The Scoop
SHAWN MILLER – FROM TRUCK PULLS TO DIRT LATE MODELS
Posted on: Tuesday April 18, 2023
After spending time in the truck pulling scene, Gillett’s Shawn Miller has gone ‘all in’ with his dirt late model program in 2023.
Shawn Miller’s racing career is starting to come full circle.
The 45-year-old Gillett, Wisconsin racer plans a full campaign with his dirt late model in the Dirt Kings tour and competing at his home track Shawano Speedway in 2023.
Miller’s racing career started out on the big half-miles of Shawano and Langlade County Speedway in Antigo in 2002. After four years of making left hand turns Miller switched to truck pulls.
And in ‘23 he’s back to making left hand turns – this time in a brand-new MB Customs late model. “I raced modifieds at Shawano and Antigo those first years and I really loved the speed of the big track,” said Miller, who’s racing career started out pitting for former hobby stock and IMCA modified racer Ken Fischer. “I used to race at Seymour for their special events occasionally in the modifieds. But I love the speed of the half-miles and I especially loved Antigo. It was a fun place to race, and the track was easy to drive on. And it was also real forgiving.”
Miller’s oval racing experience wrapped up in 2006 when he switched things up a bit – opting to pull trucks in a straight line versus wheeling a dirt modifieds locally. “Being from Gillett locally we always had the truck pulls in town,” Miller explained. “So, for me it seemed like the thing to do at the time. I mean we had always been a part of the truck pulls since we were little kids.”
Miller started out pulling a stock truck and over the years he progressed to the top divisions as time went on. At its peak, Miller and his team would pull as many as 20 shows during the summer. Many of the events took place at county fairs and holiday weekend festivals scattered across Wisconsin.
Shawn Miller competed in truck pulls across Wisconsin.
But as the years marched on the number of communities hosting truck pulls began to decline. “Things got to the point where we looked at what a big investment we had in our equipment and with the number of shows decreasing it turned out to be a lot of money for just a few truck pulls,” Miller explained.
The option of returning to his IMCA modified roots had crossed Miller’s mind – until he talked to his good friend Greg Borowski of Extreme Enterprises. “I had talked to Greg and after weighing all the options and looking at the kind of money that was being put into all of these divisions, he sort of coaxed me into going the dirt late model route,” Miller admitted. “I mean with the truck pulls we’d have too many weeks in between shows and for me – I really needed to be a little bit busier for what I had invested. So, I decided to make the switch.”
The search began a few years ago for Miller to uncover a good, used late model chassis and he eventually found one. “I ended up buying a Wild Inc. chassis from Brian Konitzer down from the Sheboygan area,” Miller said. “That’s what we started with, and we jumped in full bore.”
Pretty much everything bolted on to the MB Customs car Miller will wheel this year is new. And according to Miller, the late model requires a lot more maintenance than his pull truck and modified ever did. “What it amounts to is essentially triple the maintenance with a late model compared to a modified. You need all hands on deck with your pit crew. You can do (the routine maintenance) by yourself, but you’d pretty much be spending every single spare minute you have working on the car. There’s a ton of new technology here.”
One of the tasks that comes along with all that technology is staying on top of all the latest setup tips and tricks. “Between the tech itself and staying on top of your adjustments you make as the dirt track changes during the night really is huge,” Miller pointed out. “There are so many adjustments that you can make to these cars, and they are very sensitive to change. One little adjustment can be the difference between having a good night or a very, very bad night.”
Unlike the much harder, hockey-puck like IMCA Hoosier G-60 tires that modifieds run, the much softer late model rubber commands a lot more grip and dictates a totally different driving style than wheeling a modified. “These cars obviously hook up a lot better and they hook up so much better than a modified,” Miller said. “With the modifieds you slid a lot more and had a lot more tire spin.”
Shawn Miller’s 21 car won’t be hard to find on the track with it’s bright colors decked out in red, white & blue.
The teams that race with the Dirt Kings Tour and Shawano Speedway have been very helpful to Miller. “I’ve had a ton of help from a lot of guys,” Miller admitted. “Guys like Todd and Gunnar Frank. Joel Bennett was really helpful as far as teaching me to aim the car a little better into the corners. The Laska’s and Nick Anvelink have all had a hand in helping get me pointed in the right direction.”
One of the factors that appeals to Dirt Kings late model drivers is the diverse selection of tracks the tour hits during the year. “I’m looking forward to hitting all of the tracks and learning and Mississippi Thunder Speedway (MTS) is one that’s been on my bucket list for a while,” Miller said about the western Wisconsin oval. “It’s a very wide racing surface that provides a lot of room to race. And I still love the sheer speed of the half-mile at Shawano, too.”
In any form of motorsports remaining consistent is often one of the building blocks necessary to achieving success. “Keeping that consistency week-to-week is probably one of the biggest goals I have for this season,” Miller confessed. “With that said we hope to stay in the top 10 every race and to finish all of the races and not wreck obviously.”
Miller’s team of pit crew members include his brother Brad and Brad’s kids Jake, Matt and Cade Miller. Brother Steven Miller helps along with his son Josh Miller and Joe and John Ebert. “To field a late model is a very time-consuming gig and it’s a real family affair and a team effort,” Miller explained. “Everything from prepping tires to setting valves. I’ve got a great bunch helping me out.”
Miller’s team of sponsors includes Lisowe Heating and Cooling, BRT Transport, Wildfire Trails, EF Express, Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts Specialists and KSI, 715 Vinyl Graphics, H-S, Mom and Dad, The Laska’s and joeverdegan.com.