Don Miller Talks About Losing His Leg in an Accident on Pit Road

Don Miller Talks About The Pit Road Accident at Talladega in 1974 that cost him a leg. John Dodson "@JDNASCARTech" on Twitter, VP Business Alliances & NASCAR @ UTI is also on this Episode. Don explains how Buddy Parrott and Roger Penske helped save his life during the incident. Don is the former Penske Racing South President. He met team owner Roger Penske in the early 1970s during his time as a sales manager for National Engines and Parts, Co. in St. Louis and joined Penske Racing in 1972. He worked on the team’s stock car and IndyCar programs. "A former racer himself, Miller brought a wide range of experience to the team and he worked in many capacities on his way to becoming Vice President of Penske Products. Miller was instrumental in bringing Penske Racing back into full-time NASCAR competition in 1991 with driver and fellow Team Penske Hall of Famer Rusty Wallace. Miller then became President of Penske Racing South, overseeing the day-to-day operations of the team’s stock car program. Under Miller’s leadership, Penske stock car teams produced a total of 69 victories in NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA competition until his retirement in 2007. The Chicago native was also an innovator in the sport, helping to design and develop several car safety advancements in NASCAR while leading the Penske team." - www.teampenske...
The 2.66 mile Talladega Superspeedway has been known for it's tragic accidents throughout the years. ARCA president Bob Loga was killed in a parking lot accident in 1996. Drivers Stanley Smith, Bill Champion and Wendell Scott suffered career-ending injuries there. Racing fatalities include Larry Smith, Tiny Lund and ARCA driver Chris Gehrke in separate events. Davey Allison died when his helicopter crashed there, the mother of driver Grant Adcox was killed by a car in the infield and Richard Petty's brother-in-law died in a pit accident. Bobby Allison's 1987 racing accident there nearly entering the grandstands at 210 mph led to using restrictor plates to slow the cars down and changed NASCAR Superspeedway racing forever.
Don Miller & John Dodson Racing Routes with Hamm Episode - • Don Miller & John Dods...
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Thumbnail Photo by Ron Paul - Don Miller , the catch can man right before the pit row collision @ Talladega 1974 PENSKE AMC Matador
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[@sarak5562]

don was a good friend of my family! oddly enough i also lost my leg from cancer as a child. we have some great memories and stories about don. please tell him the kalgren’s said hello and we are talking about him today watching the race. we would love to talk to him!

[@dhammiam]

Don is a great person. Come see him at Stocks for Tots in December if you can

[@NoHandlebars87]

I actually have some footage of that accident that I found on the internet over 15 years ago, but I've never made an effort to show it to Don. Haven't seen him since 2010.

[@dhammiam]

I see him a few times a year in Mooresville. Do you think you’ll ever share the video?

[@NoHandlebars87]

@dhammiam I might. He's related in a way, but I don't directly talk to him much. My uncle does and he just saw Don a month or so ago. I may ask, but generally, from past convos, Don never seemed interested in seeing the footage if it had been found (prior to me finding it) - I may ask my uncle again to see

[@BSNFabricating]

Talladega in the '70s was brutal. You had Don Miller's pit accident, and then Randy Owens the next year. and in '73 Wendell Scott nearly lost his life in the May race, then Larry Smith lost his in the summer race -- the same race where Bobby Isaac dropped out of the race after he heard "voices". Tiny Lund also lost his life in the summer 1975 race. And in 1977 (if I remember right), David Sisco's mother died after getting hit by a vehicle in the infield (Sisco never ran another Grand National/Winston Cup race after that).

[@dhammiam]

I'd not heard the Sisco story. I remember getting to the track the day after the ARCA President got hit by a car and killed outside the track

[@saragrant9749]

Damn, never knew about that last one. Talk about brutal- and very random seeming. I don’t think I could have continued racing after that either.

[@jessicawells5145]

I sorta know we're your coming from,had the same thing happen to me but they saved my leg,I got pinned between my truck 79 Ford an a 77 Monty Carlo,it was only going 5 mph,but it was wet an he slid into me,I'll never forget that pain

[@dhammiam]

Oh no, I’m sorry that happened to you. I can only imagine the pain. I’m happy to hear that your leg was saved 😊 I’ve heard of similar things happening with farmers and their tractors but having no one around to save them 😞