Moyer’s Streak Ends As Jeremy Miller Races To Emotional First Career WoO LMS Victory At Virginia Motor Speedway

Jamaica, VA — By Kevin Kovac, WoO  LMS P.R. Director

Jeremy Miller had just one thought racing through his mind after winning Friday night’s 50-lap ‘Rumble on the River IV’ at Virginia Motor Speedway.

“I just said to myself, ‘We finally did it!’” remarked Miller, a 37-year-old regional star from Gettysburg, Pa., who made the 50-lap event his long-awaited first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory. “I know for a fact – because I’ve been through plenty of disappointments – that a win on this series doesn’t come easy, so it’s an awesome feeling to do this.”

A hard-luck WoO LMS A-Main loser on three occasions last year, Miller got the job done in truly memorable fashion at Bill Sawyer’s pristine half-mile oval. He overtook red-hot dirt Late Model legend Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., for the lead on lap 36, and then repelled late-race pressure from Moyer and defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., to emerge triumphant to the tune of $10,650, including the $500 WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ prize for being the highest-finishing driver who hadn’t previously won a tour event.

The pole-sitting Francis settled for a second-place finish in Dale Beitler’s Reliable Painting/Valvoline Rocket, 2.051 seconds behind Miller. Moyer, meanwhile, plummeted to 17th in the final rundown after his Victory Circle M1 Chassis suffered a blown left-rear tire on lap 45 as he was attempting to mount a last-ditch bid to regain command.

Josh Richards, 20, of Shinnston, W.Va., finished third in the Mark Richards Racing Enterprises Rocket after starting eighth, moving him within 12 points of Moyer’s WoO LMS points-leading total. Fifth-starter Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., placed fourth in his JP Drilling GRT car and third-starter Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., was fifth in the RSD Enterprises Rocket.

Moyer, who led a majority of the distance, saw his three-race WoO LMS win streak come to an end, adding even more luster to Miller’s emotional victory. A Moyer triumph would have allowed him to match the WoO LMS modern-era (2004-present) consecutive-win record of four in a row set by Rick Eckert of York, Pa., in 2006.

No one was more aware of the halting of the Moyer win streak than Miller’s car owner Charles Buckler, who literally bounded to Victory Lane to greet his driver.

“We beat a legend!” exclaimed Buckler, one of the most excitable personalities in the dirt Late Model pit area. “We beat Billy Moyer!

“Oh, man,” Buckler continued, “this is the best race I’ve ever won. We beat the best! We beat the Outlaws!”

The preternaturally calm Miller was far more reserved than his car owner, but he nonetheless was amazed by his accomplishment.

“My dream in racing was always to race with the best drivers,” said Miller, whose previous best WoO LMS was second, on Sept. 21, 2007, at Bedford (Pa.) Speedway. “Billy Moyer, Steve Francis and all these guys with the Outlaws – they are the best. I have a lot of respect for all these guys, and I’m just very fortunate to be racing up there with them.”

Miller passed the drivers he so admires. After starting fourth in a brand-new Complete Flooring/USA Spares, Inc. Rocket car powered by a Bullock Racing Engine, he slipped by Francis for second on lap 13 and chased Moyer’s pacesetting machine until nosing into the lead for the first time on lap 34.

Moyer, who started second and led from the initial green flag, managed to surge back ahead on lap 35. But Miller came off the inside of turn four to grab the top spot on the 36th circuit.

And that, for all intents and purposes, was the race. There was no mechanical failure while leading like Miller experienced last year in WoO LMS events at VMS and The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway, or a late-race caution flag to allow a regular Outlaw to pass him for the lead like in his heartbreaking defeat to Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., last season at Ohio’s Sharon Speedway.

Actually, there was a late caution flag in Friday’s A-Main, on lap 45 for Moyer’s exploded tire. But it was a welcomed sight for Miller, who at the time was feeling pressure from Francis while racing through lapped traffic.

“The fans like to see that heated-battle stuff, but as a driver, you’re thinking what’s best for you,” Miller said when asked his thoughts on the race’s seventh and final caution flag. “And it was definitely best for me to have a clean racetrack (for the last five circuits).

“There’s no doubt about it, when you get to lapped traffic, they’re probably better racers than I am because they do it for a living and they race so much. They have 20-some races in already this year and I had 20-some laps in all year until tonight, so it definitely benefited me to have the last caution come out.

“Some nights it didn’t benefit me, but it was our night tonight.

“I’m honestly kind of speechless right now.”

Miller paused, and then added, “I love racing with the Outlaws. Just to be up there battling with them is all I ever dreamed of – and hopefully now that we got the first win, maybe we can get another one.”