This article first appeared in the May, 2016 edition of SportsCar Magazine. SCCA members can read the current and past editions of SportCar digitally here after logging into their account; To become an SCCA member and get SportsCar mailed to your home address monthly in addition to the digital editions, click here.
Michelle Miller
Northwest Region
SCCA Member since 2010
Before I discovered SCCA competition, my husband and I were building cars and taking them for Sunday drives. That changed in 2006 when a fellow RX-7 club member, JEB Thornton, invited us to an autocross novice school. I was incredibly nervous, but was amazed at the warm welcome we received. I was slow – in fact, I was scared to hit the gas, but a lap from an experienced instructor made me realize what my car was capable of. Then I was hooked.
When I find something that engages me, I tend to dive in, so I got involved with several local car clubs. Then, in 2010, Laurie Hyman was looking for a co-driver for the SCCA Tire Rack Solo National Championships in her Nissan GT-R. I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity again, so took her up on the offer.
The trip to Nationals, seeing 1,200 competitors in Lincoln, Neb., opened my eyes to a whole new level of the sport. The car and the scene were overwhelming, but by the end, all I could think about was doing it again – so my husband and I bought a Mitsubishi Evo IX to do just that.
In 2012, after a year of developing and competing in the Evo, we headed back to Nationals. This was my third trip there, and it was starting to feel less intimidating. Keeping my focus, I was able to take my first National Championship! I was in tears. Amazingly, I backed that up with STFL wins at Nationals in 2014 and ’15.
In August 2013, I was approached by a fellow competitor – who is also the Chief Instructor at DirtFish Rally School – about becoming a part-time instructor at DirtFish. I felt honored, and it made me realize how much the extra things we do can affect our lives in ways never imagined. Before long, I became one of their full-time instructors.
Teaching people how to drive rally cars is one of the most amazing and rewarding things I’ve ever done. Some days are hard, but every time a student has an “ah-ha” moment, or challenges themselves in a new way, I get to share that with them.
Every day is an opportunity, and this has been one amazing ride.
Images by Eric Schofhauser
