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.