The ‘King of the Mountain’ two-day event held on the weekend of October 16th and 17th saw two teenagers roll their cars into victory lane at Smoky Mountain Speedway in successive American Crate All-Star Series features. Both of these up-and-coming drivers are looking to build on their recent successes and take their respective careers to the next level.
Carder Miller was flagged as the winner of Friday night’s Crate Late Model feature at the Maryville, Tenn. facility. Not only did the talented young pilot earn $2,000 for his victory but his re-entry and progression in the sport continued.
Carder Miller in Smoky Mountain victory lane
Miller says that his brain processes information much more efficiently than when he first started racing. The result has been improved performance on the track even though he saw considerable success at a very young age.
“I’d like to think I’m getting a little bit better,” Miller told InsideDirtRacing.com. “My mind is moving slower. I’m not just worried about pushing the gas harder to get faster. Hopefully, I’m getting better.”
The 2016 Limited Late Model champion at Virginia’s Natural Bridge Speedway drove a Longhorn Chassis with only a few starts on it to his triumph at Smoky Mountain. This came after the high school wrestler had taken some time away from racing to focus on other interests.
Carder Miller drove his Longhorn Chassis to a win on Friday night
“It’s got about seven races on it,” Miller said of his No. 69 machine. “This is only about my seventh race back. I took about two or three years off because school and sports happened a little bit. But I wanted to go racing again. I jumped in the car and we won in the second race back. Hopefully I still have it.”
The 16-year-old driver from Salem, VA garnered national attention in the Dirt Late Model world in 2018 when he made a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series feature by finishing second in a heat race at East Bay Raceway Park after going head-to-head with the sport’s top stars when he was only 13 years old.
Eli Beets scored a $3,000 victory with the American Crate All-Star Series on Saturday night at Smoky Mountain. The 16-year-old native of Knoxville notched the biggest win of his young Late Model career by leading all 40 laps of that feature and holding back some of the region’s top competitors in that division.
Eli Beets enjoying victory lane with his family
The junior at Knoxville’s West High School points out that racing has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember and it also serves to bring his family closer together.
“I started racing when I was five, and it was kind of crazy, but it was actually my mom’s idea because her dad and her brother raced,” Beets explained. “That’s how my parents met. It’s just always been in the family and it’s something we love. We all pile in the motorhome every weekend and drive wherever to race. Everybody loves it and we cook good afterwards. It’s a good time.”
Beets noted that to win any Crate Late Model race in east Tennessee is a difficult task considering the level of competition found in that division in this region of the country.
“We were talking about the Crate Late Model rankings and on any given weekend you could race any of these guys ranked in the top-25,” he remarked. “It’s definitely awesome. I mean I’m passing guys out here who could be my dad.”
Eli Beets in his Capital Race Car
While Miller is developing his new Longhorn, Beets is also working to learn the best adjustments for his Capital Race Cars ride.
“They definitely helped me pick up my program this year,” Beets declared of the Capital organization. “They’re always there when I need them on the phone. We can call them in the middle of the weekend or in the middle of the day and they’re there to help if I need anything.”
Since his return to racing, Miller has stayed relatively close to his Virginia home. However, he plans to venture out a bit more in 2021.
“We’ve been to Tennessee a couple of times and we stayed in Virginia a couple of weeks in a row,” Miller pointed out. “Our plan is to go and do some of the Winter Nationals later this year. We’re just trying to figure this car out so we can do that. I think we’re going do this All-Star deal next season and we’re going to get another super car and do some races here and there.”
Beets also hopes to expand his racing résumé in the near future.
“I’d really like to move up to a bigger motor here soon,” Beets said. “It just depends on what we’re able to do. I’d like to move to asphalt at some point. I think sometimes you get lucky and you get picked up. I think there’s plenty of talent out there that’s not in good stuff that you see on TV every weekend.”
Like other people their age, the two young racers have friends they like to hang out with. Beets says his buddies keep up with his racing exploits on a regular basis.
“Mostly through social media and I’ve got some friends who have come before,” Beets explained. “They seem to like it but I’m sure a lot of people don’t understand. I’m not real good at football or basketball or anything like that. I guess I can understand that too.”
While other sports may not be a part of the plan for Beets, Miller has aspirations in that realm.
“I wrestle full time, everyday,” Miller declared. “I want to be a state champ and I plan on going to a Division I school to do that somewhere. That’s my main goal right now.”
Some wonder where the next generation of racers will come from. The two American Crate All-Star Series features at Smoky Mountain Speedway gave a clear indication that at least two of them are well on their way to stardom.
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