Sunbury's Matt Miller might not have the biggest sprint car racing budget, but he certainly makes due with what he's got.
Miller's been racing something or other since he was six and he moved into sprints when he turned 15 in 2004.
He's spent most of his time racing at Clinton County Speedway on Friday nights where he's won four times in his career, including two this season.
"Clinton is pretty much it," he says of the track where he races his "small 410" engine.
"I won my first race up there the first year I ran up there. And really that's all our budget ever allowed.
"It's a great track, it's a small track and money doesn't matter up there. That's what it comes down to, the driver comes into play more and it don't matter how much money you have," he says of the bullring, Northern Tier track.
Thanks to some added help this season from sponsor Brian Scandle, Miller's also been running intermittently in 358 competition at Selinsgrove Speedway and he says the track is the next place he wants to focus on.
"We'd like to come up and win a race," he says.
But that may be tough, at least for a bit, because Miller will be heading to year-round helicopter pilot school in October.
"I'll just come home and go racing when I can," Miller says. "I would love to race my whole life," he admits. "I mean, it's a passion of mine."
CHAMPS AND VICTORS: Pat Cannon clinched the 358-sprint track title at Selinsgrove Speedway on Saturday night with his fifth oval win of the season. Jeff Rine won his fourth in late models while Brad Trump won pro stocks and Rick Bender won roadrunners. Points officially end at SG this week.
Alan Krimes won 410 sprints at Lincoln on Saturday while Brian Montieth won his first career oval track title by 25 points over Cris Eash.
Neil Petock, of Bloomsburg, won his fifth sprint main on Friday at Clinton County and pocketed the track title.
TRONE RETURNING: Former TJ Stutts car owner John Trone will have a car back on the track this weekend at Port Royal with driver Alan Krimes at the wheel. Krimes is slated to run the Trone No. 39 at all the big area races as the season ends. Meanwhile, Stutts qualified for his first 358-sprint show at Selinsgrove on Saturday after debuting last week.
SHEPARD BETTER: After a miraculous week of intensive therapy in Baltimore, Jeff Shepard was able to leave the hospital and go home late Friday. His walking has improved, he's connecting more dots in his short-term memory and his voice is strengthening. He'll begin outpatient therapy three days a week this week for the next three months.
TODAY: Pack your bags, the kids and suntan lotion after you put down this column and get out to Port Royal Speedway's 57th annual Labor Day Classic for 410 sprints at 1 p.m. It's always a blast with the Juniata County Fair going on. Greg Hodnett is the defending winner.
LATER THIS WEEK: Port Royal Speedway is the focus of attention this week as it ends the season with the 11th annual Tuscarora 50 Preliminary Friday and the 41st annual Tuscarora 50 Saturday. Read the Daily Item on Friday for a 50 preview.
n Shawn Brouse writes a weekly motorsports column for The Daily Item. E-mail comments to sports@dailyitem.com.
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Shawn Brouse's motorsports column: Miller likes Clinton County
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