagnose the engine misfire. Once it was
fixed, it put Miller in a huge disadvantage, not only having to start
in last place, but also 30 seconds behind the pack when the green flag
had fallen. Miller reeled off quick laps and passed several packs of cars
fighting his way to the front. When the caution came out, Miller was already
in the top 15.
"We definitely had a fast car today," said Miller. "I know
if we would have started up front, we would have stayed there all day
but that is just how it goes. We had several fans come over after the
race that had noticed what we were accomplishing on the track and that
definitely makes me proud. This CASCAR series is full of drivers and teams
that have done this for 15 years. To be able to run a limited schedule
and walk in and run in the top 10 is a great achievement. We just need
to put it all together and get in the top 5."
"We had a good car today as Marc showed on the racetrack," said
Jason Leuschen, crew chief of the #8 Carhartt Dodge. "Marc put in
a blistering lap in qualifying, even though he was in traffic so we are
looking forward to rebounding at Toronto with a strong finish."
The Carhartt Racing team will be ready for the next road course event,
the Toronto Molson Indy on July 10 in front of a crowd of over 100,000
people. Miller, a seasoned road-racer, hopes to improve on his strong
9th place finish last year and expects to be able to qualify and finish
strong.
"There is a soft-spot in my heart for Toronto's street-circuit,"
said Miller. "We ran well there last year even with chassis gremlins
and had an 8th place run the year before that before a problem with our
clutch forced us to lose time. We have a better car and more experience
and definitely a hunger to win so I am looking forward to getting on track
and not having any problems."
June
15, 2005
American
CASCAR Racer, Marc Miller, & Audizine.com/Dubberzine.com Begin Marketing
Partnership Popular Audi & VW enthusiast communities join forces with Miller
& his racing programs
HOLLAND, MI (June 15, 2005) --- Marc Miller, driver of the #8 Carhartt
Racing entry and sole American in the CASCAR series, recently announced
a marketing partnership with online enthusiast communities of Audizine.com
and Dubberzine.com, Audi & VW enthusiast sites. The driver will display
the Audizine.com and Dubberzine.com logos on the #8 Carhartt Dodge for
both road-course events on the 2005 CASCAR Series calendar, including
this weekend's upcoming Clarington 200 at Mosport International Raceway.
"This partnership is very unique," said Miller. "I have
both an Audi and a Volkswagen in my garage for my family and have been
a German car enthusiast since I got a driver's license. Hopefully this
new association with the Audizine.com and Dubberzine.com family brings
other enthusiasts out to support us at CASCAR events that otherwise would
walk right by a stock car. More importantly, I hope that people log on
the websites to see what the Audzine.com & Dubberzine.com communities
have to offer."
Miller has been a contributing member of Audizine.com for over a year
and quickly became a member of the company's latest addition, Dubberzine.com
upon the initial launch last month. With the new site launch, the timing
for a promotional program seemed to fit.
"Marc is lucky enough to live out the childhood dream that most of
our members share - professional auto racing," said Anthony Marino,
owner of Audizine.com & Dubberzine.com. "We are honored to be
a part of his team, and to be able to help out a truly great enthusiast
and a downright good guy. He is one of us, part of our family and when
the idea came to us to become a marketing partner we jumped at it. It
gives all of our members a chance to live vicariously through Marc and
we wish him the best this season!"
Though Miller races a Dodge in Canada's largest racing series, CASCAR,
he has the support of the members of "the 'Zines". In fact,
a "motorsports discussion forum" has been added to both sites
in an effort to continue interest in the progress of Miller's racing season
as well as to discuss racing in general. In addition, members are encouraged
to contribute to the Audizine.com & Dubberzine.com sponsorship program
for Miller and a special account has been set-up to accept PayPal donations
to sponsor@themarcmillershow.com.
As always, more information can be found at www.themarcmillershow.com
or www.carharttracing.com.
About Audizine & Dubberzine
Audizine and Dubberzine were created primarily for the Audi and Volkswagen
enthusiast, but are open to fans of cars of all types. What started as
a small group of friends several years ago has turned into a worldwide
community of automotive enthusiasts that numbers in the thousands. Ultimately
Audizine, and their new addition, Dubberzine, have established a strong,
loyal, and tight-knit group that appreciates the beauty and power of all
automobiles and the thrill and endurance of motorsports. For more information
about Audizine, the independent Audi Webzine, log onto www.Audizine.com.
For more information about Dubberzine, the independent VW Community, log
onto www.Dubberzine.com.
June
4, 2005
Marc
Miller & Carhartt Racing Team Debut With Hard-Fought Finish Miller and the Carhartt Team were "Hard at Work" on St. Eustache's
tough ¼-mile flat-track
MONTREAL, QC --- Marc Miller and his Carhartt Racing #8 Dodge made a hard-fought
debut in the 2005 CASCAR Super Series schedule at the Whelen 200 at Autodrome
St. Eustache this past weekend. The sole American in the field was entering
his first race behind the wheel of his new DJK Racing prepared Carhartt
Dodge and gritted it out on the tight ¼-mile flat-track to finish
a strong 16th position against the top stock car racers in Canada.
"As hard of a night this was, it sure feels good to get this race
under out belts at probably one of the toughest tracks on the CASCAR calendar,"
said Miller. "We got only a few laps in practice but managed to get
the car gridded 15th with a solid time. The car felt very good in practice
so I was hoping to be able to keep the nose clean and be there for a top-10
at the end."
Things didn't go so smooth for the Carhartt team as a problem with the
transponder limited the number of laps Miller could run in practice. The
team rebounded with a car that could run consistent & competitive
lap times for the race and was prepared to battle it out for 200 laps.
The green flag waved to the sound of thousands of cheering Quebec fans
and Miller took his Carhartt Dodge up the order quickly, gaining a few
spots right from the start. As quickly as the charge began, Miller had
another competitor try to close the door on him and hit the right front.
Miller made it through the bump but it was later determined that damage
had been done to the sway bar, taking away the great set-up the team had
put in the car for the race. The race continued and Miller battled for
real estate but lacked the exit grip necessary to really contend for a
top-10 finish.
"I got freight-trained on the restarts because the car had no forward
bite," said Miller. "The car turned into the corner and rolled
well through, but as soon as you wanted to get back on the throttle, she
just wasn't up to it. We pitted to fix a damaged right front and the crew
did a stellar job getting me back out o the lead lap with fresh right
side tires. I was hoping to give the team, Carhartt and all of our sponsors
more tonight, but that is just the way it goes sometimes."
Miller was sitting in a good position battling for the 11th spot before
coming in during a caution for tires on lap 109. With fresh rubber, and
only 90 laps left the team felt comfortable that a top-10 was still within
reach but Miller was turned around coming off of turn four by another
driver pointing the Carhartt Dodge in the wrong direction. Miller got
the car back around but unfortunately lost a lap in the process.
"That is how tough short track racing is," said Jason Leuschen,
Miller's crew chief on the #8 machine. "You work hard to find a good
set-up, but all it takes is a bit of rubbing to make the car hard to handle
on these tight tracks. Marc did a good job getting through all the carnage
and brought the car back with only minor battle scars. We felt as though
if we would have stayed on the lead lap, we could have really turned some
heads in our oval debut."
The team will be back for the next CASCAR event at Mosport Park's 2.5-mile
road course event, the Clarington 200, on June 19. Miller, a seasoned
road-racer, hopes to improve on his strong 9th place finish last year
and expects to be able to qualify and finish strong.
"I am definitely not afraid to push hard on the road courses,"
said Miller. "I am in great comfort running at high speeds and with
the new car and extra year under the team's belt, we should be contending
for podium results there."
May
7 , 2005
Updated
Paint Scheme for Carhartt Racing #8 Unveiled! New car seen for first time at MOPAR Day on May 7
The
Carhartt Racing #8 driven by Marc Miller will have a new racier look for
the 2005 season as was seen at MOPAR Day this past weekend. Photos can
be seen on our photo section.. . . . . MORE
PHOTOS.
April
20, 2005
American
CASCAR Racer, Marc Miller, Set For Busy Schedule of Events May and June boast a full calendar for the young driver
Marc Miller, driver of the #8 Carhartt Racing entry and sole American
in the CASCAR series, has a couple of very busy months ahead. The driver
is scheduled for several test days in his #8 Carhartt Racing Dodge before
finally hitting the track on June 4 at Autodrome St. Eustache in Quebec,
Canada for his first race. It isn't all seat time for the Holland, MI
racer, as he will be in attendance for both MOPAR day this Saturday and
the CASCAR Media Day on May 17.
"May and June are pretty much booked up which is pretty exciting,"
said Miller. "It has been a long winter and I am looking forward
to getting into our new Carhartt Racing Dodge."
In addition to CASCAR specific promotional events such as MOPAR Day and
CASCAR Media Day, Miller will also jump in the seat of two very different
types of cars. In the span of three days, Miller will have been clocked
at 140+ mph in a 250cc Superkart machine at Road America, then down to
Chicago, IL to the brand new Autobahn Country Club racing facility to
complete a full day test in a Formula SCCA machine. Miller has an active
role as test-driver for FormulaCar Magazine and will spend the day testing
the updated Formula SCCA machine offered by SCCA Enterprises.
"I am excited about having the opportunity to get a vast amount of
seat time in a short period of time," said Miller. "Not only
will I get more time in my Carhartt Racing #8 than ever before, but also
have the chance to drive other types of racecars that I love."
As always, more information can be found at www.themarcmillershow.com
or www.carharttracing.com.
Marc's Schedule for May & June:
Marc
Miller & Carhartt™ Racing Team Announce 2005 Racing Schedule Young American will compete in six events on 2005 CASCAR Super Series
calendar
Marc Miller, driver of the #8
Carhartt Racing entry and sole American in the CASCAR series, has recently
announced his 2005 CASCAR schedule. The driver will compete on two road-course
and four oval events this season in the Carhartt Dodge Intrepid as well
as several scheduled public appearances.
"I am pretty excited about our schedule for this year," said
Miller. "We are going back to a few tracks that I have some experience
on and our new association with DJK Racing will definitely help with getting
us up to speed on the other tracks. I know that we will be way ahead of
last season's program due to the added testing schedule and the new cars,
so I am pretty anxious to get started."
The season will see Miller and his team compete in some of the biggest
events on the schedule including the Toronto Molson Indy Event that draw
over 120,000 spectators. 2005 Carhartt Racing Schedule:
Miller
& Carhartt Team Working With DJK Racing in 2005
Miller switches to DJK Racing Dodge Intrepids for six-race
CASCAR program
The
RaceSportz - Carhartt Clothing have announced their return as the primary
sponsor of Team RaceSportz. The Carhartt Racing No. 8 CASCAR SuperSeries
entry, driven by American driver Marc Miller, will join up with veteran
driver DJ Kennington and run cars prepared out of his DJK Racing shop.
"As
Carhartt continues to grow in Canada we feel that it is important to not
only provide premium workwear for the Canadian worker but to also support
that worker's hobbies and past-times," said Andrius Viskantas, Marketing
& Communications Manager for Carhartt. "We're excited to be working
with Marc and Team RaceSportz again in 2005 and look forward to being
involved in Canada's #1 Racing Series; the CASCAR Super Series."
The
team will be joining up with veteran driver DJ Kennington and run cars
prepared out of their St. Thomas race shop.
“DJ
and I got to know each other well during the 2004 season, and I think
we’ll have a great synergy going into 2005,” said Miller. “We’re
both extremely competitive people and I know that we’ll both push
each other as hard as we can on the track.”
“I think
by teaming up next year we can really elevate their [Miller and RaceSportz’]
on track efforts and get Marc on the podium," said DJ Kennington.
"Marc ran strong at Mosport, Toronto, and Vancouver last year and
I know with my help, we can carry that momentum to the oval tracks as
well.”
Mark's Work
Wearhouse will be partnering with the team this year and running a national
consumer contest featuring the Carhartt #8 CASCAR. Look for the Carhartt
Racing Team to be visiting a Mark's Work Wearhouse in your area. To see
the new #8 Carhartt Racing DODGE, click HERE.
December
31 , 2004
Catch
Marc & his Carhartt Racing Team on SPEED TV
The young driver claims TOP ROOKIE at Toronto Molson Indy
You can catch Marc
and his Carhartt Racing #8 on SPEED TV during the broadcast of the Toronto
Molson Indy CASCAR event at 10 p.m, January 1, PST, or Sunday January
2, 3 p.m. EST. The coverage shows plenty of the driver's exploits
including several "in-car" camera views while battling on-track.
The sole American
in the 30-car field drove to a 9th place finish to claim his second consecutive
TOP ROOKIE award.
"Toronto was
a rough weekend but a good result," said Miller. "We blew a
motor in the first practice, missed 1st round qualifying and only got
6 laps before the race. To move up like we did was great." ...........TV
schedules can be found HERE
or at TVRacer.COM.
November 20, 2004
Marc Miller
& Carhartt™ Racing Team Excited About NASCAR / CASCAR Announcement
Sole American
driver feels NASCAR support will aid the series and his sponsors in his
goal of moving up the ranks
HOLLAND, MI (Nov.
20, 2004) --- With the recent announcement that NASCAR and CASCAR
will be working together in future years, Carhartt™ Racing #8 CASCAR
racer, Marc Miller, is looking forward to great things to come from the
program. The Holland, MI native and lone American in Canada's only National
racing series sees a great opportunity for himself and his team's sponsors.
"For us, it is even more important to take advantage of this announcement,"
continued Miller. "This really can open up a lot of doors for myself
and my team's sponsors. CASCAR has done a great job of developing themselves
over the years, but with the added marketing knowledge that NASCAR brings
as well as the huge fan base, it can definitely elevate our profile."
It is still uncertain what will change in the upcoming months regarding
the marketing and operational partnership between NASCAR and CASCAR, but
Miller and his #8 Carhartt™ Clothing Team are already preparing for
the 2005 season and a strengthened promotional program.
"I am very excited to see what the next announcement may be,"
said Miller. "We are all just waiting to see to what level NASCAR
will be involved, but for my sponsors just the branding helps us. Everyone
knows what NASCAR is, race fan or not."
As an American,
Miller believes this association helps to bring CASCAR more recognition
from the average race fan in the states. CASCAR is a very competitive
series with a great fan base in Canada, but to those in the US, they may
be unaware. The association brings even more validity to an already great
series.
"I can certainly
tell you it would be a lot easier to say I am a NASCAR driver," said
Miller with a grin. "I think some of my closest relatives still don't
completely understand what I do and to what extent. Either way, I know
the series I race in (CASCAR) is one of the most competitive out there.
Anything I learn there will no doubt help me as I continue to move up."
About CASCAR
Established in 1981, CASCAR (Canadian Association for Stock Car Racing)
is the governing body for amateur and professional stock car racing in
Canada. CASCAR sanctions Canada's premier and only national stock car
racing series, the CASCAR Super Series, a series that visits tracks across
Canada, from Quebec to British Columbia. CASCAR also sanctions two other
racing series, the CASCAR CARQUEST Sportsman Series (in Ontario and Quebec)
and the CASCAR EMCO Western Series (in Western Canada). With more than
150 member teams, CASCAR racing delivers exciting entertainment to fans
across Canada.
About NASCAR
Formed in 1948, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is
the sanctioning body for one of America's premier sports. NASCAR's three
major national series are the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series, the NASCAR Busch
Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. NASCAR events are now broadcast
in more than 150 countries. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices
in Charlotte, Concord, N.C., Los Angeles, New York, Mexico City and Toronto,
NASCAR sanctions 1,800 races at 120 tracks in 38 states. In 2004, the
NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series began holding events at Delaware Speedway in
London and St. Eustache in Quebec with the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series.
The Carhartt™
Racing #8 team is currently preparing two cars and two additional showcars
for the 2005 campaign. The team will begin testing again early in the
2005 season, though stay tuned to www.themarcmillershow.com
to see what Marc will do in the offseason to stay sharp. Carhartt™
(www.carhartt.com)
is the world's leading manufacturer of workwear. Hard at work since 1889.
The team is also sponsored by the United Association of Journeyman &
Apprentices (UA),
Maytag™,
DeWalt™,
Miller Electric™,
Castrol™,
Tide, Reid
Bros. Collision and Praxair™. For more information regarding
the Carhartt Racing team, log onto www.carharttracing.com.
For CASCAR schedules and television air-times, go to www.cascar.com.
October
30, 2004
Miller
Special Guest at Ridge Point Church Carhartt Racing driver shared his experiences as a race
driver to thousands
Marc Miller took
time to visit with Ridge Point Community Church recently to share his
beliefs and racing experiences. The visit coincided with a 6-week, NASCAR-based
series. Marc's interview with Pastor Jim Liske lasted about 5 minutes
and can be downloaded HERE.
(mp3 file - allow a few moments to download)
"I had so much
fun doing this," said Miller. "It has only been a few weeks
after the birth of my son, but Jim and his staff at Ridge Point were so
welcoming. Their excitement on the subject of racing and how it can be
related to life was infectious and I am happy I could contribute."
Using drama, multimedia,
contemporary music and practical messages, Ridge Point Community Church
presents the timeless message of the Bible in a manner relevant to everday
life. Check out their website HERE.
Special thanks must go to Jim Liske, Steve Siebers and the entire Ridge
Point staff for making this experience extremely special.
October
20, 2004
The
GT40 - A New Car With A Storied History Marc samples Ford's Supercar
Marc Miller had
the opportunity to drive the Ford GT, a 550hp supercar based on the LeMans
winning Ford GT40 race car of the 1960's that swept the top 3 positions
of LeMans and took four of the top 5 places at the Daytona 24-Hours and
a 1-2 finish at the 12-hours of Sebring all in 1966. Marc was on-hand
as a professional driving instructor for Ford at a private facility near
Ford's Dearborn, MI test track. "What a great time," said Miller.
"This is truly one of the more exotic cars I have ever driven and
it has power on hand all the time, yet seems as if it is one of the few
cars of it's kind to feel at home on the street or the track. I am thankful
for the chance to drive the car, I know not many people get that opportunity."
It was a rather
calm day, other than the 550hp Ford GT, arguably one of the fastest production
cars in the world at my disposal. I am old enough to be aware of the Ford
GT40's storied racing heritage, but thankfully young enough to never have
seen one race in person, but to have the chance to climb into the new
GT40 and run through the gears beyond the amazing grip of the tires, was
almost like I was bringing back memories of someone else's childhood and
reliving their memories of the GT40 for them. Other than the race cars
I have driven in my lifetime, the GT40 is the purist car I have ever driven.
I guess you could say having a lightweight, race-inspired chassis with
a 5.4L supercharged engine mated to a silky-smooth 6-speed gearbox surrounding
you as you sit in padded carbon-fiber Sparco racing seats is all a driver
ever REALLY needs to truly be satisfied with their driving experience.
Consider me completely satisfied. See photos of the Ford GT in action
on Marc's "CARS"
page.
September
20, 2004
Miller
Has Up and Down Weekend Carhartt Racing team has good day end badly by competitor
Kawartha, ON---
Marc Miller and the Carhartt Racing team competed at Kawartha Downs Speedway
as part of the 250-lap, season ending event for the CASCAR Super Series.
The team struggled to find a set-up early on and gambled to start in the
back after making major post-qualifying changes. Starting in the 35th
position Miller worked his way up into the top 20 by lap 100, the car
working much better than earlier in the day. Miller short pitted on lap
110 to take a gamble on track position, one of only four cars to pit,
which would have put him in the top five after the next series of pitstops.
Unfortunately a driver that was a lap down but with fresh tires was trying
to work his way back up and made a poor move below the inside line
of turn one. Miller had the line, yet the #20 car of John Fletcher dove
below the turn and hit Miller's left rear corner sending him into the
outside retaining wall. The Carhartt team's day officially ended when
Rob VanEs lost control of his #5 car entering turn-one and collided with
the front of the #8 Carhartt Monte Carlo effectively ending the team's
day.
"Man we just
can't catch a break in the last half of the season," said a frustrated
Miller. "We struggled in practice and qualifying as we have not done
any oval testing this year, but once we are starting to get a handle on
things and showing some serious competitiveness, someone else makes a
mistake that hurts us. I was really proud of our guys though, it says
a lot for guys to stick together when it is tough going, then keep focused
to improve. We would have had a top-15 run for sure, possibly better and
this is with a road-course car. With a field like this and a team that
runs one or two ovals a year that would have been a decent run. I am certainly
looking forward to coming back again next year with a renewed vigor to
make a statement to these guys next year."
NEWS
- September 17, 2004
Miller
Sets Sights on Kawartha Carhartt Racing team head to Kawartha Downs for CASCAR finale
Holland, MI---
Marc Miller and the Carhartt Racing team will travel to Kawarth Downs
Speedway this coming weekend as part of the 250-lap, season ending event
for the CASCAR Super Series.
"The team is
looking forward to competing this weekend and hopefully heading out a
good part-time rookie season with yet another good result," said
Miller, who recently welcomed his first child, Evan Marcus, into the world.
"It is also a special event for me as my father will be present for
the first time at a CASCAR event, something I am looking forward to."
NEWS
- September 6, 2004
It's
a BOY! Evan Marcus Miller is welcomed into world @ 11:27pm
Holland, MI---
Eight pound, one ounce, Evan Marcus Miller was welcomed into the Miller
family @ 11:27pm last night (September 6). Marc witnessed his first child
being born after 13 hours in the hospital. "Wow," said Marc.
"I honestly cannot describe what this is like. Everyone tells me
that my life will change, but I never planned for this. I can't wait to
be able to bring my wife and son to the track with me and add one more
fan to the cheering section."
NEWS
- September 1, 2004
Marc's
Focus on Family Miller and wife Jackie expecting their first child
Holland, MI---
Heading into the final race of the CASCAR season on September 19, Miller
is prepared to give his best for the Carhartt Racing team. The young driver
is also giving his best to his family as he and his wife, Jackie, wait
patiently for the arrival of their first child.
"We're having
a boy," said Marc. "And no, we are not telling anyone the name
yet." he added with a grin. The baby boy was due on August 29, and
the waiting game has begun. Keep posted for updates!
NEWS - August 19, 2004
Miller/Carhartt
Racing Prepare For First Oval Run of Year @ Mosport Speedway Team is looking forward to performing well in rookie
campaign
Bowmanville, ON
--- The Carhartt Racing #8 CASCAR team with driver, Marc Miller, head
to Mosport Speedway's 1/2-mile oval this Saturday for their first oval
race of the season. The rookie driver has exceeded expectations, qualifying
as top rookie in every event entered this season, a streak he would like
to continue into this weekend's Mosport Speedway 200.
UPDATE August,
22, 2004: The team was unable to compete in the Mosport 200 due to
an engine failure late in the first practice session. Given there was
no back-up car available to the team and a limited amount of time prior
to the start of the race, there was no time to change to the back-up engine.
The team will be prepared for the final round @ Kawartha Speedway on September
19.
"This was obviously
a big disappointment for me," said Miller. "It is strange though,
as I got home at was able to watch the Nextel Cup race I was able to see
Jimmie Johnson, Nextel Cup points leader have his 3rd engine in three
weekends let go. I realized that things like this can happen to the best
and the only thing we can do is to go to the next race with a goal of
exceeding expectations. So that is the plan."
NEWS - July 28, 2004
Miller/Carhartt
Racing Experience Highs and Lows in Breaking Rookie Qualifying Record;
Finish 19th Miller struggles through incident and without power steering after
setting new qualifying record for a rookie driver
Vancouver, BC (July 28, 2004)
--- The Carhartt Racing #8 CASCAR Super Series team started out their
Vancouver Molson Indy weekend with strong showings this past weekend before
a mechanical failure ruined Miller’s string of “top-rookie” awards and
top-10 finishes. Miller took to the streets and sat 8th after the first
practice session, then proceeded to break the “fastest Qualifying lap
record by a rookie driver” previously set by CASCAR road-course king,
Jeff Lapcevich by less than one-tenth of a second. The team qualified
a strong 9th on Friday’s open qualifying session. After making some changes
to the set-up of the car, the team improved the time again by over a second
in Saturday’s morning qualifying session.
“I am really happy to come away
from Vancouver with a new qualifying record for a rookie, especially considering
who the previous record holder was,” said Miller of Jeff Lapcevich. “We
continue to improve and definitely know where we must continue to improve,
but to sit in the top-10 off the trailer, then back it up with a competitive
qualifying time is a great thing. We qualify our car with a good race
set-up, so that is really promising for our Carhartt Racing team.”
Miller started from the inside
of the seventh-row and passed two cars on the first lap which found him
running with Dave Whitlock, Mark Dilley, and DJ Kennington, just out of
the top 10 and once again the highest running rookie. However, on lap
4 a stone kicked up and broke the power steering belt. Marc pushed on,
manhandling the 3000lb Carhartt Racing CASCAR Super Series entry around
the track still holding onto the 11th position until Wade Lee tried to
unsuccessfully out-brake two cars heading into turn six, the end of the
long back straight. Lee looped his car and unfortunately broad-sided Miller
sending him down the return road. Miller brought the Carhartt Chevy down
pit lane to replace both right side tires and rejoined the field, eventually
finishing in the 19th position.
“What a frustrating thing to
happen,” said Miller. “Running without power-steering was probably the
hardest thing I have had to do in these cars. You can handle a few laps
in a pinch, but to go 25 plus laps on a twisty road circuit was the opposite
of fun. The hardest part of the whole deal is knowing we had another top
10 run ahead of us and not being able to continue this good string of
races we’ve been having for the team and our sponsors. ”
“I’m really proud of what Marc
did out there,” said Dave Connelly, owner of the Carhartt Racing team.
“We have a “never give up” policy on the team and he soldiered on without
power steering and after getting punted pretty hard.”
The Carhartt Racing #8 team will
next head to Mosport International Raceway’s ½-mile oval August 21. The
team hopes to run a pace that will keep them in the hunt for a top-rookie
award.
NEWS - July 11, 2004
Miller and
Carhartt Racing Takes Second Consecutive Top 10 and Top Rookie Award Miller recovers from a blown engine in first round qualifying to post
impressive 9th at the Toronto Molson Indy
Toronto, ON (July
11, 2004) --- The Carhartt Racing #8 CASCAR Super Series team captured
their second consecutive ninth-place result in the Toronto Molson Indy
this past weekend. Marc Miller, the team's driver and the only American
driver in the 29-car field, took top Rookie honors also for the second
time in a row.
Miller started from
the outside of the seventh-row after a blown motor in Friday's open practice
session put his Carhartt Racing team into the mode of repairing the damaged
engine. The team missed the long first round of qualifying and had the
daunting task of having only 10-laps to get the car safely in a good starting
spot in the tough 29-car field on Saturday morning's 20-minute qualifying
session. With only one lap up to that point, Miller qualified the car
a respectable 14th.
"We overcame quite
a bit this weekend," said Miller. "I can't say enough for our team. We
had an engine failure and not only did our engine builder stay up through
the night, but many members of our team worked non-stop to get me a car
to qualify by 8 am. We were very happy to get the car safely in the field.
With some changes we should be back to our top 10 pace."
"After Marc qualified
the car so well I thought to myself 'We may be able to turn this weekend
around after all'," said Dave Connelly, owner of the Carhartt Racing team.
"We can definitely improve on these top-10 runs heading into Vancouver."
In the afternoon
race, Miller started aggressively and passed two cars on the outside entering
corner one, battling for 11th for the next 15 laps with Brad Graham. Miller
pushed hard and eventually fell into the 9th spot chasing both Kerry Micks
and 3-time CASCAR Champ, Dave Whitlock. A vibration developed in the driveline
which turned out to be a cracked clutch assembly but Marc held off Peter
Gibbons, the current points leader, and brought the car home in 9th position,
winning the 2004 Toronto Molson Indy TOP ROOKIE AWARD.
"We had a pretty
good car considering the lack of practice we had," said Miller. "We definitely
could have run with Micks and Whitlock but the vibration got so bad that
we decided to nurse it home and get the finish instead of risk stranding
ourselves on the side of the track. We will have a good race car for Vancouver
though and the team is looking forward to putting the Carhartt car up
front."
"This is what team
work is all about," said Tim Glassford, crew chief of the Carhartt team.
"Everyone pulled together, worked hard and accomplished the unthinkable.
I'm very proud of the entire team for pulling this off. Marc did an awesome
job brining home a damaged racecar in one piece and in the top 10."
The Carhartt Racing
#8 team will next head to the Vancouver Molson Indy event on July 23 and
24 to continue their string of top-10 finishes and top-rookie awards.
NEWS - July 8, 2004
Grand Rapids
native follows his auto-racing dream to Canada Marc Miller opens his office door with the only key on his ring --
a car key Click
here for article
NEWS - July 4, 2004
Marc Miller
finds his racing niche in Canada Holland native travels north of the border in CASCAR Click
here for article
NEWS - June 21, 2004
Marc Miller
and Carhartt Racing Post Impressive 9th
in 2004 CASCAR Debut Miller takes top rookie, top rookie qualifier and ran as high as 5th
in first race of year
Bowmanville, ON (June 21, 2004)
--- The Carhartt Racing #8 CASCAR Super Series team captured a well deserved
ninth-place result in the Clarington 200 at the Mosport International
Raceway this past weekend. Miller, the only American driver in the 26-car
field, took top Rookie honors while competing within the top-10 all weekend.
The Carhartt Team spent both
qualifying sessions working on pit strategy and a set-up for a long run
and was still able to qualify among the front of the grid. On Sunday afternoon,
the field took the green flag for the 51-lap race and roared through the
2.5-mile road course. Miller passed the #88 car of Dave Jacombs in turn-8
and worked on chasing down the #60 MOPAR Dodge of Ron Beauchamp Jr. before
an early caution on Lap-4 bunched the field up again. The team strategy
was to short-pit and just take fuel and take advantage of track position.
Miller brought the car down pit road and the Carhartt crew did a flawless
7-second fuel stop and pulled out directly behind the NTN Bearing car
of Mark Dilley, placing the rookie in the 5th spot.
Miller battled hard for position
with the #02 of Kerri Micks, #39 of Dave Whitlock, and #25 car of Jim
Lapcevich lap after lap and using fresher tires they eventually worked
their way by, including a broadside "rub" from 3-time National Champion,
Dave Whitlock. Miller held off a late charge from the #60 MOPAR Cascar
and finished the race in 9th position and earned the TOP ROOKIE AWARD
for the day.
“Our goal this weekend was to
show that even with a part-time SuperSeries effort, we could compete with
the best in CASCAR,” said Miller. “I think we proved that today. Now that
we have a taste for top-10 finishes, our goal is now top-5 runs at Toronto
and Vancouver.”
"We came in today with a car
that could run in the top 10 and we used good strategy to claim ninth,"
said Tim Glassford, crew chief of the Carhartt team. "The team did a fantastic
job and we got it done in the pits and Marc impressed a lot of people
in the paddock today. He ran a flawless race."
The Carhartt Racing #8 team will
next head to the Toronto Molson Indy event on July 9 and 10. The team
is also sponsored by the United Association of Journeyman & Apprentices
(UA), Maytag, DeWalt, Miller Electric, Castrol, Tide, Reid Bros. Collision
and Praxair. For more information regarding the Carhartt Racing team,
log onto www.carharttracing.com
. More information on Marc Miller can be found at www.themarcmillershow.com.
For CASCAR schedules and television air-times, goto www.cascar.com.
NEWS - June 13, 2004
TheMarcMillerShow.com officially
launched today, one week before.Marc Miller's debut at his first CASCAR
Super Series event of
2004, "The Clarington 200" at the 2.5-mile Mosport International.Raceway
on June 20.
"I would like to take this opportunity
to welcome you to my new website. I am very excited to have this site
up and active heading into my first race of 2004. Please give us feedback
on things that you would like to see more of in the upcoming months!"
The team recently spent the day
at Mosport International Raceway testing their new 2004 Carhartt Chevy
Monte Carlo. Both owner Dave Connelly and driver Marc Miller took turns
behind the wheel for the initial break-in period. Marc hopped in for the
next few sessions and quickly got the car up to speed turning 1:30 lap
times and even breaking into the 1:29's on used Goodyears. The team went
to work on spring & shock packages and Miller came across the start finish
line running consistent low 1:29's.
"The car was great, we made alot
of changes over the winter and they're starting to show. John Stefko's
motor program has really stepped up, but overall I think that the team
is just working and communicating that much better." said Miller. "We
have some new personnel changes with Tim Glassford taking over crew chief
duties and I can't be happier with how the team and I work together. We
are a young team, but that puts us in a great underdog position to really
step up and surprise everyone."
Be sure to check back for results
and news stories regarding Marc Miller and his activities for this year!
