Deaf Racer Enjoying New Adventure at World Series

Daryn Miller is one of many racers at New Smyrna Speedway this week taking part in his first World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing. However, his journey is a unique one.

Miller, from West Hempstead, New York, is deaf. His passion and competitive desire for racing has not been hampered by this in the slightest.

Miller’s career began in Go Karts, and he has worked his way up the ranks through Chargers, Late Models and now Pro Late Models.

However, most of that racing has come in his home state of New York. This year’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing was a new adventure for Miller.

That chance for a new experience is what lured the veteran racer to Florida and New Smyrna Speedway, marking off the checkbox on his career.

Throughout the week, Miller has kept his nose clean, no small feat during the sometimes-rough-and-tumble Pro Late Model shows during the World Series. His results have also steadily improved, with a best finish of 15^th so far coming in Wednesday night’s 35-lap sprint.

Just like any other racer, communication with a spotter is crucial in short track competition. Therefore, Miller’s car has a special heads-up light display installed which is operated by remote controller by his spotter and brother, Chris Miller.

“It’s a safety thing. It’s a basic controller from a hobby shop,” said Chris Miller. “There are four lights underneath the dashboard. There’s a yellow, a green and two outside red lights.

“When there’s a yellow, I hit the yellow light. Same thing for the green. The right and left red ones are to tell him to stay low when the leaders are coming or go high. You can direct him where to go.

“He can feel the cars next to him. This is more a safety thing, taking the place of everyone else’s spotter telling him caution’s out.”

This form of communication helped Miller avoid a multi-car incident early in Monday's Pro Late Model feature.

“We saw the wreck, you’re scanning the whole track," said Chris Miller. "When we saw that, he was probably at the start/finish line when that was buckling up in the turn. He had somebody outside him. Your natural sense to avoid that wreck would have been to go outside, but it would have put the other guy in the wall.

“The joystick has 360 movement on it, so I moved it down to the left, and it lit up the caution light and told him to go left to avoid it. It kinda worked.”

For now, there are two Pro Late Model races remaining in this year’s World Series, a 35-lapper on Thursday night before Friday’s 100-lap marquee.

No matter what happens over the next two nights, one thing is certain. Miller has every intention of returning to New Smyrna in 2023 for another shot at the World Series.