American Racer To Co-Drive No. 74 ProSpeed Competition Porsche
Bryce Miller's first experience in the TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa concluded with the American racer standing on the podium holding a second-place trophy in 2009.
The New Jersey-based driver, who celebrates his 29th birthday today, is headed back to the famed Belgian circuit this week looking to improve that result by just one position and will do so with ProSpeed Competition, one of the strongest Porsche teams in Europe. Miller will co-drive the Belgian team's No. 74 Porsche 911 GT3-R with Dutch racer Paul Van Splunteren and Belgians Nicolas De Crem and Ludovic Sougnez in the Pro-Am Cup category.
"ProSpeed is a pretty accomplished team," Miller said. "I know them to have a lot of success. One of my former co-drivers from a couple years ago, Richard Westbrook - who Dirk Werner and I won the ALMS race at Road America in 2009 with - used to drive for ProSpeed. I've been aware and paid attention to that team because of that fact and because I've wanted to broaden my European experience, so they've been on my radar."
Miller is definitely broadening his European experience this year as this will be his third European endurance race overall in 2011 and his second at Spa. He finished fifth in the GTE Am class in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC) Six Hours of Spa race in May, and the 4.35-mile Belgian circuit rates at or near the top of Miller's list.
"I've always liked to go back to Spa, it's one of my favorite racetracks," he says. "Plus, my first 24 hours there, I had a second place, so once you come that close to a win at a main event like that, it's hard not to go back. It's part of 'the disease.'
"There's nothing quite like the Eau Rouge sector (Turns 3, 4 and 5) at another racetrack. Experiencing that elevation change that's going on at Spa at those speeds is a really cool sensation. It's a really awesome sensation. I enjoy it."
Miller heads for Spa riding the momentum of back-to-back top-10 results in the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón in the Paul Miller Racing No. 48 Chopard/Marquis Jet/TOTAL/IPC Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with co-driver Sascha Maassen. Miller and Maassen finished 10th last Sunday at Canada's Mosport International Raceway, two weeks after a season-best run of sixth at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.
Immediately following the TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa, Miller will return to ALMS action for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Challenge at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio on Saturday, August 6.
About Bryce MillerBryce Miller hails from Summit, New Jersey and is competing full time in the 2011 American Le Mans Series (ALMS) as well as selected European endurance races and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series Rolex 24 At Daytona. The 29-year-old driver has wins in ALMS, Rolex Series and IMSA GT3 Cup Challenge competition and more than 20 podiums. Miller co-drove the championship-winning GT car as a Rolex Series rookie in 2007, earning podium results in 10 of 13 races. Other career highlights include a victory in the GT3 Cup event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2007, a second-place run in the 2009 TOTAL 24 Hours of Spa and back-to-back appearances in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010 and 2011.
Miller enjoys a long-standing relationship with Porsche and competes with the support of four international sponsors in Chopard, Marquis Jet, IPC Information Systems and TOTAL Lubricants. Follow Miller on Twitter @bryceracer, become a Facebook fan at Facebook.com/brycemiller.net, and check out his website at brycemiller.net.
