Miller Completes First Rolex 24 Weekend
Feb 16, 2012Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Miller Completes First Rolex 24 Weekend
With the festivities of the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway complete, race car driver and Skip Barber Racing School Instructor and Alumus Mikel Miller is proud of his team’s performance with his first run at the legendary race event last month. Participating in the Continental Tire Challenge as well as Rolex 24, Miller walked away from the weekend with strong performances in both events.
Before competing in the main event, Miller joined BGB Motorsports in the Continental Tire Challenge GRAND-AM 200 with fellow driver Greg Strelzoff. The Strelzoff started thirty-first in the field of seventy-seven, and quickly worked the Porsche Cayman S way up the pack, quickening the pace with each lap. “I was so impressed with his drive,” said Miller. “Greg did great and I hope to race with him more this year. With more teamwork, we should challenge for a podium, if not a win.” Miller’s first lap of the race was only his eighth lap in the Cayman S, but he worked his magic and rapidly worked his way through the ST field twice and even regained a lap. The final two cautions of the event prevented the team from making their way to the top ten, but Miller was still elated with the fifteenth-place finish.
Heading into the 24 Miller and his Yellow Dragon Motorsports team were confident, keeping times with the other Mazda teams. Justin Marks was the first team member to get behind the wheel at the 49th Rolex at Daytona, and had a successful opening stint, followed by Chris Cumming and Taylor Hacquard. Once Miller jumped in the No. 36 ModSpace/CONSTRUCT CORPS Mazda RX-8 in the Rolex at Daytona, the team was only two laps down. In the opening laps of his stint, Miller was able to climb up several spots. “The Yellow Dragon Motorsports team had a great strategy and I was very optimistic about the race,” said Miller. Unfortunately Miller became the unwilling victim when two cars collided in turn one, immediately blocking the track in front of Miller. Only one second behind the incident, Miller had no time to avoid the wreckage and was forced to bring the ModSpace vehicle in for repair. The Yellow Dragon Motorsports team worked quickly to repair the front end of the RX-8, but engine problems forced the team to retire 122 laps into the event.
Despite the setback, Miller is proud of his first Rolex at Daytona weekend. “It was an absolute blast to race with both BGB Motorsports and Yellow Dragon Motorsports,” said Miller. “I’m definitely looking to do more Rolex races and I’m sure that Greg Strelzoff and I will do more Continental Challenge events. He’s great to work with both on and off the track and together we can have some real fun and good results out there.”
In addition to BGB Motorsports and Yellow Dragon Motorsports, Miller thanked his sponsors: Modspace, Performance Drink, Wine Country Motorsports, Intervision, Savagedesigns.com, and Burgeron.com. He also expressed gratitude to Mazda, the Hacquard family, Chris, Greg, Jeff and Tom.
Miller with the BGB Motorsports Porsche Cayman S (photo credit Margie Gerrard)
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