LAKEVILLE, Conn. - Johnny Miller has made it clear he was sick of being a bridesmaid this season.
On Monday, Miller—who has finished on the podium in the first three races of the 2003 Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup championship—finally got his trip to the altar, at Lime Rock Park, and won the rain-soaked Trans-Am 100, part of the Mohegan Sun Presents the Lime Rock Park Grand Prix. In the process, the driver of the No. 64 Eaton Cutler-Hammer Jaguar XKR, gave Jaguar its first Lime Rock victory, and he took the points lead in this year's Drivers' Championship.
Miller, who handed Jaguar its first Lime Rock pole on Saturday, lost the lead to Stu Hayner (No. 2 Trenton Forging/GMAC Commercial Finance Chevrolet Corvette) at the start of the race when his windshield fogged up. Miller rebounded on lap 13, and took the lead when Hayner spun off course in turn two. He wasn't headed from there and won by 1.506 seconds.
'I absolutely couldn't see a thing,' said Miller, who recorded his second-career victory Monday. 'We went about five laps about dead blind. I just followed the trail of mist behind Stu. After about five laps, the dew cleared, and we were able to run.'
Miller added to his perfect weekend, where he was fastest in both of the practice sessions he took part in. Miller won the Flowmaster American Thunder Challenge for winning the pole, leading the most laps and setting the race's fastest lap. He also earned the BFGoodrich® Tires Take Control Award for leading the most laps.
'We just had a great car,' said Miller. 'It was flawless.'
Rookies Bobby Sak (No. 10 Revolution Motorsports Chevrolet Corvette) and Jorge Diaz, Jr. (No. 8 Puerto Rico Grand Prix Jaguar XKR) finished second and third, respectively, marking best-career finishes for both.
Sak took second after contact with Brian Simo (No. 3 Jaguar R Performance XKR) on lap 33 and held of Diaz during a one-lap dash to the finish after the race's final caution.
'We didn't want to see that last caution,' said Sak. 'We had a shot at it. The car was awesome. I was hoping for rain and got it.'
Diaz overcame early windshield wiper problems and a late spin to finish third.
'I think this was an awesome race,' said Diaz. 'This was my first race in the rain. One of wipers broke, and we had to pit to fix it. We then had to work traffic to get back through the pack. I couldn't be happier.'
Hayner finished fourth, ahead of former Lime Rock Park winner Paul Newman, who recovered from an early spin to record the top five.
The race ran in one hour and 15.49 minutes at an average speed of 80.446 miles per hour. It was slowed three times for 12 laps. The race became a timed race and ran within the 75-minute window due to inclement weather
Miller now unofficially leads the points with 117 markers, ahead of former points leader Scott Pruett, who spun late in the event and finished 12th. Diaz, Hayner and Michael Lewis complete the top five in points.
The next race, Round 5 of the 2003 Trans-Am Series for the BFGoodrich® Tires Cup Championship, is scheduled for June 22 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
