This Thursday night the Three State Flyers Late Models will invade the Bedford Fairgrounds for the second running of the “Milt Miller Tribute”. The TSF Late Models will be competing 35 laps for a $4000 to win, $400 to start purse. Also on the schedule for this Thursday will be the Laurel Highlands Racesaver 305 Sprints, Semi Lates, and Pure Stocks. In appreciation of the pure stock division this year they will be running a 15 lap feature this week with $200 going to the winner.
On Thursday the gates open at 5:00, warmups begin at 7:00 and racing begins at 7:30. General admission is $20, kids 12 and under are free and pit admission is $30.
Racing action this week is in memory of Milt Miller, who passed away in 2012. Miller began his driving career in 1964, quickly became a winning contender and by 1966 won the super modified championship at the South Penn and Hesston Speedways. In 1967, he was named driver of the Orville F. Conner Motor Transportation #49 “Hemi Hummer” Super Modified and went on to several feature wins that year.
Greater success would follow in 1968 when Conner named future Hall of Fame car builder and driver, Gary Martz, as crew chief.
The combination of Miller and Martz found victory lane 12 times at Hagerstown, Jennerstown, South Penn, Williams Grove and Port Royal and was crowned champion at Hagerstown and Jennerstown. Miller established a 10 lap qualifying record that stood for several years at Williams Grove and was one of the first to conduct tire tests on the new Pocono Raceway in 1968.
When Conner elected to switch to the lower cost late models at the end of the decade, Miller was without a ride. He drove several years for the Kosier Brothers #8 team and made a start or two in Roy Morral’s 880 as teammate to Smokey Snellbaker.
After setting out for several years, Miller decided to give a Late Model a try for Cumberland Md.car owners Dick Duckworth and Sonny Michaels and their #S76 Camaro in 1975. Miller quickly adapted and found success at Bedford, Jennerstown, Williams Grove, Hesston,Hagerstown, Port Royal and Clearfield tracks. He retired for good after the 1976 season.
Over his career, he also raced at Pennsylvania speedways located in Huntingdon, Windber, Ebensburg, Mt Zion, Selinsgrove, New Oxford, Hershey and out of state tracks in Cumberland, Md., Frostburg, Md., Ft Ashby, WV., and Winchester Va.
In 1997, Miller was named honorary starter and trophy presenter for the first race held at the newly constructed Thunder Valley Raceway in Central City, Pa. He was inducted to the Bedford Speedway Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Jennerstown Speedway Hall of Fame in 2006.
Mr. Miller was born on January 26, 1933 in Altoona,Pa.and is survived by wife Shirley, daughter Beth, son John, two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. He was retired as a franchised dealer with Snap-On Tools after 35 years,servicing Bedford and Somerset Counties.
Late Model Purse- 35 Laps
$4000
1600
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650
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575
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405
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400
Tow: $100
