Miller Racing: Daytona Preview
November 13, 2014
(Team Release) DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (November 12, 2014) – The Miller Racing team and driver Cameron Lawrence are set to defend the TA2 Championship as the team approaches the final race of the 2014 Trans Am schedule at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 15.
Lawrence, driver of the No. 1 Dodge Challenger, enters the season finale leading the TA2 class standings with a one-point advantage over the second-place driver, Adam Andretti. With just the two drivers in contention for the TA2 championship, Lawrence simply needs to finish ahead of Andretti to capture his second-consecutive class title.
Since Lawrence and the Miller Racing team began utilizing the Challenger in August, the 22-year-old driver has tallied a win and a fifth-place result in four starts. In the most-recent event at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), he was racing in second place before an engine issue relegated Lawrence to a 15th-place finish and allowed Andretti to close the gap in the standings.
As the native of Florida races for the driver’s championship, his teammate, Tommy Kendall, will look to help Lawrence claim the title while he contends for his first Trans Am victory since his return to the series.
The four-time Trans Am champion (1990, 1995-97) returned to the series when the Miller Racing team transitioned to the Challenger platform. In three starts, Kendall has a best finish of second at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway in his first year in the series since 2004. The California native ranks third in series history with 28 Trans Am victories and needs one win to enter a tie for second.
In total, Miller Racing and the Challenger platform have tallied one win and four top-five results in eight Trans Am starts over four races in 2014, including two runner-up results – with one by driver Tommy Archer in a spot start.
Lawrence has won six races through 10 events in 2014. Over the last two seasons, the young driver has won 14-of-20 races in the Trans Am TA2 class, including the 2013 season-ending race at Daytona.
The 11th-and-final round of the 2014 Trans Am schedule will take place on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 12:45 p.m. EDT at Daytona International Speedway for a scheduled 29 laps (103.24 miles) or 75 minutes
Miller Racing Driver and Team Quotes for Daytona
Cameron Lawrence, driver, No. 1 Dodge Challenger, Miller Racing
What is your strategy for the Daytona race?
“We know that to win the championship we need to finish ahead of Adam Andretti, but that will not change our strategy for the most part. We always plan on competing, running up front and going for the win. But with that being said, we will not take any unnecessary risks. As a team, we all know that we need to take care of our own business and control our race. Our car and our strategy are the only things we have control of and we are going to do everything we can finish as close to the front as we can. At this point last year, we had already won the championship. It was a much more relaxed and fun race for us, but as part of that we were able to test and try a lot of things last year that we can apply to Daytona this year. Hopefully we can take care of business this year like we did last season, win this race and bring home the championship for Miller Racing and Dodge.”
How will you approach qualifying with a point on the line for the championship?
“Qualifying with the new Challenger has been more difficult because of the constant changes and improvements being made to the cars every weekend and every day at the track. Qualifying at Daytona will be a huge deal. It is our first chance of the weekend to score points and every point counts with a one-point lead.”
How has the Dodge Challenger platform developed over the last four races?
“The development over the last four races has been unbelievable. The entire Miller Racing team and Dodge have worked so incredibly hard since Mid-Ohio and the cars have made huge improvements. At Lime Rock, we saw the potential of the cars with a win and I think we have a very good chance to win this championship at Daytona.”
Tommy Kendall, driver, No. 11 Dodge Challenger, Miller Racing
Are you excited to return to Daytona?
“I’m excited. I’m having so much fun. Going into Daytona, I think the last time I drove in Daytona was 17 or 18 years ago, as crazy as that is. I remember the track, but I’m going to have to get reacquainted with the track and into rhythm. The bigger picture, the goal – I want to finish as well as I can, but the priority is to help support Cameron close out his championship. They’ve been unbelievably supportive towards me, so I want support them in that effort.”
How can you help Cameron pursue the championship?
“The main way I can help is by not screwing him up. I almost lost a championship when we brought in a teammate to help take points from other guys and he ended up getting two wheels in the grass and almost took me out in the first corner. Cameron doesn’t need my help, but that’s one of the main ways I can help. I guess I can race hard against his competitors and that could help too.”
How has the Challenger development gone over four races?
“It’s come along real well. Mid-Ohio was a fire drill and we weren’t fully ready. In some ways, competition is one of the best ways to move things along. The last couple races with my efforts, Tommy Archer and Cam, the Challenger has come along pretty quickly and that’s a tribute to Miller Racing and, in a sense, the class and specs. There’s only so much you can do, so it was a matter of getting the mechanicals with the Dodge engine, ignition systems and stuff like that sorted. We’re not totally there and it’s hard. When it was happening, with regards to Mike (Miller, team owner) and Cameron I was like, ‘Wow, this is a big risk for them mid-season while trying to defend a championship,’ but so far so good. It looks like they knew what they were getting into and how to manage it and they have.”
What are you best memories at Daytona?
“I have a lot of great memories at Daytona and the first IROC race to be invited as one of the top-12 guys in the country the prior year was great. To walk in and see your name on a locker next to Earnhardt and Unser and all those guys, that was sort of a milestone, if you will. Winning the 24 Hours in ’95 with Paul Newman was pretty special too.”
Mike Miller, team owner, Miller Racing
How will you approach the championship battle?
“Daytona will be a true challenge for Miller Racing – no pun intended – as we take the new TA2 Dodge Challenger into battle with a slim one-point lead over Adam Andretti. We will all be very tense this weekend. Adam is a very capable driver and his team is first-rate so this will be an absolute shootout all the way to the checkered flag on Saturday. I have all the confidence in the world that if we give Cameron Lawrence the Dodge Challenger he needs and deserves, we have the very best chance to come out on top. But it won’t be easy, that’s for sure. This coming weekend at Daytona the green flag will drop and when the race ends a champion will be crowned and we all – Miller Racing, Dodge – are doing everything we can to give our team the best chance of capturing another TA2 championship for Cameron.”
How has the development of the Dodge Challenger platform come along over four races?
“After switching to the Dodge Challenger mid-season, we’ve worked tirelessly together to create a car that could help Cameron Lawrence defend his 2013 series championship. Cameron and Tommy Kendall have pulled together to develop a car that can be reliable and fast and that’s the combination we need to repeat 2013’s championship for Miller Racing and Cameron. Tommy has played an important role in developing the car by providing guidance and feedback. He has been invaluable to Miller Racing in sorting out and understanding the new Challenger for the Trans Am series.”
Race Information
Date: Saturday, Nov. 15
Time: 10:30 a.m. EST for 29 laps (103.24 miles) or 75 minutes
Track: Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, 3.56 miles and 12 turns
For more information, go to GoTransAm.com or MillerRacing.org.
