DRIVER SPOTLIGHT: GAVIN MILLER
Toyota Dirt Driver Spotlight
Gavin Miller
Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports #97 – LynK Chassis Powered by a Speedway Toyota
Age: 16
Hometown: Allentown, Pennsylvania
Gavin Miller kicks off the six-race West Coast swing of the USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship season in position to clinch the series Rookie of the Year title at just 16 years old.
The Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports driver was a six-time USAC National .25 Midget champion and is one of just three drivers along with teammate Ryan Timms and veteran Zach Daum to have won with USAC, Xtreme and POWRi this year.
Gavin, what would it mean to you to win USAC Midget Rookie of the Year?
GM: It would mean a lot. We’ve been pretty consistent and pretty well-rounded all year. I have to thank Pete Willoughby and Keith Kunz and everyone at KKM, and I think it would mean a lot to them as well. Just to know that we’ve run consistently well all year, it’s pretty special. It’s what we were shooting for when we started the year and we had pretty high expectations. Now we need to keep working toward earning that title.
What was it like getting a win in three different midget series as a 16-year-old rookie? Had you even been to most of these tracks before this year?
GM: Not many people get the chance to say they’ve done that in their first year in a midget, so it’s been pretty special. Most of these tracks we’ve raced at are new to me - pretty much all the tracks other than Port City and a couple of the California tracks. USAC Indiana Midget Week (where he won at Bloomington) was totally new to me.
You’ve earned 21 top-five and 40 top-10 finishes in 51 races between USAC and Xtreme. How have you stayed so consistent in your first full season in a midget?
GM: I think the key is just to start off the night strong. Getting a good qualifying run has probably been the most important thing, then trying to get a good result in the heat race and then I just try to race everyone clean and stay out of trouble in the feature. Running a partial season last year definitely helped me learn more. The more seat time you get, the more you improve. I’m just trying to give and get feedback from my guys. They’re teaching me a lot and showing me how I need to improve every race.
So how did you get started in racing and who were your heroes growing up?
GM: My dad brought me to the track one day and we saw quarter midgets racing at the fair and I told my dad that I wanted to do that. I was five at the time. Then I started racing quarter midgets at six years old in 2012. My heroes growing up were probably Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell and Donny Schatz.
How did you team up with KKM?
GM: I started out running micros with Keith. We called him up and told him we were interested in running the micros and it just grew from there.
It seems like most drivers around your age do at-home schooling, yet with a schedule of 50+ races this year, you still do in-class at your local school. How hard is that?
GM: I have to keep the grades up in order to race. It’s definitely hard to be at a race and still keep up in school when you miss all those days in class, and then you have to come back and take a test. The key is you have to let your teachers know when you’ll be leaving and get all your work done ahead of time.
What’s your long-term goal in racing?
GM: I’m just trying to take it one day at a time and stay focused on what I’m racing right now. Eventually, maybe ending up in a sprint car or even switching over to pavement.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM) has been a part of the cultural fabric in North America for more than 65 years, and is committed to advancing sustainable, next-generation mobility through our Toyota and Lexus brands, plus our more than 1,800 dealerships.
Toyota directly employs more than 63,000 people in North America who have contributed to the design, engineering, and assembly of nearly 45 million cars and trucks at our 13 manufacturing plants. By 2025, Toyota’s 14th plant in North Carolina will begin to manufacture automotive batteries for electrified vehicles. With more electrified vehicles on the road than any other automaker, Toyota currently offers 24 electrified options.
Media Contacts:
Sam Mahoney, Toyota PR - 980-900-8573 - Samuel.Mahoney@Toyota.com
John Procida, Toyota USAC PR - 313-515-3985 - johnprocidapublicrelations@gmail.com
