With the weeks since Team DHR’s awesome Winton weekend bringing the next round ever closer, the Dark Horse Racing stable is preparing in earnest for the latter half of their 2010 title assault.

With a total of three months between the CUE Production Sports One Hour Enduro series’ rounds two and three, the team have had time to refresh its head, aiming its focus squarely at the back end of the the championship.

Round three will see DHR tackle their first familiar circuit of the 2010 campaign – Morgan Park’s September 24-26 meeting is the next stop on the Prodsports merry-go-round, and lead driver Ash Miller is keen to get into the action. However, despite being familiar with most of the circuit, Miller will have to get used to the circuit’s new extension, completed early August.

“The circuit is at least in part familiar,” Miller said.

“We had probably the most intense racing of our career so far here last year for the MX5 nationals, and we’ll be even quicker this time out, so I’m looking forward to tackling the circuit. I can’t wait to sample the new bit, it looks great from what I’ve seen so far, and with it’s fast turns, it should suit our car nicely.”

With the championship at its half way mark, the standings read impressively – Miller and DHR sit on top of the Class E standings and second in the overall order, displacing the likes of Brian Anderson’s MZ3 BMW, several Lotus Exiges and the Mazda RX7 of Sam Silvestro.

Joining Miller again at Morgan Park will be Winton co-driver Geoff Marsh, who brought the car home in Victoria.

Miller is under no illusions as to what the next few months will bring.

“We have to be patient and we have to be clear-minded heading into these rounds. These will be the most crucial, and we have to make sure we spare nothing in preparing properly. That being said, I just can’t wait to get my bum back behind the wheel!”

CHECK OUT [ DHR'S WINTON REVIEW ]

As with any up-and-coming young driver, media interest is paramount to gaining widespread support for the cause of their career. DHR and Ash Miller are no different, and thanks to sportscar media buff Sam Tickell, Ash Miller has hit the global scene on German site AutoMobilSport.

This is the article that appeared on the site, which can be browsed HERE

SPORTSCAR’S ASHLEY MILLER – MAKING A MARK ON THE AUSTRALIAN RACING LANDSCAPE

by Sam Tickell

The Australian Production Sports

Championship is a hotly contested Championship with a variety of cars, budgets and driver skill.  It is not often that you get a good driver in a good car with good budget.  Just ask Ashley Miller, a talented young driver trying to move through the Australian motorsport ladder.

The Queensland born racer has the skill, has an immaculately prepared MX-5, has the results and has a shoestring budget.

The last two rounds of the Championship, at Sydney’s Eastern Creek circuit and the Winton circuit in Victoria, Miller has taken the class wins.

Both round victories were undoubtedly important for Miller as he chases the title, but his performances at Eastern Creek were invaluable.  At Eastern Creek he was racing against big names including Le Mans GT2 runner-up, Allan Simonsen and Australian Touring Car legend, John Bowe.

“It was a great feeling to win, it’s probably up there with our most important victories. It put us in front of a lot of experienced people, including John Bowe (touring car legend) who drove the Ford GT. Now the focus is on Winton”, Miller said.

What made that win all the more special was it was Miller’s first visit to Eastern Creek.  Learning the track on the Playstation before the event, Miller was immediately on the pace.

The weekend was a wet/dry affair.  Racing on a shoestring ensured that Miller’s only set of wet tyres weren’t to be used unless it was really bucketing down, thus the tricky Eastern Creek conditions saw Miller tackle the greasy track on dry weather rubber. The tyres got their use at Winton however, as the inclement Melbourne weather brought lashings of wet weather laps.

Despite this tyre handicap, Miller set the curve in his class.

Speaking of his early weekend form, Miller said “We were up two seconds on anyone else in our class, so it was definitely good.  I haven’t had that much wet running either.  At Morgan Park for the Mazda MX5 Nationals, we had one wet race, and that is the only wet running we have ever done in the car.  We came down here and had to hit the ground running and find out feet.”

The Eastern Creek round of the Series consisted of a sprint race of five laps and a one hour race.  Miller’s form in qualifying saw him take class pole and a top 10 overall.  In front was a swarm of Lotuses, a Lamborhini and a Ford GT.  Behind him were 24 cars, some of whom had no business being behind this MX-5.

Miller’s qualifying pace certainly translated into the sprint race, where in difficult conditions, he finished second in class, just a two tenths away from victory.

This qualifying pace, combined with his qualifying time, saw Miller line up an impressive sixth for the feature race.  The feature race was run in dry conditions, so some of the higher classed cars were able to pass Miller but he won his class and finished 11th overall.

“I was surrounded by Turbo MX5s, Porsches and Lotuses on the time sheets. It was a special feeling to be that far up the grid.”

It would not be all plain sailing for Miller, however.

“Under the safety car I noticed what felt like an electrical-derived misfire, and I knew I was in for a long afternoon.”

Half way through the event, the compulsory pitstops came and Miller was able to take advantage.

“The stop went well, and after that I knew it was just going to be a case of just driving as quickly as I could to the end. The tyres started to go off about 15 minutes from the end of the race, so I just did my best to push on through the engine and grip dramas”, Miller commented.

Such issues makes Miller’s win all the more impressive.

Miller has raced the MX-5 for a few years, having raced in state racing in Queensland with great success.

“Last year we did, and won, the local stuff in Queensland with the Production Sports and MX5 Championships.  The next logical step after that was to step into the one hour series and win that.  We will do our best and see what happens there.”

Miller also races for the Queensland University of Technology in the Formula SAE, where students gain an opportunity to run a race car and team against other Australian universities and educational institutions.  Competition in the category is tough with some Universities racing with established V8 Supercar racers.  Miller, of course, holds his own in this Series.

Miller also has success in karting, posting competitive results in State titles before moving into his MX-5.

As is typical with great racers, Miller is not just talented behind the wheel.  His competitive ambition and a flair on the dance floor has seen him take out the Queensland Irish Dancing State Titles on six separate occasions, won the Australian Dance Championship on four separate occasions and has toured around the world as part of the Irish Dance Troupe, Gaelforce.

Miller is also studying a Bachelor of Journalism at the Queensland University of Technology and undertaking an internship at the Courier Mail.

Where does this put Miller in the future?  An obviously talented driver – but as we all know, in motorsport, money is everything.

“(For the rest of the season) we are aiming to do the one hour (Production Sportscars) but we are taking it one race at a time at the moment.  It was a battle to get here and we have to find the money again to get to Winton in a few weeks time for the next round.  It will undoubtedly be a challenge but that is what we are aiming for.”

The success Miller had in Winton should assist him with the rest of 2010.  Miller won his class by almost a lap, but still needs to boost the finances to keep on track.

“We have to get the car on track as often as we can and get the results and hope someone sees us and believes in us enough to help us out and keep everything going.”

Miller is also aiming big and aiming beyond Production Sportscars in his longer-term future.

“Hopefully we will go onto bigger things. As to what yet, we don’t know.  We have an inkling that the Carrera Cup may start again in a few years, so if it does, we will put our name into that, [but] pretty much anything really to work the way up”

Miller who was sharing a garage with a Lamborghini GT3 car at Eastern Creek was clearly impressed by its pace and wondered if its owner would mind lending the car to Miller.  Just a part of a wry humour that Miller possesses.

But Miller is aware of how difficult it is to move up and that results alone won’t get him the next ride.  Sponsorship and sponsor relationships are equally, if not more important.

“You have to make it worth their while.  The on track results will be worth their while.  At the end of the day, the emphasis is to do the best we can for the sponsor, so we can both get something valuable out of it and we can step forward with our respective aims.

“We really want to make it an enjoyable experience for those who support us.  Not just have the usual thing but really have something that supports the both of us and makes something better into the future!”
Miller is doing everything correctly on track to realise his dreams.  He is also doing an extremely good job off track to attract sponsors and to impress the right people.  Moreover, he is a nice guy – up for a chat, marketable and intelligent.  When combined with hugely talented – you have a rare mix.

He needs someone to take a chance, to help to provide a budget, to help him move up.

To give him a chance at success.
- by Sam Tickell  also photos -

Just one month on from Dark Horse Racing’s dominant Eastern Creek display, the team have triumphed again, this time taking out class honours on their maiden visit to Winton for the CUE One Hour Production Car Enduro.

Starting the weekend strongly, DHR’s dynamic duo of regular driver Ash Miller and new co-driver Geoff Marsh found the circuit something very special.

“The circuit is very different, very tight,” said Miller.

“It’s more akin to a go-kart track, but the technical nature of the track is perfect for our car, and awesomely entertaining from a driving point of view. There’s a lot more work to do to cover the hour!”

Marsh was equally as vocal, saying “the circuit is quite a lot tighter than I imagined it to be, there’s a few tricky corners but the lap as a whole is awesome.”

DHR’s machine hit the track in sodden conditions in the hands of Miller for initial shakedown, before handing over the reins to Marsh for his first taste of DHR power.

“The car is simply awesome,” Marsh beamed.

“It’s fantastic – every other car I’ve driven I’ve wrung the neck of to get the most out of it. But this car is something else – you really have to work to get to where it’s really capable of, it’s the most impressive car I’ve ever had the chance to race.”

Despite finding grip severely lacking during one of Winton’s famous downpours, Marsh got his head around the task at hand. Friday’s activities wound up with a final tyre test and driver change practice before calling it a day, happy to leave the car be while others in the field visited the scenery in droves.

Saturday’s efforts were spectacular, as qualifying got underway in earnest. Miller got to grips with the car quickly, and managed to post a time good enough for 6th fastest among the ‘Driver A’ bunch.

“I was so happy with the car, and there was more in it to come – it just did everything I wanted it to,” Miller said

Marsh fared just as impressively, as his first run in the dry netted him 10th spot on the ‘Driver B’ grid.

“I really had to try and get used to the car but by the end of the session I was feeling a lot more comfortable, I’m happy with the pace,” Marsh said.

The ‘Driver A’ race drew the Production Sports’ Saturday program to a close in spectacular style. Miller made the most of a napping Sam Silvestro to retake a position off the start and into turn one, before harrying the back of Arthur Magaitis’ Lotus.

“The car was on it from the start, but all that pace went to my head I think, and I got a little impatient,” said Miller.

Indeed Miller was locked in a battle with the Lotus all the way around the action-packed opening lap, until an off-line passing attempt saw Miller spin at turn 5.

Eventually able to get the car out of the sodden infield, Miller dropped right to the back of the pack – but thereafter drove the wheels off the DHR machine.

“I just pushed like hell, I knew I had it all to gain back again so I just drove as quickly as I could,” said Miller.

Although retaking just one position by the end of the 5-lap sprint, Miller managed to set a new unofficial Class E lap record on his way to the chequered flag.

Sunday’s minus-degree dawn welcomed another day of great racing action, this time in the form of the ‘Driver B’ race.

The car was handed over to Geoff Marsh, and in a race of attrition he held his head to come home a respectable 8th.

“I was finding more pace in the car all the time – it was so great to drive, just unreal,” he said.

A fifteen minute warm-up lead to the feature event, and DHR duly lined up in 8th on the grid with Ash Miller starting the race.

As the race got underway, Miller found his start effective, and dodged a slow-starting Matilda Mravavic to get his nose underneath Magaitis’ Lotus once again. From there he drove solidly, keeping the Class B cars of Brian Ferribee and Kerry Finn honest around the twisty circuit.

Despite a now-familiar misfire developing as the race reached the 20-minute mark, Miller pushed on, handing the wheel over to Marsh at the 35-minute mark.

Marsh carried the pace, steadily working his way up the order and bringing his times steadily down to draw ever further into the class lead. As the time wound down, Marsh reeled in Class E’s 2nd place runner Peter Lacey, intent on lapping the fellow Queenslander. Despite a valiant effort and fantastic racing, Marsh couldn’t quite haul the misfiring car close enough, but brought the car over the line to notch up DHR’s second One Hour win from as many starts in 2010. The result saw Dark Horse Racing place seventh overall, and secures them well ahead in One Hour the title race.

“Geoff was absolutely magic today, he put in an awesome drive to bring the car home despite the troubles,” Miller said.

“My thanks really has to go out to my dad (Graham) and Errol Davidson for all their hard work to produce and run such an incredible car.”

Marsh was equally thrilled, saying “I had a ball out there, this car is seriously fast, and I loved every lap.”

DHR’s title chase takes a hiatus until the CUE series visits Morgan Park in September, providing a much-earned break before the end of year assault on the 2010 CUE One Hour Endurance Series title.

DHR’s last visit to Morgan Park netted them 3rd place in the 2009 Mazda MX5 Nationals, and with improvements to the car proving effective, they’re confident they’ll be able to go even quicker come September.

A very special thanks must be handed to the Lacey team, who sacrificed their Class C series points to drop into Class E and enable DHR to collect the points they did for the Winton weekend.

Photos and Videos will be available for viewing shortly, so stay tuned!