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| Sunday, February 17, 2002 | |
| Jack Miller, This One’s For You My Friend | 
By Leo Dougherty
If you've ever been to the Knoxville Nationals or the Chili Bowl youve heard the golden throat of Jack Miller. Even if you've never been to these two historic events you have probably heard him at one time or another at some race track calling a sprint car race. Over the years, Miller has been in demand as an announcer at some of the best sprint car and midget venues in the country. But he wasnt always an announcer.
This former schoolteacher/motorcycle racer from Illinois was racing his bike in Champagne, Illinois in 1956 when the local announcer failed to show up. Someone asked him to announce the races and he said, "sure, as long as I can race. I'd never announced anything before in my life. I won $7.00 racing that night and got paid $15.00 for announcing. I knew what I was going to do after that. I quit racing because all I ever got racing motorcycles was hurt."
Miller began announcing bike races and found himself in Oklahoma City one day.
""Shane Carsons dad, a Knoxville winner and former competitor with the Outlaws asked me to do an IMCA sprint show. I didn't know sprint cars from nothing. But I did it and that was how I got my start in sprint cars."
With a reflective look in his eye he said, "Jan Opperman was in the first race I ever announced."
Since he didnt know a lot about the business he began standing at the back gate, talking to everyone who went through it. It was what the former schoolteacher called doing his homework.
"If someone came through the gate and I didnt know them, I stopped them and asked who they were. Thats how I got to know them and how I learned about them. James McElreath came through the back gate one time and I asked him who he was. I didnt know Jim McElreath."
One day Joie Chitwood came through town. He heard Miller announcing and offered him a job. Miller spent the next two years traveling and announcing with the Chitwood thrill show.
He eventually moved from Illinois to Florida where he now resides but he has worked so many of the open-wheel venues across the country. He was in Knoxville years ago when a fellow named Lew Job told him the fairgrounds needed an announcer. Job offered him a job, a house, and an announcing position.
"For twenty-five years I did the Nationals," he said. "That was the beginning of my involvement there, in 1976."
"I do this because I always liked it, he said, but I also do it because its not a job. It was fun. Look, Ive had four jobs in my life. I was a teacher, a weather forecaster, an auctioneer, and an announcer. I didn't have to work at any of those jobs."
Hes been doing the Winternationals here at East Bay Raceway since the track was built twenty-six years ago. He figures hes missed about five Winternationals over all those years. Tonight, the final night of the 2002 Winternationals, is also Jack Millers final night working as an announcer. While he'll still do the Chili Bowl, for the most part when he signs off tonight, it will be the last time sprint car fans will hear his voice over the PA system.
While his departure will leave a big hole at many venues, he sure has made it entertaining. Hes had many good memories and a few bad ones too, but for the most part its been a great career and hes become a friend to thousands of people.
East Bay official Ken Sands said, "I went to the Chili Bowl with him once and we couldn't walk five feet without someone stopping him and talking to him. He knows everyone and everyone knows him."
"The time has come though", he says, "when its time to stop doing what you're doing." He says that time is now for him.
"I promised my wife when I stopped enjoying it I'd stop doing it and that's a promise Im going to keep," he said. "I had to get off the road in 98 and I did that. But the last five years it became a job and not a hobby. For 35 years I did it as a hobby."
He had the misfortune of being the one to tell East Bay fans that Ron Laney had passed on during the King of 360s show two weeks ago. He is a friend to Laneys father and had watched Ron grow up. He nevertheless stayed in the booth and made the necessary announcement professionally and with dignity, despite a voice cracking with emotion.
He also had the courage and the integrity late Friday night when there appeared to be an unnecessary delay in pushing cars off to say what needed to be said. The fans were more than restless and Miller chided track officials over the PA system to get the show underway. Very few announcers would do that.
"Too many people have lost sight of the fact that this is show business," he said. "We've lost the aspect of entertainment in racing."
I asked him if he'd be sad when he signed off tonight and if he woluld look over his shoulder as he drove out the gate tonight. He said, "Sad only because of the friends I've made. I'm going to miss so many people. Thats why I want to keep the Chili Bowl, because I get to see all the friends I've made and theres so many old timers there. But its the humanity of racing I'll miss. I'll miss the fans and of course the drivers. Theyre very brave people and they are great people. But its the humanity of racing, thats what I'll miss".
Time marches on, and life goes on. Well have sprint car racing and well have announcers, but Jack Miller is a classic. Hes been a friend, an entertainer, an educator to us race fans, and hell be sorely missed. I'm privileged to have had the opportunity to know him, and Im humbled and honored to say he's a friend.
So, my friend, this one's for you.
-By Leo Dougherty
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