Drag Illustrated Issue 151, December 2019 | Page 83

30 UNDER 30 / 2019
PATRICK MILLER
■ FEW CARS in radial racing
are as recognizable as Jeff Mill-
er’s “Bumblebee” Camaro. And
it’s his son, 23-year-old Patrick
Miller, who keeps the ‘Bee flying.
Growing up in Florida, the two
started out working on airplanes
together. But when Patrick was
14, after moving to South Caro-
lina, they got back into the drag
racing scene.
“Me and him just kinda make a
good team. We do everything we
can at the track together,” Miller
says. “I wouldn’t mind doing a lit-
tle driving, but my focus is more
on the tuning.”
Patrick is more than just the
tuner, however. He can do just
about anything on the car – from
rebuilding the engine to perform-
ing the paint and body work.
“Dad showed me some, and I
just kind of figured out the rest on my own,” Miller
says. “I went to school for auto body, competed in
Skills USA for automotive refinishing, won state,
placed fourth in nationals.”
The father-and-son team campaigned the
original 2014 Camaro for a few years, becoming
the first car to run in the 3.80s on a 275 tire. But
in 2019, in an attempt to get down to Radial vs.
the World weight, they unleashed a brand-new
Bumblebee, a car many fans will be familiar with.
“We had a friend, and Stevie [Jackson] told
him he had a car that we needed,” Miller says.
“We ended up buying the car he
wrecked in Charlotte at 4-Wide.
It’s actually the same rear shell
that was on the car when he
wrecked. I did all the body work
and fixed it.”
The new car has already put the
radial world on notice, becoming
the first screw-blown radial car
to dip into the 3.50s (albeit in
testing), winning over 10 differ-
ent events and claiming the 2019
Carolina N/T points champion-
ship in the Extreme 315 class.
“It means a lot,” Miller says.
“We didn’t really run this year
planning on the championship;
it was more for test sessions. We
did pretty good, so we decided to
stick with the group.”
Despite almost immediate
success, Miller has his eyes set
on even bigger things.
“As of right now, the goal is to be the first radial
car in the 40s. We’re not worried about weight,
I’m going for the door car record. Frankie [Taylor]
set it back in 2014, and no one’s broke it yet. I
know I got a car that can do it, I just need the
parts to stay together.” – C R A I G CO O
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JUSTIN CARMACK
■ AT ONLY 29 years old, Justin Carmack
and his Carmack Engineering firm are going
toe to toe with brands that have been in the
high-performance driveline component business
for more than 50 years. It’s a challenge Carmack
enjoys, with an attitude he’s developed over 15
years since starting work in a Florida machine
shop at age 14.
“You have to take charge and get what’s yours,”
Carmack says. “If you listen to the drama on the
internet, you’re never going to make it. You need
to buckle down, you need to work, do the best job
you can and don’t even worry about it.”
Since starting Carmack Engineering in 2017,
Carmack has quickly built a reputation for quality
products and even better service. By his estimates,
the company provides driveline components and
service to 90% of the teams in PDRA Pro Boost
and Pro Nitrous, 50% of the NHRA Pro Mods and
50% of the Mid-West Pro Mods. He works closely
with his customers, including drivers like Randy
Weatherford, who Carmack credits as a mentor
and business advisor.
“We’re specializing in only a few components,
which we can service 100% with a really fast
turnaround and give really good service to the
customer,” Carmack says.
Carmack Engineering is best known driveline
components like billet third member cases in 9-,
9.5- and 10-inch sizes, as well as a newly released
11-inch rear end case becoming popular in the
Pro Mod classes. The shop also handles job-shop
work for various industry brands, CNC-machin-
ing components like intake manifolds, dry sump
parts and brackets.
Carmack’s drive, determination and innovative
thinking has caught the attention of his compet-
itors. But rather than try to push him away, rear
end component innovator Mark Williams decided
to work with Carmack, providing components for
the new Carmack 11-inch rear end.
“Since I’ve gotten into the industry and we
compete against one another, he’s really kind
of opened his arms,” Carmack says of Williams,
who started Mark Williams Enterprises in 1964.
“I think he sees the new age, there’s not people
coming into this business. If you don’t get any
new talent in, you’re not going to have the Mark
Williamses 50 years from now if you push new
people out.” – N AT E VA N WAG N DI
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December 2019
DragIllustrated.com
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