3/12/2008
DEFENDING NASCAR WHELEN SOUTHERN MODIFIED CHAMPION
L.W. MILLER WAS A BUSY MAN IN THE OFFSEASON
L.W. Miller had a busier than usual offseason. But
don’t expect the defending NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion
to complain one bit about all the activities he’s been involved with
since clinching the title at Caraway Speedway last November.
That’s because Miller’s hectic winter schedule is a direct
result of his first NASCAR championship. Miller will attempt to defend
that title when the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour opens the
season Saturday, March 22 back at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro , N.C.
Miller opened the 2007 season with a victory at Caraway and
won three more times at the historic .455-mile oval. He was sixth in the
season finale at Caraway to win the championship by 25 points over
runner-up Tim Brown.
Without question, the highlight of the winter for Miller was
the trip to New York City last December where he took part of the NASCAR
Champions Week. Miller earned the invitation as a NASCAR champion and
took part in a week full of honors and activities. He was presented a
Bell helmet by NASCAR President Mike Helton – which was subsequently
signed by all of his fellow NASCAR champions – and capped the week as a
guest at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series awards banquet.
“That was one of the coolest things I’ve ever had the
experience of doing,” Miller said. “To be able to go to New York and
spend several days with all the other champions was one of the
highlights of my racing career.
“I’ve won several other championships in the past, but to be
invited to hang with all the other NASCAR champions was the ultimate. It
really shows how serious both NASCAR and Whelen are in treating their
champions like royalty.”
Miller’s return trip to New York was a little colder. And
just as cool.
Miller attended the 3rd Annual Chevrolet Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge
Presented by Whelen in Lake Placid , N.Y. the first week of January.
Miller was invited by Phil Kurze, vice president of motorsports for
series sponsor Whelen Engineering.
Lake Placid is the training ground for the U.S. Olympic
Bobsled program that former Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine has played
an instrumental role in advancing the technology of the team in their
hopes at achieving a Gold Medal.
“That was definitely one of the wildest things I’ve ever had
the chance to do,” Miller said. “I’m used to going fast in a race car
around the track, but going that fast down a chute of ice was pretty
thrilling. I really didn’t know what I was doing at first, but I got
settled down and ended up being pretty competitive. That was a cool
deal.”
In fact, Miller posted the fastest time of the first round of
final runs and finished second overall – just .72 seconds behind
champion Boris Said. The event was aired later in January on SPEED.
What little quiet time Miller was also able to find was spent
time deer hunting around his hometown of Dushore , Pa.
Now it’s back to work.
Source:
Jason Mitchell /
NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour PR
Posted:
March 12, 2008 |