In 2000, Matt showed strong in both of the Eldora classics, the Dream and World 100. "I made the Dream starting field for the first time and finished 14th," he says. "In the World, I had my best finish of seventh. And would you believe that I won a heat race in both of those prestigious races?" He was also the track champion at Eldora Speedway that year.
Over the next couple of years, he ran with several of what were then the toughest series in the nation. He finished sixth in points with the STARS Racing Series and was Rookie of the Year with the Renegade DirtCar Series, both during the '01 season. Then, in 2003, he was voted Rookie of the Year with the Xtreme DirtCar Series and finished 10th in points. That year, he was also a multiple feature winner with the ALMS Series.
The '04 season saw Matt garner a fifth in the points with Xtreme, followed by a fourth in points in the tough Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2005. It was also that year that he won The Dream at Eldora Speedway, accomplishing the high point of his career and earning $100,000 in the highest-paying Dirt Late Model race in the country.
"That was quite a night for me," he recalls. "I started ninth and kept moving up, passing cars one at a time, and pulled away at the end. Was it the top accomplishment of my career? You better believe that."
He's at the back of the field...
He's at the back of the field here, but more often than not, Miller is in the thick of the battle.
Miller really grooved on those big Eldora races, with finishes of sixth, seventh, and ninth in the World 100. In the 2006 World, he set fast time in qualifications, marking quite an accomplishment as there were over 200 drivers on site, including the best of the best.
Last season, he also ran strong with the Lucas Oil Series, finishing fifth in points, although he missed a pair of races. "Might have finished as high as third if I had made them," he says.
His immediate plans are not set, however, as he heads into the last part of the '07 season.
"With the cost of fuel these days, you really have to consider whether to go out on the road," Miller says. Also, he is the father of three young children and traveling keeps him away from them, something that he doesn't like.
A change in direction came earlier this season when his longtime owners, Steve McCullough and Denny Thornton, decided to step back.
"I started driving for Larry Moring and things changed dramatically," he adds. "I am not as involved with working on the car with Larry. I have known Larry for a number of years, and over those years we have become pretty good friends. Therefore, the transition was made easier.
"But I sure want to make the point that my previous owners made so much possible with our arrangement, which lasted for six years. But sometimes you need a change to get re-energized."
He says that the level of competition in this sport is unbelievable, with top equipment, top drivers, and as many as 30 competitors capable of winning the big races. "There is just no way," he says, "to predict who is going to come out on top."
Miller's
Dirt Late Model Pointers
As Told To Bill Holder
DRIVING
The Modified class would be a good place to start, but I think the Crate Late Model is the answer for today. It has the same chassis as a Dirt Late Model, so you can later move up to more powerful engines without changing chassis.
When you start out, follow the good drivers at your local track. Watch the lines they take. It will cut down the learning process a bunch.
TECHNOLOGY
Work on your own car and learn as much as you can. The best drivers can set up their own cars. In Dirt Late Model racing, the driver is pretty much the crew chief. All the big-time Dirt Late Model racers know the workings of their cars through and through.
With these cars, they are telling you something when you're driving them, and it's tough to diagnose what the car is telling you. It's something that you don't learn in a day, with six or more springs all moving at different rates.