Cool Careers
Since childhood, Kari Miller has been a fan of auto racing. Miller was introduced to the sport of auto racing by her father, Dave Miller. Kari currently races in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series at Raceway Park in Shakopee, MN. Ironically, Kari’s dad also competed at Raceway Park in the earlier days of the track.

Watching NASCAR on television and attending the ASA race at the Minnesota State Fair sparked the need for speed. In 1998 Miller got her first chance to get into a racecar. Her first racecar driving experience was in a 1981 Buick Regal in the Bomber Division warmups. When she was on the track she knew that racing is what she wanted to do. At the end of the 1998 season, Miller teamed up with fellow Bomber driver, Troy Tuma.

Miller finally got her chance to actually race a 1986 Olds Cutlass in the 1999 Bomber Division at Raceway Park in Shakopee, MN.

1999 also proved to be an exciting year for Miller because she and her partner Troy, bought a bar and grill in Red Wing, MN. Since Miller had to devote most of the beginning of the 1999 season to remodeling the bar and opening the business, her racing got put on hold, and she was only able to compete in 8 events. Despite her lack of track time and driving experience, she was able to capture a heat race win.

Owning a successful business and working everyday proved to take a slight toll on Miller's passion for racing. Since everyone knows that the weekends are the busy time for bars and it's also when racing takes place, Miller had to put racing on the back burner each season to take care of business.

In 2000, Miller was honored to receive the True Value Mechanic of the Year Award for the Bomber Division. One thing that sets Miller apart from other drivers is that she actually works on her racecar. She feels that by playing an active role on the mechanics of the car, it makes her a better driver and more in touch with her racecar.

After 2 seasons in the Bomber Division, Miller was ready for a new challenge, so she bought a 1990 Ford Mustang to move up to the Short Tracker Division. In 2001 when Miller moved into the Short Tracker Division, she had set 2 main goals, to finish in the top 10 season points and receive the Rookie of the Year Title. Both goals were achieved. Miller has found that setting attainable goals helps in the weekly competition.

The 2002 & 2003 seasons proved to be challenging because Troy and Kari relocated their business in Red Wing and had to start all over again. Putting business before racing, Miller had to miss a few races.

Despite business obligations, Miller was still able to capture 1 Feature Race win and 3 Heat Race wins in 2002. Miller ended the 2003 season with 1 Feature Race win and 7 Heat Race wins. In 2003 she was also nominated for the Craftsman Mechanic of the Year Award. Miller has proven that qualified women can compete in racing as well as take care of business.
Miller is looking ahead to the 2004 season, but again has been faced with starting 2 new businesses during the racing season. Miller is planning to open a coffee shop/deli and a Meineke Car Care Center to be open late 2004. She will be racing her Short Tracker once again, and is hoping to step up into a Late Model toward the end of the 2004 season.

Miller’s goals for the 2005 season include racing in the Late Model Division and competing for the Rookie of the Year Title. She would also like to race at several different tracks to get more experience in car setups.

Being a female in a predominantly male sport offers many challenges both on and off the track. Miller is working hard to change the perception of the role women play in the sport of auto racing.
Miller has gained a lot of respect from the other drivers by spending many hours working on the car and coming back to the track after a crash. She has been unfortunate in that she has been in the wrong place at the wrong time each year and has hit the wall on the front stretch. Miller was also involved in a wreck in a 2000 Enduro race where she broke her wrist and suffered several other injuries to her knee and ankle. Being hurt in a race hasn’t stopped Miller from getting behind the wheel.

Future goals for Miller include racing in the ASA (a nationally televised racing circuit), and having her own line of racing merchandise. You can find out more about Kari and her racing career on her website, www.karimiller.com.