Leonard W. Miller facts for kids
Leonard W. Miller (born 1934) is a very important person in American motor racing history. He is known as one of the first African American pioneers in the sport. He helped open doors for many others in racing.
Contents
Early Life and Love for Cars
Leonard Miller was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the areas around the city. His passion for cars started when he was just five years old in 1939. By 1948, he was secretly working on his family's 1937 Ford.
Building Hot Rods
In 1953, Miller built an amazing custom car. It was a 1940 Ford club coupe hotrod convertible. He even ordered special parts from George Barris in California. Barris was famous for customizing cars.
Military Service and Mentors
In 1957, Miller joined the United States Third Army. Because he knew so much about cars, he was assigned to a special unit. This unit repaired jeeps and trucks in tough conditions. It was made up of people who loved cars, like hot-rodders and NASCAR racers.
Miller learned a lot from older black racing pioneers. These included Mel Leighton and Sumner “Red” Oliver. His friendships with famous racers like Wendell Scott also helped him. These connections pushed Miller and driver Benny Scott to achieve great things in the 1970s. They raced under the names Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR) and Vanguard Racing, Inc.
Breaking Barriers in Indy Car Racing
In 1972, Miller's team, Vanguard Racing, made history. It became the first black-owned team to enter a car in the famous Indianapolis 500 race. John Mahler was their driver for this big event.
Developing New Drivers
Vanguard Racing had a plan. They wanted Mahler to coach Benny Scott. The goal was to prepare Scott to race in the Indianapolis 500 in the future. Scott drove Vanguard’s McLaren M10-A car. It had a powerful 500-horsepower Chevrolet V-8 engine.
Benny Scott raced in the L & M Continental 5000 Championship. He also competed in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) events. In 1972, Scott won the CSCC-SCCA Southern Pacific Division Championship. He beat many drivers, even some who came from far away, like Australia.
Team Support and Challenges
Vanguard’s team had important people on its board. These included Paul Jackson and Robert Sargent Shriver, Jr. Shriver was the first head of the Peace Corps. He was also a candidate for Vice President of the United States in 1972. Washington Redskins player Brig Owens was also on the board.
However, the team faced a challenge. After John Mahler's good performance in the 1972 Indianapolis 500, the team's investors became impatient. They wanted quick results and lost interest in developing Benny Scott slowly.
Organizing Black Racers
In 1972, Miller also started the Black American Racers Association (BARA). This group grew very quickly. At its peak, BARA had 5,000 members across 20 states. Wendell Scott was the first honorary chairman. Ron Hines, a skilled mechanical engineer, was the secretary and race team mechanic.
Today, some former BARA members continue the group's goals. They race as the Quartermasters Drag Racing Team.
Black American Racers (BAR)
In 1973, Miller created Black American Racers, Inc. (BAR). His offices were in Trenton, New Jersey. BAR got sponsorship from Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corporation. This sponsorship was part of a plan called “Road To Indy.”
The "Road To Indy" Program
This plan helped Benny Scott compete in different racing series. He raced in Formula Super Vee (FSV) events. These included SCCA, International Motor Sports Association (IMSA), and the Robert Bosch Gold Cup series. Scott raced on famous tracks across the country. Some of these were Watkins Glen International, Lime Rock Park, and Laguna Seca Raceway.
Scott achieved several podium finishes, meaning he placed in the top three. He raced in Lola T-324 FSV cars. At Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California, in May 1975, he was the fastest qualifier. In the final lap of the race, he was barely beaten in a very close finish.
Developing New Drivers for BAR
In 1973, Miller and Scott created a driver development program for BAR. This was before such programs became common in American racing. Miller was often asked by sponsors: "What if your main black driver gets hurt or worse?"
Coyle Peek's Journey
To solve this problem, Miller signed Coyle Peek. Peek was a 23-year-old African American driver from Long Island, New York. He was a Formula Ford (FF) driver. Miller sent Peek to S.H.A.R.P Racing Limited in the United Kingdom. This helped Peek develop his skills in one of the world's most competitive entry-level racing series.
Under the BAR name, Peek raced a British-made Royale RP16 car. He competed on famous British tracks like Brands Hatch and the Silverstone Circuit. Peek quickly improved, often finishing in the top 10. His best finish was second place. He became a reserve driver in case Benny Scott couldn't race.
After returning to the U.S., Peek attended many BAR events. Miller tried to get another race car and sponsorship for Peek. However, these efforts were not successful. Miller was the first African American team owner to send an African American driver overseas for professional racing development using his own resources.
Racing at the Long Beach Grand Prix
Brown & Williamson Tobacco helped BAR move up to Formula 5000 races. In these races, Benny Scott competed at speeds over 200 miles per hour. He raced against legends like Brian Redman, Jody Scheckter, Mario Andretti, and Chris Amon.
A Historic Qualification
BAR qualified for the first-ever Long Beach Grand Prix (LBGP) on September 28, 1975. This was a special event for only the top 60 race teams in the world. Scott qualified the BAR’s Lola T332 car in 24th place out of 30 teams. He finished the race in 11th place. Grant King was BAR’s chief mechanic for these races.
BAR’s performance at the LBGP showed they could help an African American driver qualify for the Indianapolis 500. However, in November 1975, Brown & Williamson Tobacco stopped all its racing sponsorships. BAR tried to find other sponsors, but they were not successful.
The challenge of finding enough sponsors continues to affect African American motor racing efforts even today. Willy T. Ribbs, who was inspired by Miller and Scott, qualified for the Indianapolis 500 in 1991 and 1993. He also faced difficulties with sponsorship.
Hall of Fame Recognition
In 1976, Leonard W. Miller and Benny Scott were honored. They were inducted into the Black Athletes Hall of Fame. This special event took place at the New York Hilton in Manhattan. Many famous sports figures and entertainers attended. These included NFL star Frank Gifford, broadcaster Howard Cosell, singer James Brown, and basketball player Earl "the Pearl" Monroe. Actor Bill Cosby was the host for the evening. Over 1,000 people attended the formal ceremony.
Mini-Indy Tragedy
In 1977, African American driver Tommy Thompson wanted to continue BAR’s racing efforts. He used his own money for the FSV races, which were called Mini-Indy cars then. Miller’s friend Ken Wright joined Ron Hines to work on the cars. BAR won some races with Thompson, including the SCCA Northeast Division championship.
Sadly, in September 1978, Thompson was killed in a crash. This happened at the Trenton Speedway in Trenton, New Jersey. Benny Scott finished the 1978 season for BAR.
Recent Achievements
From 1994 to 1999, Miller started several NASCAR racing efforts. These were based out of his shop in Concord, North Carolina. He had many successes with his son, Leonard T. Miller. Their team was called Miller Racing Group. They had sponsors like General Motors and Dr Pepper.
Championship Win
In 2005, Miller and his son made history again. They became the first African American team owners to win a track championship in NASCAR. They won the stock car championship at Old Dominion Speedway in Manassas, Virginia. Their team was recognized as one of the top 10 teams in the middle Atlantic division. Franklin Butler was their driver.
Sharing His Story
Miller wrote an autobiography called Silent Thunder: Breaking Through Cultural, Racial, and Class Barriers in Motorsports. It was published in 2004. Famous actor Paul Newman called it "an extraordinary book." Racing legend Mario Andretti said it was "eye-opening." In 2008, AutoWeek magazine named Silent Thunder one of the top 50 automobile books of the past 50 years.
Miller's son also wrote a book about the Miller Racing Group and NASCAR. It is titled Racing While Black and was published in 2010.
