Long Road Ends with Jay Miller in SK Modified Victory Lane
It’s been a long road, but Jay Miller and team finally find victory lane at the Bowl.
SK Modified driver Jay Miller had been close many times to winning an SK division feature at the Waterford Speedbowl, and actually had the trophy for a few days. Jay was a winner back in 2001 at Waterford when he finished second and first place finisher Eric Berndt was DQ’d.
By midweek however the DQ was overturned and Berndt was reinstated as the winner. There were other times along the way over the last 8 years where he and the team came close, and there were also times where Jay didn’t know if he would be able to get behind the wheel again or thought about doing something else.
“2000 to 2003 I think we definitely were a contender, then I injured my neck in a crash in 2003 and sat out the rest of the ‘03 season and my car owner at the time Don Dorman put Zach Sylvester in the car. While Zach is really good friend of mine any racer will tell you it’s tough to sit back and watch another driver drive the car you were in.”
The 2004 season saw Jay and the team mostly concentrate on the Stafford Motor Speedway, with lukewarm results. “Stafford is a tough place, the budgets that most of the guys are racing with are huge and there seems to be not much give and take in the racing there so we decided in 2005 to make Waterford our home”.
The 2006 season was another disappointment for Jay and the #09 Team. “I injured my eye in a work accident and had to sit out the whole ‘06 season. It was tough on the crew and I, but we came back in 2007 with a new focus”.
“We had some success in 07 but we really have been knocking on the door so far this season, and finally everything just came together for us and it’s even more special beating Dennis Gada, who is arguably probably one of the best ever at Waterford, and Keith Rocco who is one of the best drivers in this area right now.”
“I just really want to thank everyone who’s ever helped me along the way in my racing career, especially my crew David Myers, Ben Althen, and Scott Lennon. Those guys have stuck by me through thick and thin. We have been so close to winning one, when that caution came out with six to go even though I’ve won feature events before (Two in the Pro Stock division, one in the Strictly Stock division at Riverside Park, and one in the Pro Stocks at Stafford) I thought here we go again”.
“When I crossed the stripe I was yelling on the radio, the guy’s were yelling and going nuts. To see the looks on their faces in victory lane was just awesome.”
In all the happiness there was a little disappointment. “The two biggest supporters in my racing career couldn’t be there last night, my dad Ray and my former car owner, chassis guy Don Dorman. They were the first two I called to tell them though”.
Sources: MakingLaps/Jay Miller Racing PR