Staff Writer
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It didn’t take long for Tom Miller to earn his first victory in dirt-track racing. It came in a feature race in just his second full season in 1980 when he was in his early 20s.
“It came in the Expo down in Cortland at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds,” Miller said of the race with his semi-late model 1971 Chevrolet Camaro. “I was really battling it out with another guy who was one of their top racers down there. I can’t even remember his name.
“We went back and forth the whole race. I finally took the lead with a couple laps to go and managed to hold him the rest of the race. He was right on my bumper.”
It was certainly a validating experience for young Miller and a real confidence builder for the future.
“It was pretty satisfying because I beat one of the top guys down there,” he said. “It made me feel like I fit in with that kind of driver.”
— Karl Pearson
