(Photo Brad Bowling)
CONCORD, N.C. (March 26, 2010) – Don Miller, whose career as a drag racer and NASCAR mover and shaker is the subject of a new memoir, will meet fans and sign autographs during the April 8-11 Food Lion AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Miller, who rose from humble beginnings as a drag racer in Chicago to become Roger Penske’s most trusted confidant and a mentor to NASCAR champions, is one of the most influential individuals in international motor racing. He is best known as the co-founder – along with Roger Penske and Rusty Wallace – of Penske Racing South. Miller’s résumé, however, is far longer and includes time as a hot rodder, sponsorship savant, liaison between the Penske speed leviathan and global industry, old car enthusiast, and coach to great racing drivers.
Co-authored with automotive historian and Hemmings Publishing’s senior editor Jim Donnelly and produced by Coastal 181 Publishing (www.coastal181.com), Miller’s Time is not just a personal history, but a guide to success at the top levels of racing and business by a guy who has literally done it all and won, with grace and genuine, heartfelt altruism.
Within the book’s 304 hardcover-protected pages are Miller’s accounts of inventing the modern race track souvenir trailer, setting an international speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats, winning Goodyear the prized Midwest market for short-track tires, making both Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman into household names, bringing Formula 1-level engineering prowess to Penske South, and setting up one of the largest team shops in motorsports. He also recalls, in terrifying detail, his near-death in a pit road accident at Talladega. Want to know what it really takes to become a top lieutenant of Roger Penske and stay there? Miller’s Time will tell you.
Miller and Donnelly have four autograph sessions scheduled for the Food Lion AutoFair:
Friday, April 9, 11 a.m. in The Speedway Club
Friday, April 9, 3 p.m. in the Showcase Garage
Saturday, April 10, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the Showcase Garage.
Miller, who received NASCAR’s first Humanitarian of the Year Award for his work with youngsters at risk, has pledged to donate all proceeds from the book’s sale to organizations that support the prevention of child abuse and neglect in the Carolinas.
Other AutoFair attractions include the world’s most advanced amphibious car, a collection of Lottery Fantasy automobiles, a 50th anniversary celebration of Chevrolet’s Corvair, and a patriotic display of vintage military vehicles. The Food Lion AutoFair annually attracts more than 160,000 visitors. It features 50-plus car club displays; more than 10,000 vendor spaces that offer a plethora of automotive parts and memorabilia; and a collector car auction conducted by Dealer Auctions Inc. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile superspeedway.
AutoFair hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 for adults; children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Parking for the event is $5. For more information on the four-day event, contact the speedway events department at (704) 455-3205 or visit the website at www.gospeedway.com.
