Historic win for local driver

Daryn Miller’s sixth year on the NASCAR circuit at Riverhead Raceway couldn’t have gotten off to a more inauspicious start with the Franklin Square native failing to complete any of the first three races in the Charger division.

But it wasn’t long before he would make history.

Miller, who graduated from Clarke High School in 1993 and currently resides in West Hempstead, became the first hearing-impaired driver to win a NASCAR-sanctioned race when he topped a field of 16 on May 29. Since then, he’s managed a second-place finish and a couple of fourths.

“It was an incredible night,” recalled Daryn’s father, Bob Miller, who designed a light system that allows Daryn to communicate with him during races. “It was excitement and relief all rolled into one.

“We were knocking on the door for a while” he added. “In the third race this year, Daryn had a nice lead with seven laps to go when the water pump blew. Accidents cost us the first two races. Everything has to break right for a win.”

Bob Finan, who serves as the race announcer and public relations director at Riverhead, said Miller’s long-awaited win brought a smile to everyone’s face. Fans in attendance waved flags and hats in a display of appreciation, and fellow drivers offered their congratulations in the pit area throughout the night. “As historic as Daryn’s victory was, it was more so a feel-good story for he and his father,” Finan said. “They had come so very close on many other occasions only to be denied. It was great to see them finally grab the brass ring.”

Daryn, who has been hearing impaired since birth, receives in-race instructions from his father through a four-light system attached to the car’s dashboard. Bob Miller plants himself outside the fence of turn four and transmits signals via remote control. “Everyone else uses a radio; we can’t,” Bob said. “A driver has to have a way to communicate, and I can signal Daryn faster than other crews can speak instructions to their drivers.”

When Daryn sees the green light illuminate, it’s go time. Yellow alerts him of a caution, and one of two reds tells him whether to pass on the outside or inside. These days, he’s doing more than his share of passing.

Daryn, 36, said he’s “always had a need for speed” and began racing at Riverhead in 2005. This year, he’s pulling double duty. In addition to the Charger division, where he sits a solid seventh in the driver standings with 438 points heading into this Saturday’s action, he’s competing in the Late Models after purchasing a car from Dave Brigadi, a driver from Calverton who competes at the highest level, the Modified division.

“It’s a lot of work,” Bob Miller said of racing in two divisions. “We worked on the Late Model car all winter and we’re just getting our feet wet this year. There’s a difference between the Chargers and the Late Models in terms of speed of the race and competition.”

On July 19, Miller started ninth out of 16 in the Charger race and finished fourth. Last Saturday evening, he started at the back of a 10-car Late Model field and worked his way up to seventh before the checkered flag waved on the 25-lap (6.25 miles) event. “I want to try to win one more race this year,” Daryn said.

Sponsorship is crucial for any driver to compete, and the Millers said they’re fortunate to have the backing of several companies, led by BusinessBrokers.com, Tarr’s Home Improvement and Fischetti Nursery. “We get a lot of help from a lot of people,” Bob said. “Our sponsors are tremendous, and if we ever have car problems there’s always someone from another crew willing to help.”

Riverhead Raceway, set to celebrate its 60th season of operation in 2011, has eight more cards remaining on this year’s schedule. For information, visit www.riverheadraceway.com or call (631) 842-RACE.