Don Miller sees progress amid a tough year at Penske Racing. Credit: Autostock

Conversation: Don Miller

Penske president admits Chase-less season has been 'frustrating'

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- Penske Racing South president Don Miller was in his customary race weekend position, sitting in a director's chair outside the No. 12 hauler of Ryan Newman.

Miller enjoys soaking in the atmosphere of a race weekend almost as much as he does being on hand if there are any questions to handle for his organization.

Ryan Newman finished 18th at Atlanta earlier this year despite spinning out. Credit: Autostock

This year has been tougher than most, though, with Newman and Kurt Busch on the outside looking in at the Chase for the Nextel Cup and only one win between them.

Miller spent a few moments at Martinsville Speedway talking about what this season has been like.

Q: This organization had high hopes before the season with Newman coming off consecutive Chase seasons and Busch stepping into Rusty Wallace's seat. What's it been like being shut out of the Chase?

Miller: To put it in a single word, frustrating. It's happened before to us. Back in 1992, that was a terribly frustrating year as well. It seems like in this sport it happens to you. You work your guts out and it eats you all up.

It's coming around, though. We can see it coming now. I feel we'll be right back where we were next year.

Q: In hindsight, do you think Penske South spent too much time playing with the Intrepid instead of sticking with the Charger?

Inside the Numbers Newman and Busch in 2006 (through 32 starts)   Newman Busch Wins 0 1 Top-5s 2 7 Top-10s 7 10 Poles 2 6 LLF 17 17 DNFs 3 2 Avg. Start 11.1 9.8 Avg. Finish 19.9 19.6 Rank 17 16

Miller: Nah, I don't think so. That was a good thing as it turned out because the new Charger is the kind of car we were working on at the beginning of the season. We're just going to get it one season late. It would have been nice to have had it this year.

Our problems weren't with the aerodynamic packages as much as it was and still is with the mile-and-a-half tracks. Now we're catching up, so we'll be OK.

Q: Kasey Kahne has six wins this year in a Dodge on mile-and-a half or 2-mile tracks for Evernham Motorsports. Does that add to the frustration?

Miller: They have an advantage and they want to keep it. They have that part of the equation figured out. I think we're gaining on them there, but the rest of our package is better than theirs.

It's frustrating they have six wins and we have one, but I'm sure it frustrated them a few years ago when we had eight wins.

It's ironic because the Dodge has always been like the third car in the garage. Yet Kasey has the most wins this year. We had the most wins a few years ago with Ryan Newman. You're like, "What the heck is going on?''

	First-year Penske driver Kurt Busch isn't shy. Credit: Autostock
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The car the way it is now is right on the edge. It could go this way or that way. It's not adjustable the way it is.

Q: Who has been the most frustrated, Newman or Busch?

Miller: They're both equally frustrated. They're frustrated in different ways. Kurt is pretty outspoken about his frustration. Ryan keeps it inside, but I know him well enough to know it's really wearing on him.

It's different, but it's the same.

Q: Last year all the talk around Penske South was about how Wallace and Newman couldn't get along and the teams didn't communicate. Is the organization better today even though you're not in the Chase?

Miller: The interchange between the teams and the drivers is much better now. We're taking a beating, but we're taking it together.

Q: What was that like for the organization last year?

Miller: It didn't bother anybody but the press. It didn't bother us. It was awkward, but it wasn't debilitating. We laughed a lot about it. We don't even think about it now. We're looking at how we're going to get better, what it's going to take to make the Car of Tomorrow better. There are a lot of changes ahead.

Q: What do you think of the Car of Tomorrow?

Miller: You've got to look at it with rose-colored glasses. It's correct to try to make the car as safe as we can possibly do it. That was the aim for NASCAR. What most of the guys are upset about is the car is so damn ugly. It really is. It's butt ugly.

It's just not a very attractive looking piece. But anytime you can take the driver farther away from harm's way, then you're going in the right direction.

Q: How would you fix it?

Miller: I would just try to fix the car we have now. There's nothing on the Car of Tomorrow that we couldn't have done to the one now. We moved the seat over in the car we have now. We put the shifter on the right-hand side.

But everybody has too much invested in (the COT) to back down at this point. ... The most pretentious part of the whole situation, the manufacturers have no looks.

And they keep changing on us. They keep changing the chassis specifications. Last week we got new bumper specifications. They need to make their mind up so we can build cars and get them to the racetrack.

Q: What would you do to fix Penske South?

Miller: We're fixing it every day. I'm not absolutely overjoyed with the way it is, but it's getting better. As long as you can see some light at the end of the tunnel and it doesn't turn out to be a freight train you'll be all right.