News

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA July 30, 2007...As the 2007 Golden State Challenge Series season came to a close Saturday night at Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico's Brett Miller charged up from the 18th starting position to tally his ninth top 10 finish of the season. The 18 year-old driver has been fighting through engine problems and steering box problems throughout the last month or so, but the whole Care Free Pools team has remained positive and finished off our first full season of GSC competition this past weekend.

The GSC finale double header weekend began with a tough one on Friday that saw Brett miss the main event, but he came back on Saturday looking to finish off the season with a strong run. After finishing third in his heat race behind Sean Becker and Brent Kaeding, the Catfish was ready for the final 30 lap main event of the GSC season. Lining up 18th aboard the Care Free Pools, Platinum Powder Coating, JP's Paint & Body, smartwebsales.com No. 1x, Brett methodically worked his way forward and brought home a 10th place finish at the checkered flag.

After 25 races Brett finished his rookie season with the Golden state challenge series with a seventh place finish in the final point standings. It was a fun season with GSC but a long one as luck didn't seem to be on the youngster's side very often. Still he was able to bring home three top five finishes, including back to back fourth place runs at Medford and Quincy in June. He also picked up three heat race wins with the series and earned a ton of experience racing with some of the top drivers in the western United States.

Even though the Golden state challenge Series season is over, there is still a lot of racing left to go before '07 is finished off. This month for Care Free Pools Racing will be spent racing at the Silver Dollar Speedway in the Feather Falls Casino Friday night point series. There are four races left this month in Chico and they will all be spent trying to get ready for the big $50,000 to win Gold Cup Race of Champions, which takes place in early September.

We'd like to thank all of our sponsors and crew for helping out making it through the Golden State Challenge Series season and we no look forward to the rest of the year.

By Gary Thomas

July 9, 2007... Chico’s Brett Miller was forced to put in the smaller 360 cubic inch engine during this past weekend and he did a respectable job, however, a pair of accidents in the features took away finishes that could have been higher. Brett was underpowered running with the 410's, but on the bright side, the team will get the 410 engine back in time for this coming weekend’s double header in Chico.

Brett started this past weekend off with Care Free Pools night at the races at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway. Brett ran a strong qualifying lap to turn a 12.675, but it was 16th fastest showing just how much difference there is between a 410 and a 360. Brett then lined up on the front row in heat race number one aboard the Care Free Pools, Platinum Powder Coating, JP’s Paint & Body, Al’s Concrete No. 1x. Brett fell into second and did an outstanding job to hold off Brad Sweet over the last five laps of the heat to bring home a second place finish.

After the sprint car B-main, Brett and the Care Free Pools team came out on the front stretch to throw shirts and candy into the grandstands. Brett was interviewed by Troy Hennig on the front stretch and everyone had a great time doing it.

Lining up 15th in the feature, Brett was up to the top 10 when a pileup occurred in front of him on lap 13 which left him with nowhere to go. "The Catfish" was involved in the incident and after going to the pits and getting the damage fixed, he came back out and drove forward to bring the Wolfe Electric, Smartwebsales.com, Jandy Pools, BR Motorsports No. 1x home in 13th.

On Saturday Care Free Pools Racing made the drive to Antioch to compete with the Golden State Challenge Series. After qualifying 11th quick, Brett transferred through his heat to put the 1x machine into the feature. Starting in the sixth row of the 30 lap main event, Brett hugged the bottom of the speedway like many of the other competitors and was running in the top 10 when he was involved in an accident in turn four with just two laps remaining and was officially placed 18th in the rundown.

This coming weekend will feature two races at home including another Silver Dollar Speedway point race on Friday before a Golden State Challenge event on Saturday at Silver Dollar. Having the 410 engine back will be nice and will put Brett and the team back on a more level playing field.

Don’t forget to stop by the rig after the races and check out the new Brett Miller T-shirts that Beth picked up this past week. They came out great and look really nice. For all the info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

Brett Miller marches on through rough weekend

By Gary Thomas

July 3, 2007... Chico’s Brett Miller has been running strong lately and the 17 year-old has been gaining some valuable experience as the season goes on running with some of the top talent on the west coast. The one thing that has slowed the pace, however, has seemingly been engine problems that have been plaguing the team ever since Mid-May. It seems like every other week the problems resurface and for the most part it has been the same thing every time.

Friday night in Chico saw the rocker arm break while Brett was running near the top 5 and forced him to pull out of the main event. It’s been a little discouraging for the team to keep have these issues coming up, especially in Chico since Brett has been one of the strongest cars this season at the Silver Dollar Speedway bullring. The team has been giving him some great cars but the luck just hasn’t been there.

After the night in Chico, Brett and the Care Free Pools team headed to the engine builder in the morning to get the problem in the engine fixed and after that, made the drive down to Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway for a night of Golden State Challenge Series action. Coming into Tulare Brett had finished in fourth place the previous two races with the series and looked for good things at the 1/3 mile clay oval. To begin the night Brett qualified 16th quickest aboard the Care Free Custom Graphics, Wolfe Electric, Jandy Pools, BR Motorsports No. 1x. A third place finish in the opening heat race transferred Brett into the 30 lap main event.

The start of the main, however, turned out disastrous for Brett as a couple cars in front of him tangled and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, which resulted in him getting upside down. The Platinum Powder Coating, JP’s Paint & Body, River City Pools, Smartwebsales.com No. 1x was then pushed back to the work area. The damage on the car was fixed, but the top wing was cocked at an odd angle which created handling difficulties for the rest of the feature and Brett went on to bring home a 17th place finish.

Brett & Care Free Pools Racing will be right back in action this coming Wednesday night at the Silver Dollar Speedway for a special 4th of July event. The front gates open two hours earlier than usual to accommodate the large crowd that routinely fills the grandstand at the 4th of July race. The evening will be capped of with a fireworks display. Right now it looks like Brett will be running a 360 power plant in the 1x all week as the engine problems have taken their toll more than originally thought.

Then on Friday night July 6 Brett and the team will be back in Chico for Care Free Pools night at the races. The evening is sponsored by his main sponsor & grandparents business, which is located near the track. It should be a fun night as there will be many friends, family and sponsors in the grandstands. We would like to thank all our sponsors for supporting us and hope to do well on Friday in front of everyone.

On Saturday it will be off to Antioch Speedway for a Golden State Challenge Series event. Brett sits fifth in points heading into the tight 1/4 mile bullring. There are only a handful of GSC races left before the series finishes its season in Chico at the end of the month with a double header.

For more on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing log onto http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Dramatic & eventful weekend ends with 4th place finish at Quincy for Brett Miller

By Gary Thomas

June 24, 2007... Chico native Brett Miller had a very long and eventful go of it this past weekend, but in the end he tied his career best Golden State Challenge Series finish during the series’ first ever visit to the American Valley Speedway in Quincy, CA. Brett and the Care Free Pools team had a lot of things working against them during the weekend, but they showed what hard work and determination will do for you.

Last weekend saw Brett and the team take some time off as GSC was dark & Chico didn’t run 410's. Everyone was excited about getting back onto the track in Chico this past Friday night, but what transpired was one of the most up and down night’s any single team has had this season.

Friday’s point race at Silver Dollar Speedway started off with Brett running really good in hot laps, but on his first lap in qualifying he slowed to a stop in turn four with an engine issue. He was pushed to the pits and after getting the problem fixed he was able to take one lap at the end of qualifying. "The Catfish" turned a lap of 12.261 aboard the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Smartwebsales.com No. 1x, placing him eleventh quickest. Ironically by taking one lap at the end of qualifying, a driver can’t be placed higher than eleventh, but even though he qualified at that spot, he was forced to start from behind the inversion in his heat race due to the rules.

Starting seventh in the opening heat race, Brett looked to the inside of Chris Masters in turns one and two, but the hole closed up which resulted in he and Masters making contact. Brett nearly tipped over but luckily the car bounced and eased back on all fours. Brett was able to restart the heat and was charging forward when Andy Forsberg got sideways off of turn two and left Brett with nowhere to go and he clipped Forsberg and went for a tumble down the backstretch. The 17 year-old got out of the car unscathed, but it put and end to the heat race.

With the help of the Care Free Pools team as well as assistance from a couple other teams, the damage from the flip was repaired and Brett was able to get out for the B-main. Although Brett had to start from behind the inversion in his heat race because of the qualifying penalty, he was able to keep his time for the B-main and he started from the front row. On the start he got a tad bit loose in turn two and caught one of the infield tractor tires and stopped to bring out the caution.

The damage couldn’t be fixed before the yellow lights were turned off, but a little bit of luck shined down on the team for the first time during the night, as the pole sitter jumped the ensuing restart and the yellow was thrown to move him to the back. This gave Brett the break he needed and he was able to push out onto the speedway on the same lap as everyone else. "The Catfish" was calm, cool and collected as he methodically worked his way forward and with the help of a couple cautions he was up to a transfer with just a handful of laps left in the B-main. As if things couldn’t get any crazier, smoke started to develop from back of the JP’s Paint & Body, Wolfe Electric, Jandy Pools, Maxim Chassis No. 1x. The smoke subsided a little when he got back on the gas and he was able to bring it home in the fourth and final transfer spot at the checkered flag. Unfortunately after getting back to the pits it was discovered that the engine was blown in the 1x machine and Brett was forced to scratch from the main event. It was definitely one of weirdest night’s Brett has had in his sprint car career but he put it behind him as he and Care Free Pools Racing made the drive to Quincy on Saturday.

The night in Quincy was the first time that the Golden State Challenge Series has ever competed at the 3/8 mile American Valley Speedway. The track is long 3/8 with very tight and flat corners which makes for some very close and narrow racing. After qualifying 17th quick Brett lined up on the outside of the third row in heat race number two. The youngster began to get a hang of the track midway through the heat race and he made a couple sweet passes of both Jim Richardson and Mark Tabor Sr. within the last couple laps to bring home a nice second place finish.

Brett started the 30 lap feature in 17th and on the start he was a victim of a huge pileup created by another car that got sideways near the front of the field. He was able to restart and was on the move early. "The Catfish" carved his way up to sixth by lap eight and during a red flag on lap 10, the Al’s Concrete, BR Motorsports, Kaeding Performance, Aspire Homes No. 1x sat in fifth place. Brett kept moving forward and on lap 12 he made the move around Tyler Spath to claim fourth. Over the last half of the race he got up to as high as third before losing a spot to Brent Kaeding on lap 20. At the checkered flag he brought home a fourth place finish aboard the Country Craftsman, River City Pools, A1A Performance Muffler No. 1x.

In Brett’s last three races with the Golden State Challenge Series he has scored two fourth’s and a sixth and has moved into fifth place in the series standings. He and the team have been through a lot of adversity over the last month, but have kept on trucking and have been rewarded with some very strong runs recently.

This coming Friday will see Brett and Care Free Pools Racing return to Silver Dollar Speedway for another night of point race competition. Then on Saturday we’ll make the haul down to Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway for the seventh to last night of the Golden State Challenge Series season.

For more on Chico, California driver Brett Miller visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Brett Miller records career best GSC finish in Medford

By Gary Thomas

Medford, OR - June 13, 2007... After a solid weekend with finishes of third and sixth, Chico youngster Brett Miller came back on Monday night and recorded his best career Golden State Challenge Series finish in his very first visit to the Southern Oregon Speedway. Brett and the Care Free Pools Racing team came into the Monday event in Medford, Oregon looking to carry the momentum from this past weekend, and did they ever.

Brett’s first time running the 1/3 mile track began with him qualifying fourth quick in the field aboard the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating, Wolfe Electric No. 1x. He then finished fifth in the opening heat to put him into the dash.

"The Catfish" started fourth in the six lap dash, but opening lap contact from another car left the 1x machine stopped on the inside of turn one. A yellow was thrown and Brett went to the work area. The Care Free Pools team took off the nose win on the JP’s Paint & Body Maxim because it was damaged in the altercation and Brett got back out onto the track where he went on to finish seventh.

Starting seventh in the 30 lap feature Brett moved up to sixth early on and ran a controlled aggressive race to move up a couple more spots to finish the contest in fourth. The 17 year-old did a great job to hold off some fast company as Willie Croft, Sean Becker and Stephen Allard were all breathing down his neck over the last few laps.

Brett’s previous best finish with the Golden State Challenge Series was a fifth which he accomplished at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville.

The Golden State Challenge Series and 410 racing in Chico is dark this weekend, but Brett will be behind the wheel of a 360 sprint car in Calistoga on Saturday. The Golden State Challenge Series will start back up the following Saturday with its first ever visit to the American Valley Speedway in Quincy. The night before that, however, Brett and the team will compete at Silver Dollar Speedway in another evening of point race action. For more news on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing log onto http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Brett Miller gasses it up for solid Chico/Petaluma weekend

By Gary Thomas

June 10, 2007...17 year-old Brett Miller followed up a tough outing last weekend with some of his best racing of the season this past Friday and Saturday night’s. The Chico driver graduated from high school on Thursday evening before running a pair of events at two tracks where he’s seen success at in his young career. Getting the #1 engine back from the builder helped out this week and the crew gave Brett a great car both night’s as he scored a pair of solid runs.

On Friday night Silver Dollar Speedway held a 410 point race for the first time in three weeks with Ashley Furniture Stores being the night’s presenting sponsor. Brett and the team looked forward to getting back to the home track to put all the experience they’ve gained over the last few weeks to test. The evening started out well for Brett as he qualified fifth quickest aboard the Care Free Pools, Platinum Powder Coating, A1A Performance Muffler, Aspire Home No. 1x. A fifth place finish in his heat race put him into the 25 lap feature where he started from the fifth position.

"The Catfish" made some nice moves in the main event and was able to nip Robert Stice at the line to give the Care Free Custom Graphics, Jandy Pools, JP’s Paint & Body Maxim a third place finish. It was Brett’s best finish at Chico since winning earlier this year and was a great points night for the team.

On Saturday Brett and Care Free Pools Racing made the drive down to Petaluma Speedway to compete with the Golden State Challenge Series. Last time in Petaluma Brett qualified second quickest in the field and finish in sixth place during the feature. This time around it went just as good and the youngster began the night by qualifying in the top eight which set him up with a second row starting spot in his heat race. Brett was up to second when a caution came out on lap one and on the restart Brett powered around leader Mark Workentine to take over the top spot. A caution came out on lap four and it saw defending King of California Jonathan Allard sitting in second. As the green flag came back out Brett continued to lead and held off the very strong challenge from Allard as the laps wound down. Coming to the white flag, however, Allard was able to get bite down low off turn four and got under Brett to take the lead. "The Catfish" remained poised and brought home a second place finish aboard the River City Pools, The Country Craftsman, RPM Racing Engines, BR Motorsports No. 1x.

Brett drew the #2 pill for the dash and sat on the front row of a GSC dash for the first time in his career. As the field came down for the green flag in the six lap contest Brett got the wheels up in the air lost a few spots as a couple cars were able to get by. When the checkered flag flew he brought home a sixth place finish to set him up with a row three starting spot in the feature.

The 30 lap main event saw Brett run solidly in the top 10 the whole way as the track was very hooked up and fast. When the final caution of the race happened on lap 23, Brett was sitting in the seventh position. The 17 year-old got his elbows up and on lap 25 he drove around veteran Willie Croft to take over the sixth position. The next time around Brett was blocked by a lap car and Croft was able to get around him.

As the laps ticked off Brett was still in seventh and when leader Brent Kaeding had a motor go south, he was able to get by the 12-time champ and finished the race with a nice sixth place finish. It was great weekend and the whole team was happy to rebound from last weekend with a pair of solid outings.

Brett and the Care Free Pools team will be back in action on Monday night with the Golden State Challenge Series at the Southern Oregon Speedway in Medford, Oregon. It will be Brett’s first night of action at the 1/3 mile track and he’ll look to carry the momentum from last weekend into the state or Oregon. Right now it looks like Brett will have the opportunity to drive for another team at the Calistoga Speedway this coming Saturday night as the Civil War 360 Series makes its way into the beautiful ½ mile track. Being able to run Calistoga on Saturday will give Brett a better chance at bringing home the track championship as most of the other 410 teams will be in Washington running the Dirt Cup.

For all the latest happenings with Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing log onto http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Brett Miller suffers tough luck at Ocean/Placerville double header

By Gary Thomas

June 5, 2007... Chico youngster Brett Miller had a tough weekend filled with some hard luck during the Golden State Challenge Series double header at Ocean and Placerville Speedway’s. After hurting two motors at Calistoga the previous weekend, Care Free Pools Racing was forced to put in an engine that was down on power for the Ocean/P’ville two night event.

On Friday at Ocean Speedway Brett qualified 15th quick aboard the Care Free Pools, Wolfe Electric, Platinum Powder Coating No.1x. He then started on the front row in his heat race and held off a hard charging Willie Croft until the very last corner when Croft was able to get underneath and steal the win away. A second place finish was good enough though and it set Brett up to start the feature from the eighth row. The 30 lap contest didn’t go as planned as Brett was involved in an incident before a lap could be completed. The front end had some damage but the 1x crew as well as members from other teams were able to fix it, but race officials said that it was Brett’s second stop and he was dq’d from the race. It was pretty confusing, but everyone on the team went on to Placerville with a clear head and looked forward to another night of action.

Placerville started off with Brett being the very last driver to hit the speedway for qualifying and he timed in 17th quickest. He then finished sixth in his heat race and started the feature from the 17th position aboard the Care Free Custom Graphics, JP’s Paint & Body, Jandy Pools, Smartwebsales.com Maxim. The opening lap saw a yellow appear and during the caution Brett pitted with a flat right rear tire after another car had gotten into the side of the 1x while slowing down for the caution lights. The crew was able to get him back out, but a lap after going back green, Brett had nowhere to go as another car had flipped and another had spun in turns three and four. Brett came to a stop and was able to restart but while trying to race his way forward, looped the car in turn four a handful of laps later to put an end to the night.

One of the engines from Calistoga was brought to Placerville on Saturday by RPM Racing Engines, so this coming weekend Brett and the team will have a little more power under the hood to work with.

This Thursday night will see Brett graduate from high school at the Chico State Football Stadium. Following that he’ll be in action at the Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday night for the first time in a few weeks. "The Catfish" currently sits fifth in the Silver Dollar Speedway point standings and the whole team looks forward to getting back to the home track.

On Saturday Care Free Pools Racing will be in action at the Petaluma Speedway for Golden State Challenge Series Round #18. During the GSC event in Petaluma less than a couple weeks ago, Brett qualified second quick and finished sixth in the 30 lap feature. He goes into the night sitting seventh in the current Golden State Challenge Series point standings.

Brett and the team will only get one day off after Petaluma, however, as we’ll be in Medford, Oregon on Monday for another night of competition with the Golden State Challenge Series at the Southern Oregon Speedway. This will be Brett’s first time running in a sprint car at the 1/3 mile Southern Oregon Speedway. He has competed, however, at the go kart track located outside of turn two at the speedway.

For more info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Motor problems slow Brett Miller on final night of Memorial Day weekend triple-header

By Gary Thomas

Calistoga, CA - May 30, 2007... Following two solid night’s of Golden State Challenge Series action for Chico’s Brett Miller, motor issues forced the youngster to scratch after heat race competition at the 24th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson on Sunday night. Prior to the Tribute to GP, however, Brett and Care Free Pools Racing put together a pair of very good night’s to kick off the first three day weekend that the Golden State Challenge Series has seen in a long time.

The three day Memorial Day weekend workout began on Friday at the 3/8 mile Petaluma Speedway located on the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds in Petaluma. As the weather started to heat up in Chico and Northern California in general, getting to the cooler climate of Petaluma was a nice change of pace.

Brett started off the weekend with scoring the best qualifying effort of his Golden State Challenge career. "The Catfish" blistered the 3/8 mile in 12.862 seconds aboard the Care Free Pools, Platinum Powder Coating, Care Free Custom Graphics, A1A Performance Muffler No. 1x. The time was good enough for a close second in the qualifying order behind only 12-time King of California and Nor Cal legend Brent Kaeding. The 17 year-old then lined up sixth in the second heat race and carved his way forward to collect a third place finish and put the Wolfe Electric, Aspire Homes, Jandy Pools, Smartwebsales.com No. 1x into the dash.

The dash birth was the third time Brett has gotten into a dash this season and he started fifth and finished fifth in the six lap contest, holding off a late race charge by Brent Kaeding to earn a third row starting spot in the feature. The track was very tacky and made for some very fast racing all night long and the 30 lap main event was no exception. "The Catfish" ran right around the top five for much of the feature and at the finish he brought home a solid sixth place finish.

On Saturday Brett competed in his very first 410 race at the quick and long Calistoga Speedway ½ mile during the annual Salute to Walter T Ross. Brett qualified 17th quick and finished fifth in a very stacked second heat race. He then lined up way back in the 17th position for the 25 lap main event. Brett looked much more comfortable in the car during the feature as he began to get a feel for the track

"The Catfish" had driven forward and during a yellow flag on lap 20 the BR Motorsports, Al’s Concrete, RPM Racing Engines, JP’s Paint & Body No. 1x sat in ninth place. The final lap of the feature was wild as a handful of cars ran out of gas and Brett maneuvered around them to finish the Salute to Walter T Ross main event in seventh place. It was a good end to Brett’s first night at Calistoga in a 410 and everyone looked forward to coming back on Sunday for the 24th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson.

During maintenance on the car Sunday morning the crew found a problem with the motor that was used on Saturday night, so it was decided to swap the engine to not risk further damage. The team was forced to use the small track motor and were unfortunately underpowered for the super fast Calistoga Speedway on Sunday night. Brett qualified 18th quickest in the field aboard the Maxim Chassis, Country Craftsman No. 1x and in the heat race he heard a pop in the engine. "The Catfish" pulled to a stop on the track and was a scratch for the rest of the night.

On Monday Brett’s grandpa and team owner Bill Bell brought both engines up to Steve at RPM to check them over.

As of now Brett and Care Free Pools Racing are planning on running both night’s this coming weekend with the Golden State Challenge Series. On Friday GSC is in Watsonville for a night of action at Ocean Speedway. Brett earned his career best GSC finish the last time the series was at the track and will look for more good things this time around. On Saturday the series shifts over to the Placerville Speedway bullring for the final time this season at the red clay 1/4 mile.

For more news and info on 17 year-old Brett Miller visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Brett Miller earns hard-charger award in Chico

By Gary Thomas

May 21, 2007...Chico’s Brett Miller put on a great charge Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #8 and scored a nice seventh place finish after starting from deep in the field. The good run helped Brett move up one spot to fifth in the Silver Dollar Speedway point standings as the battle for the track championship takes a couple weekends off to allow the teams to compete with the State Challenge Series which will run the next two Friday’s out of town.

Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #8 began with Brett qualifying ninth fastest aboard the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating, Wolfe Electric No. 1x. The heat race saw Brett lose a few spots to finish sixth and it forced him to start way back in the 18th position for the night’s 25 lap main event sponsored by Wittmeier Auto Center. The 17 year-old ran a smart race and progressively moved his way forward as the laps clicked off. By lap 13 he was up to eighth and after 25 laps he brought the Jandy Pools, A1A Performance Muffler, Al’s Concrete, SmartWebSales.com, Maxim Chassis No. 1x home in seventh. It was a solid run for Brett and the team as Saturday night’s Golden State Challenge Series event in Tulare loomed ahead.

Brett came into the Chris & Brian Faria Memorial in Tulare looking to conquer the track where he got upside down at last month. Brett’s qualifying lap of 14.550 put him on the front row of the third heat race where he held off good friend Sean Becker for the fifth and final transfer spot. The track was totally different on this night than it had been the past couple GSC races at the Thunderbowl as the track surface remained hooked up all night. Brett ran around 17th for most of the race and after 30 laps be brought home a 16th place finish in the River City Pool Plastering, JP’s Paint & Body, Kaeding Performance, RPM Racing Engines No. 1x. It wasn’t a finish that Brett and the team were hoping for, but "The Catfish" made it all 30 laps and brought the car home in one piece and he remains seventh in GSC points. He was also able to get some confidence back at the track and the next time he'll get a shot to tackle the 1/3 mile oval again will be on June 30.

This coming weekend will see Brett and the rest of the Golden State Challenge competitors get their racing fix with three straight night’s of racing beginning on Friday in Petaluma. Friday’s event at the Petaluma Speedway is a make up date from the rain out on April 21 and will be the 13th Round of action for the Golden State Challenge Series. Last September Brett and the Care Free Pools team competed with the California Sprint Car Civil War Series at the 3/8 mile Petaluma Speedway and set quick time and scored a sixth place finish in the feature.

On Saturday and Sunday it will off to the super fast Calistoga Speedway ½ mile for the annual Golden State Challenge Series Memorial Day weekend double header.

On Saturday it will be the annual Salute to Walter T. Ross, a night paying respect to the former Northern Auto Racing Club President and long time car owner. His famous #56 graced victory lane at Calistoga Speedway on 11 occasions and was one of the most recognizable sprint cars of its era. Ross passed away in 1987 from ALS and this race recognizing him has become a tradition on Memorial Day weekend at Calistoga.

On Sunday it will be the 24th annual Tribute to Gary Patterson. Also known as the Dancing Phantom, the Preacher, the Hostile Hipee or just simply GP, Patterson was one of the most colorful characters of his time and considered Calistoga Speedway to be one his favorite tracks. GP was taken from us in an accident at Calistoga Speedway on Memorial Day weekend 1983, but his memory lives on and Calistoga has payed tribute to him on Memorial Day weekend every year since his death. This will be Brett’s first time in a 410 at Calistoga Speedway and it will be a fun weekend so we hope to see everyone come out and support Brett at the world’s most beautiful dirt track.

For more news and info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing log onto http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Brett Miller Bradway Memorial weekend recap

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA - May 13, 2007... Chico’s Brett Miller came into the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial weekend on the heels of a career best Golden State Challenge Series finish last Saturday, and looked to use the momentum as the series made its way into his hometown track.

The weekend was kicked off on Friday night with Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #7. With the Golden State Challenge Series racing on Saturday in Chico, it brought a few more cars than usual for the Friday night show and a nice field of 39 410 sprint cars were on hand for the night before the Bradway Memorial. Brett came into the race sixth in Silver Dollar Speedway points and he began the night by qualifying 21st quick aboard the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating No. 1x. "The Catfish" started from the pole in heat one and he jumped out to the lead as the green flag came out. He led four laps before Jonathan Allard was able to get by for the lead. Brett kept his composure and hung on for a second place finish to transfer the Wolfe Electric, Jandy Pools, JP’s Paint & Body, Maxim Chassis No. 1x into the main event.

Brett lined up back in the 15th position for the 25 lap main event. The track had become very slick and was very different in each set of corners. Turns one and two had two grooves to race on but three and four had become one lane right on the bottom. The 17 year-old ran a patient race and after 25 laps he brought home an eighth place finish.

Saturday brought about the biggest one night race of the season for the Golden State Challenge Series with the 17th annual Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial. Big money was on the line all night and 47 cars signed into the pit gate for the prestigious race. Brett sat seventh in GSC points to begin the night and came out 19th in the qualifying order. His fastest lap of 13.018 placed him 20th quickest. He started on the front row in the night’s fourth heat race and settled into second on the start. Brett battled in the top three the whole way as he ran the tip top of the speedway and brought home a third place finish to put himself into the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial main event.

The 1/4 mile bullring had become rubber down in the 40 lap feature and it made passing difficult. Brett had his work cut out for him starting from the 17th position in the A1A Performance Muffler, The Country Craftsman, Aspire Homes No. 1x. "The Catfish" had made his way up to near the top 10 at one point, but the car became very tight the last part of the race as Brett fought a severe handling problem. After 40 laps Brett maneuvered the car to a 16th place finish.

Next weekend will see Brett and Care Free Pools Racing run at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico on Friday night and the Tulare Thunderbowl Raceway on Saturday. Friday night’s race will serve as Point Race #8 and Brett goes into the night once again sitting sixth in points.

Saturday’s event in Tulare will be Golden State Challenge Series Round #12 and is known as the Chris Faria Memorial. Chris Faria was an up and coming racer from the Central Valley who was killed during a freak farming accident in 1993. Thunderbowl Raceway has held a race in his memory ever since and it’s always one of the biggest races of the season at 1/3 mile clay oval located on the Tulare County Fairgrounds. Brett continues to rank seventh in Golden State Challenge Series points as we head into the Chris Faria Memorial.

For more news and info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing log onto http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Brett Miller scores career best GSC finish in Watsonville

By Gary Thomas

Watsonville, CA - May 6, 2007...After getting upside down in Chico on Friday night, Brett Miller and the Care Free Pools Racing team showed strength and toughness as they came back on Saturday and recorded a top five with the Golden State Challenge Series for the very first time. Brett and the team have been working very hard this season and to see it pay off with a top five after a rough last couple races is very sweet. Brett came into the weekend after suffering a hard flip last Saturday night in Tulare and looked to rebound as he and the team hit Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday night to kick off the weekend.

Remarkably, the team was using the exact same car that went through the flip in Tulare. Brett and family would like to thank the hard working crew of the 1x for their continued dedication including: Keith Berge, Scot Clarke, David Peterson and Bobby Bumgarner. They didn’t get home from Tulare last weekend until 4:30 am Sunday morning, but still had the car stripped down and ready for the frame shop by Sunday night. Also special thanks to Heath Hall who had the car fixed up and back by noon on Thursday so the 1x team could utilize the car in Chico prior to next weekend’s Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial.

Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway served as Point Race #6 and Brett started off the night by qualifying 18th quickest with a lap of 12.235 aboard the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating, Wolfe Electric No. 1x. He then started from the outside of the front row in the night’s second heat race. "The Catfish" jumped into the lead as the green flag waved and he began to walk away from the field. Brett was out front comfortably until a few laps left when defending GSC champ Jonathan Allard closed in. Allard put some extremely heavy pressure on the back of Brett, but it didn’t faze the 17 year-old Chico native and he held off the No. 0 car to pick up an exciting heat race win.

Brett lined up way back in the 14th starting position for the night’s 25 lap main event. Early on he ran steady as the track was hooked up and as fast as it had been all year. After a handful of laps he began to pick off cars and as the race had reached the midway point, Brett was flying around the 1/4 mile clay oval. The crew had given him a great car as the RPM Racing Engines powered Maxim Chassis No. 1x was on a roll. "The Catfish" went by drivers like Jason Statler and Trevor Green and had nearly made his way up to the top five when disaster struck with just a handful of laps to go. As Brett was chasing down the top runners, another car heading to the pits cut across the groove and knocked Brett off the track in turn one which ended with the Aspire Homes, JP’s Paint & Body, Al’s Concrete, A1A Performance Muffler No. 1x getting upside off the turn. It put a very disappointing end to the main event that had gone very well and saw Brett look extremely sharp behind the wheel as he made some of his best moves all season.

Friday night was put behind Brett and the team however, as Golden State Challenge Series Round #10 was on tap for Saturday at the Ocean Speedway in Watsonville. This was Brett’s first time running the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds 1/4 mile bullring. He started off the night by qualifying the Jandy Pools, Smartwebsales.com, Kaeding Performance, River City Pools No. 1x 10th quickest overall with a lap of 13.151. He lined up in the second row during the night’s opening heat race and ran strong to put himself in the fifth position as the laps wound down. Jason Statler applied heavy pressure to the back of Brett, but for the second night in a row the "Catfish" was able to hold off a former GSC champ in his heat race and brought home a fifth place finish to transfer out of the heat.

With a couple of the faster qualifiers not making it through their heats, it put Brett into his second dash of the season. He started the dash in eighth place and finished seventh to set him up with an inside row number four starting position for the 30 lap feature.

Strong winds took their toll on the track surface and it had become dry and one lane on the bottom for the feature. Brett’s nickname of the "Catfish" came in handy as he drove the bottom to perfection and had his best run of the season with the Golden State Challenge Series. Brett was sitting in sixth when a caution came out on lap four and on the restart he made the move under Jonathan Allard off turn four to take over the fifth position. Allard was able to get back by on lap nine, but the 17 year-old stayed close to him the rest of the race and continued to hound the 0 machine as the laps wound down.

Lap 17 saw Allard and Brett get by Jim Skinner on consecutive laps and after that Brett made a bid on Allard. The youngster had good grip around the bottom and with a handful of laps left Brett was nearly able to get side by side with Allard going down the front straightaway, but he ran Allard very clean and continued on in fifth where he would go on and finish. Whenever you can battle with a driver like Jonathan Allard it’s a thing to be happy of and Brett gave him everything he could handle during the feature.

This coming weekend will see the biggest night of racing this season for the Golden State Challenge Series as the Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial takes place on Saturday at Silver Dollar Speedway. The event pays honor to racing star Dave Bradway Jr. who was taken from us in a crash at the Skagit Speedway in 1987. The race has been going on since 1991 and is always the most prestigious event to win during the GSC season.

The action gets underway on Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway with Point Race #7. The night will feature the highest paying Point Race of the season as extra sponsors have boosted the winning payday up to $2,350. Then on Saturday night it will be the 17th Dave Bradway Jr. Memorial, which also serves as Golden State Challenge Series Round #11. We hope everybody can make it out to Saturday’s race as this is always one of the best night’s of the season as we pay tribute to a driver that gave his life to the sport we love.

For more news and info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing log onto http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Crash in Tulare ends weekend for Brett Miller

By Gary Thomas

April 29, 2007... Chico’s Brett Miller continued his 2007 racing campaign this past weekend at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway and Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. It turned out to be a tough weekend, but was another one where Brett and the Care Free Pools Racing team gained valuable experience that they can take with them as the season goes on. All young drivers go through a learning curve and Brett’s done a great job early this year as he’s gained a lot of knowledge throughout the first month and a half of the season.

The weekend began on Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway’s Point Race #5. Brett qualified 12th quickest with a lap of 12.743 aboard the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating Maxim.

"The Catfish" then lined up on the inside of the second row in the third and final heat race. Brett was running in fourth when he got the wheels up in the air and came down awkwardly which resulted in him slipping off turn three on lap six to bring out a caution. He restarted at the rear of the field and only had two laps to try and get back up to the fifth and final transfer spot. As the green flag came back out Brett powered to the inside of the two cars in front of him and moved to sixth. The car running in the second spot had a wing issue on the start and he slipped off the track so Brett now found himself in the fifth and final transfer spot. The 17 year-old brought ‘er home in fifth to transfer the Jandy Pools, JP’s Paint & Body, Al’s Concrete, River City Pool Plastering No. 1x into the main event.

The 25 lap main saw Brett start from the inside of row six in the 11th position. Brett sat in 13th when a caution came out on lap three. After that he began to find his groove and moved forward a few spots as the race went on and at the checkered flag Brett brought home a ninth place finish in the Wolfe Electric, A1A Performance Muffler, The Country Craftsman, RPM Racing Engines No. 1x.

Saturday saw Brett and Care Free Pools Racing make the haul South to Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway to compete with the Golden State Challenge Series in the annual Pombo/Sargent Classic. The past two GSC races have been rained out so it nice to get the season back underway as warm temps greeted the team in the Central Valley.

Brett came out dead last in the qualifying order and turned a fastest lap of 14.290 placing the Aspire Homes, Smartwebsales.com, BR Motorsports, Kaeding Performance Maxim 19th quickest overall.

The youngster started from the outside of the front row in the night’s third 10 lap heat race alongside Ken Fredenburg. As they came out of turn four Fredenburg got the jump but Brett gassed it up on the top side and made a wild move to take the lead going down the backstretch. "The Catfish" was flying around the 1/3 mile as he was holding off Willie Croft, but it all came to a halt midway through as Brett biked in turns one and two and went for a scary flip in-between the corner. The 1x machine suffered frame damage near the front of the car and it put an end to the night for the Care Free Pools team. Brett suffered a sprained wrist, but was otherwise unscathed.

This coming Friday will see Brett and Care Free Pools Racing compete in Chico at Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #5. Brett goes into night sitting sixth in points. The front gate on Friday night will open an hour earlier as an autograph session featuring many of the sprint car drivers will take place. Silver Dollar Speedway held a similar event last August and it turned out pretty well so hopefully everybody can make it out to support it this Friday.

Saturday we’ll be on down to Watsonville to compete with the Golden State Challenge Series at the Ocean Speedway. This will be Brett’s first night of ever racing at 1/4 mile bullring as the first GSC race scheduled for the track was rained out a few weeks back. "The Catfish" goes into the race eighth in GSC points, two behind Brad Sweet for seventh.

For more news on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Brett Miller back on track at Silver Dollar Speedway Point Race #4

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA - April 21, 2007... Last Friday at Silver Dollar Speedway saw Chico’s Brett Miller suffer through one of his roughest night’s of the season as the bad luck bug got a hold of him. This was a new week however, and Point Race #4 was a totally different story as Brett and the Care Free Pools team put together a strong night of competition which ended with a solid sixth place finish.

"The Catfish" was the 18th driver to hit the track in qualifying and he turned a fastest lap 12.740 which put the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating No. 1x 12th quickest overall. Brett then lined up on the inside of the second row alongside veteran Jason Statler in the night’s third and final heat race. The 17 year-old powered into second by the time a lap was completed and gave chase after leader Jason Botsford. Brett gave Botsford a look or two and then backed up to feel the car out and spent the rest of heat fending off Statler to score a second place finish aboard the Jandy Pools, Al’s Concrete, JP’s Paint & Body Works Maxim.

The main event saw Brett start in the eleventh position and he moved forward quickly. Brett ran the whole feature solidly in the top 10 and after 20 laps he brought home a sixth place finish. Brett was patient and did a great job to hang in there with some absolutely fantastic talent up front. A sixth place finish is definitely good when you’re up their with names like Sean Becker, Stephen Allard, Andy Forsberg, Jason Statler and Jonathan Allard. Four of those drivers are former Silver Dollar Speedway track champions and three of them are former Golden State Challenge King of California’s.

Saturday’s Golden State Challenge Series event scheduled at Petaluma Speedway was postponed until Friday night May 25 due to inclement weather. It now makes Memorial Day weekend a three nighter with Calistoga on Saturday and Sunday.

New Sponsor:

Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing are pleased to announce Smartwebsales.com as a new sponsor who has come on board for the team. Smartwebsales.com will have a booth at this coming Wednesday’s Business Expo at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds in Chico which is sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. The 1x machine will be on display and Brett will head over to the Expo after school and will be available for autographs. The expo runs from 9 am to 6pm. Visit http://www.smartwebsales.com for more info on our new sponsor.

The Week Ahead:

This coming weekend will see Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing run in a pair of races at two different tracks. On Friday night it will be the fifth point race of the season at Silver Dollar Speedway and on Saturday it will be Golden State Challenge Series Round #10 at Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway. With the weather forecast looking good for next week, it will hopefully allow the Golden State Challenge Series to get back underway following two consecutive rain outs.

The event on Saturday at the Thunderbowl is the annual Pombo/Sargent Classic, which is being held in April for the first time ever. The race honors California racing legends Al Pombo and Marshall Sargent. The Pombo/Sargent Classic had traditionally been a two day event in the past, but this season it will be just a one day affair and will hopefully begin a new tradition for one of Northern California’s biggest and longest running sprint car races. This will be Brett’s fourth night of ever racing at the 1/3 mile Thunderbowl Raceway. In the GSC event held at the track on March 31 he won a heat race and finished 15th in the feature. "The Catfish" will go into Tulare sitting sixth in GSC points.

For more news and info on Brett Miller visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

 

Tough end to Point Race #3 for Brett Miller

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA - April 14, 2007... Brett Miller and the Care Free Pools Racing team came into Silver Dollar Speedway Points Race #3 looking to keep the momentum going following the victory last Friday night in Chico. Unfortunately it wasn’t meant to be as Brett was a victim of misfortune in the feature and ended with him getting upside down to put an end to the night.

Brett came out 28th in the qualifying order and turned a fastest lap of 12.078 to place the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating No. 1x 13th quickest in the field of 30 cars.

The 17 year-old Chico native lined up on the inside of the second row for the night’s opening heat race. The youngster powered his way to second on the start before a yellow came out after a lap was completed. Brett gave leader Matt Shelton a few looks at the lead after the restart, but an engine issue slowed the 1x machine a bit and Sean Becker was able to get by late in the going. Brett was able to hang on and score a third place finish to transfer the Jandy Pools, JP’s Paint and Body Works, Aspire Homes Maxim into the feature event.

Brett originally lined up 12th in the 25 laps feature, but a red flag happened on the start, jamming everybody up and the "Catfish" brought the 1x to the work area during the red flag period. Brett was pushed back out, but had to start from the rear of the field. The track had developed some rough spots and had slicked off in places, which made the it very treacherous. Brett was patient as he marched back forward and began to pick off cars a couple laps after the race got officially underway. A red flag occurred on lap 11 and Brett had made it up to 10th from the rear of the field.

When the green flag came out again he looked to move up further, but a lap after the restart disaster struck. Another car got loose in turn four and came down on Brett, which resulted in the 1x machine getting upside down and flipping on the front stretch. Damage was too much to continue and Brett was scored with a finish of 15th.

The team was ready for Saturday’s Golden State Challenge Series event in Watsonville, but mother nature had different ideas as rain forced officials to cancel the night’s festivities.

Next up for Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing will be Silver Dollar Speedway Points Race #4 in Chico on Friday and Golden State Challenge Series Round #9 in Petaluma on Saturday.

Last September Brett and the Care Free Pools team competed with the California Sprint Car Civil War Series at the 3/8 mile Petaluma Speedway and set quick time and scored sixth in the feature.

"The Catfish" continues to sit sixth in the Golden State Challenge Series point standings and will look to gain some ground at Petaluma if the weather cooperates. For more news and info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing, visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

17-year-old Brett Miller picks up second career sprint car win in Chico

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA - April 7, 2007... A little luck mixed in with a fast race car helped propel Chico’s Brett Miller to his second career victory Friday night at Silver Dollar Speedway’s Point Race #2. Last August Brett became the youngest driver to ever win a 410 sprint car main event at Silver Dollar Speedway and at the end of the season received the co-rookie of the year award for the track. This year he came back looking once again to compete for the track championship, but in addition to that he’s also competing full time with the traveling stars of the Golden State Challenge Series. Each week you can see Brett’s confidence building as he and the team are working extremely well together running at tracks for just the first or second time. The added experience early in the season has been paying off and on Friday night everything came together with a little luck added, which is always a huge part of racing.

The Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Aspire Homes No. 1x team came into the night on the strength of a seventh place finish last Friday in the Silver Dollar Speedway opener, and came into the second round looking to improve upon that. Brett was the 24th driver to hit the speedway for qualifying and his fastest lap 12.723 placed the Jandy Pools, Platinum Powder Coating, JP’s Paint & Body Works Maxim, seventh quickest overall in of the 30 car field.

The track was very fast for the heats and with only the top four transferring out, getting a good start was key. Brett started from the inside of the third row in heat three and made a sweet move in the first set of corners to place the Country Craftsman, RPM powered No. 1x into fourth. It was an intense heat race as he hounded third place running Matt Shelton every step of the way. However, fifth place running Kevin Sharrah was right on Brett’s tail for the majority of the contest as well, but Sharrah was driving into the turns extremely hard and Brett was able to beat him off exit every time. The final lap saw Sharrah try hard, but the "Catfish" stood his ground and claimed the fourth and final transfer spot into the night’s main event.

The number six pill was pulled for the inversion and it placed the Wolfe Electric, Al’s Concrete, A1A Performance Muffler No. 1x inside the second row. The track remained fast for the feature and had started to develop a few ruts like it did last Friday. It wasn’t as choppy as last week, but there were still some areas that bounced you around and forced the drivers to get up on the wheel. As the green flag came out, Brett fell into fifth and remained there until a red flag was unveiled for Matt Shelton who was running in second. Seven laps were completed and it moved Brett up to fourth for the restart. He ran smoothly in fourth until the two cars battling for second, Jonathan Allard and Brandon Wimmer, made contact in turn three which sent both of them flipping off the turn.

"The Catfish" steered clear of the mayhem and was set to move up to second for the restart. As cars were getting pushed back off, leader Sean Becker came to a stop in turn three. This changed the whole complexion of the race as Becker was pushed off the speedway back to the pits with mechanical gremlins. Brett now found himself in the lead but he had a some hard charging drivers breathing down his neck. Running in second was former King of California Jason Statler and third was former Silver Dollar Speedway track champion Stephen Allard. Statler looked to the top in turn two as the green flag came back out, but Brett powered off the corner and charged out to a commanding lead within a couple laps. As the white flag waved Brett had pulled away from the field and drove a flawless last lap to pick up his second career sprint car win.

The very happy 17-year-old did a couple of victory laps and pulled a huge wheelie down the front stretch in celebration. After the races in the pits Brett didn’t know what to say except for, "I knew we’d at least get a top five!" Silver Dollar Speedway PR guru and announcer Troy Hennig stated over the loud speaker that it was one of the wildest races he’d seen in nine years!" The Care Free Pools team also received some nice ink from Hennig in the race recap, which stated, "The whole Miller racing crew and family are a big part of Silver Dollar Speedway and it was nice to see the youngster get another win under his belt."

Tonight Brett and the Care Free Pools No. 1x team will be in action with the Golden State Challenge Series at the Antioch Speedway. Brett comes into the night sixth in GSC points in what will be his first night of ever racing at the Antioch bullring.

Brett Miller finishes 12th in Antioch

By Gary Thomas

Antioch, CA - April 8, 2007... Fresh off the win Friday night in Chico, Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing competed for the very first time at the Antioch Speedway on Saturday in what was Golden State Challenge Series Round #7. The 1/4 bullring is one of the tougher tracks on tour as it usually becomes tough to pass on late in the program and it was no different on this night.

Brett was the very first driver to take to the speedway in qualifying and his fastest lap of 12.308 placed the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating No. 1x 13th quickest overall in the field of 25 cars. Brett then saw himself starting on the outside of the front row in the night’s opening heat race. At the waving of the green flag he settled into second aboard the Wolfe Electric, JP’s Paint & Body Works, Jandy Pools Maxim. A red flag occurred around lap six and Bret was running in second. On the restart he had a great run on leader Jason Botsford, but it was so good that he had to get slightly out of the gas and when he did the car biked and he got upside down in the second corner. He just about had it saved initially, but it biked again and he was along for the ride.

The crew got the damage fixed and got Brett out for the B-main where he started on the outside of the front row. Brett settled into second on the start and ran in second the whole distance to transfer into the main event.

The 30 lap GSC main event saw Brett start from the inside of row seven in the 13th position. On lap five Brett got hooked up so good in turn three that the car started bouncing and he spun sideways to bring out a caution. Jason Botsford had nowhere to go and contacted Brett, but the 1x machine was still able to restart. The track was difficult, but Brett was able to drive forward near the end of the race and brought home a 12th place finish.

This coming weekend will see Brett compete at Silver Dollar Speedway on Friday and the Ocean Speedway on Saturday. After the win last Friday, Brett sits in a tie for third place in the Silver Dollar Speedway point standings. Saturday’s event at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville will be Brett’s first time of ever racing at Santa Cruz County Fairground 1/4 mile. The 17-year-old goes into the night sixth in GSC points.

For more news on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

 

Seventh place finish in Chico and heat race win in Tulare highlight weekend for Brett Miller

By Gary Thomas

Chico, CA - April 1, 2007... Chico’s Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing came into the weekend looking to gain more laps and experience, and they did it on a pair of very challenging race tracks. Both surfaces were nearly complete opposites, but the 17-year-old completed every lap of the feature both night’s and as the season goes on that will pay huge dividends.

Friday night kicked off the battle for the 2007 Silver Dollar Speedway track championship. 27 cars were hand for Point Race #1 and Brett began the night by qualifying the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Jandy Pools No. 1x, seventh quick overall with a 12.885. He then lined up fourth in the opening heat race and scored a third place finish to transfer into the main event.

The 25 lap feature saw Brett starting on the outside of the third row. The Silver Dollar Speedway surface remained hooked up and fast all night, but had developed ruts in certain places which made it very treacherous. The competition at the first point race was extremely stout and Brett remained right around the top five for the whole race. "The Catfish" was hauling the mail into the turns and was up on the wheel of the Wolfe Electric, Aspire Homes, Al’s Concrete Maxim. Most competitors fought a tight condition as the track had so much grip and Brett was doing the same as he wrestled the 1x machine to a seventh place finish. Completing the race was a feat in itself as the demanding track took its toll on a number of drivers.

On Saturday Care Free Pools Racing made the five hour drive south to Tulare for Golden State Challenge Series Round #6 at the Thunderbowl Raceway. This was Brett’s second time running the 1/3 mile speed plant but this was his first time competing at the Thunderbowl with a 410. Last October he competed at the Trophy Cup and finished just a few spots shy of making the 40 lap Saturday night feature in his very first attempt at the track.

Brett began the night by turning a fastest lap 13.894 in qualifying, placing him 18th quickest.

He then started on the front row of the second heat race and took the lead at the waving of the green flag. Brandon Wimmer, last weeks winner in Placerville, moved into second and began to hound Brett for the lead. Every lap the two were nose to tail and Brett kept his cool running his own race. Wimmer tried everything to get by Brett but "The Catfish" kept with his nickname and ran the bottom to perfection as he held off the former World of Outlaw regular to pick up the heat race win aboard the Platinum Powder Coating, JP’s Paint & Body Works, A1A Performance Muffler No. 1x. The victory gave Brett his third heat race win of the season, which is more than any other driver so far this year with the Golden State Challenge Series.

The track for the 30 main event was a tough one as it had dried out and the bottom was the only place to be. Brett started way back in the 15th position and after 30 laps he brought the Care Free Pools machine home in 15th. Thunderbowl Raceway doesn’t become one lane very often so it was odd that the track didn’t develop a high side for the feature. Still, Brett was able to complete every lap and gained the experience of running with the 410 at the track, which will make him and the team even better prepared when GSC makes the trip back down to Tulare later this month for the Pombo/Sargent Classic.

This coming weekend will be another double header of action for Brett and the Care Free Racing team. Friday night we’ll be at Silver Dollar Speedway for Point Race #2 and on Saturday it will be off to the Antioch Speedway for Golden State Challenge Series Round #7.

It will be Brett’s first time running the Antioch Speedway bullring. Track prep is always a thing to watch for in Antioch as it usually becomes a tough track pass on come feature time. Starting up front in Antioch is big and the team has been doing a great job so we’ll see how it goes.

For more info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing visit http://www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Race Recap, Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing
For Immediate Release

Brett Miller finishes 16th in Placerville
By Gary Thomas

Placerville, CA - March 25, 2007... If there was one track last season that Brett Miller wasn’t the biggest fan of, it was Placerville Speedway. For some reason bad luck seemed to find the 17-year-old Chico driver every night he raced at the high-banked, super fast 1/4 mile track last year.

The goal of the night at GSC Round #5 was to just get through the evening in one piece and he pretty much did that and brought the car home after 30 laps of action. Coming into the night Brett sat seventh in the Golden State Challenge Series point standings and a big key at Placerville is always to stay out of trouble as the tight track has a reputation of being one that sees a lot of attrition. So far this year Brett has been running at the end of three of the first four races, which is a big key for a driver looking to gain as much experience as possible running with some of the best drivers on west coast.

Brett began the night by qualifying 12th quick out of 27 cars in the Care Free Pools, Care Free Custom Graphics, Wolfe Electric No. 1x. He lined-up third in the final heat race and got jammed up on the start, falling back to around sixth. When GSC runs three heat races they transfer five out and the driver running in front of Brett was 12 time King of California Brent Kaeding. If there’s a driver to learn from it’s BK and Brett kept up with him for much of the heat race, but with the track being so fast it made passing nearly impossible, and Brett had to settle for a sixth place finish which put the Jandy Pools, Platinum Powder Coating, JP’s Paint & Body Works Maxim into the B-main.

For the 12 lap B-main Brett lined up on the outside of fellow youngster Brad Sweet. Brett got the jump on Sweet but a red flag in turn one forced a complete restart. When the green came back out Brett pushed the Aspire Homes, Al’s Concrete, A1A Performance Muffler No. 1x into the lead again. The Care Free Pools crew had the car flying and Brett looked the best he ever has at Placerville as he drove a smooth & solid 12 laps to pick up the win and transfer into the feature. Brett had to deal with traffic a couple times during the B-main but picked his spots and did a great job.

Brett started 12th in the 30 lap main event and about seven laps in, was involved in an incident in turn four. He was able to restart and finished the rest of the event bringing home a 16th place finish.

Brett continues to sit seventh in the current Golden State Challenge Series point standings following Round #5 in Placerville.

Up next for Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing will be a double header of action at two of California’s premier dirt tracks. On Friday Brett will be at Chico’s Silver Dollar Speedway for the first 410 points race of the season at his home track. Last year Brett shared Rookie of the Year at Silver Dollar Speedway with Brett Rollag and ended up seventh in the final standings. This season the "Catfish" will look to improve on last years point placing as he and Care Free Pools Racing are planning once again to run for the track championship.

On Saturday Brett and the team will make the five hour drive south to Tulare’s Thunderbowl Raceway for Golden State Challenge Series Round #6. Brett competed at the Thunderbowl for the very first time last November at the season ending Trophy Cup and had a great time. This will be Brett’s first time on the track with a 410 and he’s really looking forward to the night of action.

Looking for Dirt Cup ride- Due to financing Brett Miller’s family won’t be able to bring the car up to Washington to compete in this year’s Dirt Cup at the Skagit Speedway. Since the Dirt Cup is one of the premier sprint car events on the West Coast, Brett would really like to run it so if there are any owners out there who need a driver, please contact Brett at fenderplaya1x@yahoo.com

Brett is easy on equipment and has a good head on his shoulders so he would be an asset for any owner out there needing a driver for the Super Dirt Cup.

For more info on Brett Miller and Care Free Pools Racing log onto www.brettmillerracing.net

 

Race Recap, Brett Miller & Care Free Pools Racing
For Immediate Release

Brett Miller has solid weekend with GSC at Kings Speedway

By Gary Thomas

Hanford, CA - March 18, 2007... Chico’s Brett Miller had never been to the Kings Speedway before this past weekend, but you couldn’t tell as the 17-year-old Golden State Challenge Series Rookie of the Year contender took a quick liking to the 3/8 mile oval. The youngster got up to speed very quickly on the Hanford clay as the Care Free Pools crew had the car working well right off the bat.

Brett’s first qualifying session on the track produced an eighth quick effort out of the 29 cars that took times. He started fifth in his heat race and ran a smooth first part of the heat in fifth before leader Craig Stidham came to a stop, which bumped Brett up to the fourth and final transfer spot. He then had to hold off fellow youngster Evan Suggs the last few laps and at the checkered flag the Care Free Custom Graphics, Platinum Powder Coating, A1A Performance Muffler No. 1x sat in fourth to transfer out of the heat.

The Golden State Challenge Series runs a dash, which is comprised of the top eight quickest qualifiers who make it out of the heats. With Brett qualifying eighth quick it put him in his first dash of the season. Unfortunately, a drive line failure put him out of contention in the dash after a couple laps and he had to settle for an eighth place finish.

Brett started eighth in the 30 lap main event and the Kings Speedway clay remained fast all night but had developed some rough spots, which made it treacherous in certain areas. Brett ran smooth and solid right from the get go and had the Jandy Pool Products, Wolfe Electric, Al’s Concrete Maxim in the top 10 for the entire race. It certainly didn’t look as if it were Brett’s first time running Kings Speedway and he began to gain speed as the laps wore on. The last couple laps were frantic as Jonathan Allard ran out of fuel, which jumbled everybody up who was running fifth through 10th. Brett carved his way around a couple cars and then nipped Allard at the line to score a terrific sixth place finish. It was Brett’s best ever finish with the Golden State Challenge Series and came at one of the most competitive tracks on the tour. It was a long, draining race that took nearly an hour and a half to complete. After the races Brett was visibly worn out and jokingly commented, "I need to go the gym."

Saturday brought another night of GSC action at the Kings Speedway and track conditions were drastically different right from the get go. Temperatures during the day reached nearly 90 degrees and three support classes were included on the card, which dried out the track considerably.

Dry spots around the Kings Speedway surface had already started to appear in hot laps and Brett drew a late number for qualifying. Turns one and two had gotten extremely slick by the time Brett hit the track and Kings Speedway is a tricky track to navigate when it gets that icy. He timed in 24th quickest but it did give him a front row starting spot for his heat.

Heat races with GSC pay five points to the winner and as the season goes on those points add up so racking up as many as possible is big. Brett jumped out into the lead as the green flag waved and looked good as he finessed the extremely slick and hard packed Kings Speedway surface. Throttle control was very important with the way the track was and Brett had it down as he went on to pick up the win in the Aspire Homes, River City Pool Plastering, JP’s Paint & Body Works No. 1x.

For the 30 lap main event Brett started way back in the 19th position and the track had gotten even more slicker as the night wore on. For the second night in a row cautions plagued the flow of the race as the track conditions were extremely tough. Brett once again ran an extremely smooth race and kept the Country Crafter’s Cabinet Shop Maxim on the track and gained a bunch of experience by making it through a clean 30 laps. You can’t learn unless you’re out on the track and finishing races is what it takes to grow as driver and Brett did just that by bringing the Care Free Pools machine home in 12th place.

Brett and the whole team did an exceptional job their first time out at Kings Speedway and it helped them move up to seventh in the Golden State Challenge Series point standings. Brett currently has 255 points and only sits 10 points out of fifth.

Up next for Brett and Care Free Pools Racing will be a trip to the red clay bullring of Placerville Speedway, which is the fifth round of competition for the Golden State Challenge Series. Placerville is a super high-banked and fast track, where Brett has a handful of start