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For more information, contact Mark Miller Racing at 480-575-5771.

Ryan Arciero of Foothill Ranch, CA, and Mark Miller of Carefree, AZ, drove the UMI Trophy Truck to first place in last weekends Baja 1000. That makes for a perfect record in Baja races this year after their win of the Baja 500 in May.

Miller who started the race overcame a loose power steering hose fitting which caused him to drive 180 of the first 205 miles with virtually no power assist in the steering. After the repair Miller charged through the pack to take the race lead by mile 325. Miller commented “It was a brutal start to one of the toughest Baja 1000’s I can remember, I was running the pace but each mile I was loosing more control, I physically could not have hung on for one more mile had the crew not been able to diagnose and fix the problem at Santo Domingo. My Co-Pilot Wade Weaver constantly encouraged me to stay hydrated and remain calm telling me we were doing fine. After that I knew the team was counting on me and that was the only thing that kept me going until I could get the truck to Ryan for his stint from race mile 442 to the finish.”

Arciero departed the driver change pit in Catavina with a nine-minute lead over the second truck. After averaging over 70 miles per hour over the next 130 miles the lead stretched to twenty-four minutes by race mile 580. Arciero Commented “ On the backside of the course we had no radio coverage and I was in the dark on the time splits, all I could do was to drive as hard as the truck would take it until I got to some bad fog in the Valle de Trinidad, at that point Chris Crampton the Co-Pilot told me he had been informed on the radio what the split time was back to the second truck, although it was huge I remember at the Baja 500 we had a similar lead that evaporated temporarily with fuel problems so we just never let up all the way to the finish” At the finish it was a forty-eight minute margin over the second place trophy truck of the Tim Herbst.

Team manager Don Tebbe put together a well defined plan, that despite the early race problems was executed to near perfection. The motor package was flawless thanks to a UMI prepared General Motors Vortec 6Liter V-8 engine package that has been designed exclusively by Scott Urschel at UMI Racing. Bilstein shocks and BFG tires also performed exceptionally. A special mention to all the coaches and specialist at Athletes Performance for preparing Mark Miller in advance to deal with high levels of adversity.

Mark Miller continues a storied career in many types of racing. Miller’s has won races such as the Baja 1000 on a motorcycle, eight podiums and the Ultra Wheels Super Truck Series Championship on paved ovals, an African Stage of the Atlas Rally, the Nevada 2000 in a Trophy Truck, two Baja 500 Trophy Truck Championships, set a qualifying record at the International Pikes Peak Hill Climb in the luxury class (in a Northstar Systems Cadillac
Seville) and took home four new records, 1st in Class, and 19th overall at the famed Paris to Dakar Rally. 2003 has seen the wins continue with a victory in the BITD Parker 425, SCORE Baja 500 and SCORE Baja 1000. His plans are to return to the Paris to Dakar Rally for 2004. More information on Mark Miller and Mark Miller Racing can be found at www.markmillerracing.com.

About Ryan Arciero:

Ryan Arciero’s racing career includes a wide array of accomplishments, both off-road, on road courses, and most recently in the NASCAR ladder. Some of these accomplishments include victories in the Baja 1000, Nevada 2000, Baja 500, Parker 425, the BIDT Championship, 5 wins in 8 Russell/USAC Championship Series races, as well as numerous wins and a record-setting number of pole positions in the Ultra Wheels Super Truck Series. Arciero, the grandson of legendary CART team owner Frank Arciero, and son of Off-Road Champion Frank Arciero, Jr., is currently running a limited number of NASCAR Southwest Tour Races en route to a full schedule in a NASCAR series next year. More info can be found at www.ryanarciero.com .

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