SES: Brandon Miller heads to Nashville

RANCHO SANTA FE, California - 19-year old Brandon Miller, a successful Late Model race car driver in southern California, has announced that he will drive a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Townsend Racing Products in three Late Model races at the end of the 2000 racing season. This represents a significant step for Brandon Miller, who expects to be competing in NASCAR. "There is no competition like that in the heart of NASCAR country, the southeast," says Miller. "This will be a test to see if I can make it to the next stage of racing."

The races will take place November 4 at Nashville Speedway, November 18 at Myrtle Beach Speedway and November 26 at Kenly Speedway. Two of the three races will be televised - Nashville on TNN, Myrtle Beach on Fox Sports Net - giving Brandon Miller exposure to a much wider audience.

"This is very significant for both Townsend and Brandon Miller," says Ricky Dennis, co-owner of Townsend Racing Products, a premier race car builder, parts supplier and tuner based in Ashland, Virginia. "Brandon is a very talented young driver who will further both his career and our reputation in these three races. If he is successful in these races, we hope to run some American Speed Association (ASA) races with him next season."

The three races attract a large number of cars - in the Myrtle Beach race, almost 140 cars will try to qualify for only 34 spots. "Brandon should have a problem qualifying for these races," says Dennis. "We've got a state-of-the-art car and a top notch crew ready for him." About Brandon Miller Racing
A lifetime race fan born into a racing family, Brandon Miller began his driving career at the tender age of 11, when he first started racing go-karts. Just six months later he won his first race, and within the next 6 years, he won the U.S. Junior Shifter Kart Nationals twice.

Brandon raced karts in Europe against such formidable competitors as current Formula 1 pilots Jensen Button and three-time world champion Michael Schumacher. At 17 years old, Brandon made the move to auto racing, first with the Barber Dodge open-wheel series, then finding a home driving Late Model stock cars.

In the last two years, Brandon has had a very successful career in Late Models, racing against some of the southwest's best drivers - even winning a race against 1999 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year Tony Stewart. The last two racing seasons also include three wins and 20 top ten finishes. Plans for the 2001 racing season include running the full season of the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series season, teaming with motorsports veteran and new crew chief Russ Pursley and a new 2001 Ford Taurus race car.

"I hope that these races show the southeastern racing community what I'm capable of," says Miller. "I'm really looking forward to racing for Townsend Racing Products this year and I hope it leads to bigger things."

About Townsend Racing Products
Townsend Racing Products has been in business for over 16 years, building more than 100 race cars per year - from Late Model to full Winston Cup cars. Their client list includes such notable names in the racing world as Geoffrey Bodine, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Bill Elliot and Hendrick Motorsports. Ricky Dennis, co-owner of Townsend, started his motorsports career "in utero," he says. "My dad, Bill Dennis, was a NASCAR Rookie of the Year and won the Grand National race at Daytona three times." His partner, Rick Townsend, began his motorsports career at age 14 as an assistant in NASCAR legend Morgan Shephard's shop. Townsend Racing Products first came into contact with Brandon Miller Racing when Brandon's father, Brad, ordered a Chevrolet Monte Carlo from Townsend to run the Super Late Model class at Irwindale Speedway, a ½ mile oval in Irwindale, California. "I flew out to California to meet the Millers in person and to help them get the car set up," says Dennis. "I was very skeptical up until that point, because the only thing Brandon raced competitively was go-karts. I came away impressed with Brandon's driving skill. He was smooth, fast and took instruction well. I knew he had talent and decided to keep track of his progress."

It is perfect timing for Brandon to partner with Townsend Racing Products, which attempted to launch a racing empire a few years ago complete with Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck vehicles, but failed due to budgetary issues. Townsend wants to get back into running full-scale race teams and plans to start more modestly. "Instead of doing what we did the last time, we'll start with Late Model cars and move up slowly," says Dennis. "I'd love to run a few seasons of ASA racing and work our way up to Winston Cup. I think Brandon could be the driver that gets us there."