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6 Jul 2012, 00:17
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#1
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Rookie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2
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New - Dr. Jack Miller, the Racing Dentist
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6 Jul 2012, 02:46
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#2
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,485
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sopwith21
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Cool feature, Jack Miller always reminded me of a human version of the god-awful Dr Rabbit cartoon character, although it was always funny to see him passing out Crests in the pitlane at IMS. Good to see how successful he is in life, despite his lack of success in motorsports.
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__________________
-Valentino Rossi-Nigel Mansell-Alain Prost-Kevin Schwantz-Cal Crutchlow-Kimi Raikkonen-Rick Mears-Emerson Fittipaldi-Rusty Wallace-Matt Kenseth-Wolf Henzler-Lucas Luhr-Romain Dumas-Timo Bernhard-Marcos Ambrose-Anthony Davidson-Will Davison-Bryan Sellars-
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6 Jul 2012, 09:44
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#3
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 Race Official 1% Club
Join Date: Dec 2002
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In the infamous "Powder Room" |
Posts: 32,654
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Dr Miller qualified for the Indy 500... more than once... and not dead last.. while he would likely admit that he isnt quite at the same level as an Emmo or Mario... its still a pretty good feat
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__________________
"Once you get in the right frame of mind, I think anything’s possible. I think we get, we so often get caught in this state of negativity and it’s a, it’s a poison like nothing else" - Pat Solatano Jr, Silver Linings Playbook
Excelsior...
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6 Jul 2012, 23:15
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#4
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,564
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He's not the greatest racer ever, but I don't understand why he's railed on like he is.
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7 Jul 2012, 00:13
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#5
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Veteran
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,485
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ptclaus98
He's not the greatest racer ever, but I don't understand why he's railed on like he is.
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He was always hated by Robin Miller (Captain Robin Ego rated him worst AOWR driver of all time), which probably means your reputation will be doomed throughout AOWR. Unfair, just look how much Steve Kinser struggled in 1997. He was certainly better than a lot of the early IRL drivers and some of the CCWS paydrivers.
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__________________
-Valentino Rossi-Nigel Mansell-Alain Prost-Kevin Schwantz-Cal Crutchlow-Kimi Raikkonen-Rick Mears-Emerson Fittipaldi-Rusty Wallace-Matt Kenseth-Wolf Henzler-Lucas Luhr-Romain Dumas-Timo Bernhard-Marcos Ambrose-Anthony Davidson-Will Davison-Bryan Sellars-
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7 Jul 2012, 11:46
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#6
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Race Official Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 7,736
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He qualified three times. 1997 17th, 1998 15th, 1999 31st. His best result was 20th in 1997, which was his rookie year.
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__________________
"If you're not winning you're not trying."
Colin Chapman.
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8 Jul 2012, 06:40
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#7
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ptclaus98
He's not the greatest racer ever, but I don't understand why he's railed on like he is.
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Probably because he was emblematic of the hypocrisy of Tony George. The IRL was started in the name of the spridget drivers who had never had a chance in the 500 and instead it allowed marginal racers like Miller and Racin Gardner to blag their way into a race that many drivers a hundred times their better had never qualified into.
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Birmingham City FC. Founded 1875. League Cup Winners 2011.
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9 Jul 2012, 16:01
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#8
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Rookie
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by FordCosworthPanoz
He was always hated by Robin Miller (Captain Robin Ego rated him worst AOWR driver of all time), which probably means your reputation will be doomed throughout AOWR. Unfair, just look how much Steve Kinser struggled in 1997. He was certainly better than a lot of the early IRL drivers and some of the CCWS paydrivers.
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Quoted for truth. Easy to run one's mouth while hiding behind a keyboard. Gets a little tougher when you put a helmet on.
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9 Jul 2012, 16:46
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#9
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Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,829
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ensign14
Probably because he was emblematic of the hypocrisy of Tony George. The IRL was started in the name of the spridget drivers who had never had a chance in the 500 and instead it allowed marginal racers like Miller and Racin Gardner to blag their way into a race that many drivers a hundred times their better had never qualified into.
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This. Dr. Jack is also a symbol of the dumbed down formula Tony George championed, which AOWR is still trying to recover from. Basically, the nice man lived out his dream at the most opportune time he had, but what is considered the lowest point in Speedway history by most, and because of his excellent promotional mind he sticks out in the collective memory as the living breathing example of what a tremendous mistake the IRL was.
Chris
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Member: Ecurie Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. EFR & Greg Pickett fan.
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10 Jul 2012, 10:41
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#10
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sopwith21
Quoted for truth. Easy to run one's mouth while hiding behind a keyboard. Gets a little tougher when you put a helmet on.
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Miller did though...indeed he was one of the spridget drivers whom the IRL would purportedly have helped had it started 20 years before.
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__________________
Birmingham City FC. Founded 1875. League Cup Winners 2011.
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11 Jul 2012, 15:13
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#11
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,056
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There have always been guys like Dr Miller at the Speedway, even in the "glory days" of CART. Patrick Bedard, anyone?
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__________________
"He's still a young guy and I always think, slightly morbidly, the last thing you learn is how to die and at the end of the day everybody learns every single day." - The Ever-Cheerfull Ron Dennis on Lewis Hamilton.
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11 Jul 2012, 16:18
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#12
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Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 1,774
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Dr Jack Miller was Dr Jack Miller. He can hold his head high.
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Chairman of the Bring NASCAR to Knockhill Campaign
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11 Jul 2012, 19:49
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#13
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Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 3,901
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnSSC
There have always been guys like Dr Miller at the Speedway, even in the "glory days" of CART. Patrick Bedard, anyone?
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Bedard out-qualified Emmo at Indy in 1984. Back then though you had to earn a spot in the race.
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__________________
Birmingham City FC. Founded 1875. League Cup Winners 2011.
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12 Jul 2012, 12:17
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#14
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Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 5,056
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I don't think anyone is going to confuse Pat Bedard (who was a writer at Car & Driver magazine at the time) as any kind of talent on a par with Emmo. In fact, it was at this race that nearly cost Bedard his life. I think it was clear that he was in way over his head and he nearly paid the full price for that.
That said, my hat is off to anyone who can make the field in the first place. I have no particular affection for Dr Jack, but when we start talking of people who maybe didn't have the chops to be in the field there is a looooong line of folks that fit that bill.
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__________________
"He's still a young guy and I always think, slightly morbidly, the last thing you learn is how to die and at the end of the day everybody learns every single day." - The Ever-Cheerfull Ron Dennis on Lewis Hamilton.
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12 Jul 2012, 13:04
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#15
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Veteran
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 4,052
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There many racing series past/present where drivers have paid their way in or earned their way in through ways other than actual talent behind the wheel so I can understand some of the criticism. Sure, the guy wasn't the greatest or even above average and could be considered a poster child of the IRL's bland and often times, unfair entrants to the 500, but as he alluded to in the article, he started the 500 three times, and no writing or criticism can ever take that away from him.
I had the distinct "pleasure" of being at Dr. Jack's last race at AMS, where I watched him airlifted out of the infield on his way to Grady after tumbling down the front stretch.
Good read on "the racing dentist". Thanks for sharing.
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__________________
If you were supposed to watch your mouth all the time, I doubt your eyes would be above it. - Mike Cooley
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