Driving through ruts is anything but a struggle for Kyle Miller.
For the past few years, the 19-year-old sprint car racer has been on a rough track – one that has included the death of his mother, kidney failure for his father and a challenge to continue returning to the one place he lives for: the race track.
“It’s kinda made me reflect on everything,” said Miller, a native of Eugene, Ore. “It really has compounded. It’s just something that’s always in the back of your mind, whether it’s my mom or my dad.”
First, his mother, Kathy, succumbed to breast cancer on Thanksgiving Day in 2007. Then, in February, his father, Scott, was diagnosed with kidney failure, which has forced him into dialysis since mid-July.
“It’s definitely made him grow up and it’s definitely made him look at things different,” crew chief Brian Osterman said.
And if that hasn’t been enough, Kyle’s season has been anything but smooth. His plan to compete in the American Sprint Car Series Northwest Region went up in smoke in the first race of the season at the Cottage Grove Speedway in Cottage Grove, Ore. – Miller’s home track.
During hot laps, the recently freshened motor blew up for unknown reasons. It was his only 360 cubic inch motor, which wasn’t replaced until the middle of June.
“Ever since we blew that motor it’s been a rebuilding situation,” said Miller, who is in his fourth full season of racing sprint cars and second year in a 360.
“We were really optimistic about coming out and winning races.”
Miller has only raced in five of 13 events this season for the Northwest Region, which returns to the Cottage Grove Speedway on Friday before the tour’s first-ever visit to the Coos Bay Speedway in Coos Bay, Ore., on Saturday.
However, the racing woes have been put in perspective with the illnesses of his two biggest fans – his parents.
Kathy found out she had breast cancer on her son’s 13th birthday, a battle she fought for more than five years. Until she passed away on Nov. 22, 2007, Miller never let her illness get in the way of her son’s dream.
“She was always my biggest supporter,” Kyle said.
Scott, a 49 year old who has owned Automotive Sheetmetal in Eugene for the past 15 years – his son’s primary sponsor – has been forced to develop a different toughness of his own this year.
After trying to recover from the death of his wife of 25-plus years, Miller found out in February at a routine doctor’s visit that his kidneys were “shot.” Approximately five months later he began dialysis, which he continues twice per week at three and a half hours per visit.
Miller usually does dialysis on Mondays and Fridays, which usually zap race days. However, through the same gritty toughness that allowed his wife to continue visiting the race tracks, Miller has dedicated himself to watching his son and cheering from the pits.
“I’m going racing, damn it,” he said.
Racing has been a part of the Miller family since Kyle began racing bicycles at the age of 5. Then came go-karts when he was 10 years old and eventually sprint cars at 15.
Miller claimed the Limited Sprint track championship in 2007 at the Cottage Grove Speedway, where he won the 360 title last season. This year was supposed to be the breakout season, facing tougher competition along the west coast by traveling to more big events.
However, the travel budget was spent repairing the blown motor in the season opener and because of his father’s failing health, racing outside the region hasn’t been much of an option.
For now, Miller’s plan is race to race, with the next one being Friday at his home track against the rest of the Northwest Region.
For his father, who is supposed to have another dialysis session hours before the race, watching his son pursue his dream is the motivation that keeps him going every day.
“I love racing,” Scott said. “That’s probably part of what keeps me going.
“We’ve been through a lot of stuff. You just get up every day and go to work, keep doing what you love. That’s the bottom line.”
Tickets for the Cottage Grove race are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and people ages 12 to 17, and $7 for children ages 5 to 11. The front gate will open at 4 p.m. with racing scheduled for 7 p.m.
For the Coos Bay event, the front gate will open at 4 p.m. with racing at 6 p.m.
