His work wasn’t focused strictly on IndyCar. On February 5, 2003, he broke the story on ESPN that RJ Reynolds was ending its sponsorship of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, scooping every NASCAR media member in the process.
Miller set the journalistic standard that others couldn’t reach, even if it meant bending the rules here and there.
“It’s amazing, as you get older, you go from hero worship with guys like Mario Andretti and A.J. Foyt and Parnelli Jones, then you become kind of friends and covering them as drivers,” Miller said. “Then, you become friends with them, then you get their home number and call them any time you want, and they call you back and then you feel like you are part of their life.
“I’m so lucky, it’s unbelievable. You could not chart my career. There is nobody in this day and age that could come along and have the luck I have had. It does happen.”
In October 2017, Miller was on the golf course when he suddenly felt a pain in his back. At first, he thought he had injured his back while swinging the golf club and set up an appointment with Dr. Terry Trammell.
Tests revealed cancerous cells were forming in his back, putting pressure against his spine.
It was the beginning of multiple Myeloma.
Miller fought the battle for four long years. Despite his failing health and the rampage of COVID-19 in 2020, Miller covered his 51st Indianapolis 500 in the IMS Media Center.
On May 30, Miller’s condition had deteriorated, and he was not in the Media Center, but he did witness Helio Castroneves’s incredible fourth Indy 500 victory.
Three weekends ago, Miller’s health had declined significantly. Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America decided to honor Miller the weekend of the IndyCar-NASCAR tripleheader at the Brickyard while he still had time to enjoy the honor.
Miller enjoyed three glorious days just one weekend ago.
A man who was a restless soul appeared at peace with what was about to happen, and he was prepared for it. Along with his sister, Diane, and close friend Steve Shunck, Miller had a golf cart to get him around the speedway.
On Saturday after the IndyCar race, I saw Miller for the final time. We chatted for a bit as he was eating a hot dog. Always a generous man who wouldn’t think twice about giving a friend a couple of hundred dollars out of his pocket in time of need, Miller offered me some of his french fries.
I was often the butt of some of Miller’s pranks. He would often say to me, “Hey, one man to a pair of pants” referring to my propensity for eating.
I could tell on this day, though, that this restless soul was at peace with the outcome of his life.
The following day, Miller and Shunck were joined by IndyCar Vice President of Communications Dave Furst in the golf cart. It was positioned at the bottom of the stage during NASCAR pre-race driver introductions. Former USAC and NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon stopped by for a lengthy visit with Miller. Kyle Larson dropped by as did many others.
When A.J. Allmendinger came over, Miller told him that he could win the race that day if he drove smart and stayed out of trouble.
Almost prophetically, Allmendinger proved Miller’s hunch to be correct as he won the Verizon 200 at the Brickyard.
Miller smiled a lot that day, enjoying a weekend that was the exclamation point of his incredible life.
“I get sick, and all you guys chipped in, and Roger Penske wants to fly me to the Mayo Clinic and A.J. Foyt asks what do I need along with Mario and Rufus (Parnelli Jones) and everybody,” Miller recalled. “It’s so humbling to see how many people jump in and want to help.
“There are no words to describe it. You are overwhelmed because you are thinking, ‘I’m a guy that writes about racing and all these people want to help me.’ It’s unbelievable how many people have jumped in helped me. It’s beyond overwhelming.
“How do you repay people for that kind of kindness? It makes me cry about all the people who jumped in to help. They don’t have to do this, and they do.”
This past weekend, Miller’s sister found him on the floor of his condominium in downtown Indianapolis. He was taken to the hospital with pneumonia.
Miller watched Saturday night’s Bommarito Automotive Group 500 on television in the hospital with Shunck. On Tuesday, Hospice was called in.
The checkered flag waved on Miller’s life early in the morning of Aug. 25, 2021.
The man never drove a lap in the Indianapolis 500, but he will go down in history as one of its greatest contributors and storytellers. It’s men like Miller that helped maintain the Indianapolis 500 as the greatest race in the world.