DIALED IN: Keystone Raceway Prospers With Track Manager Greg Miller at the Helm
Greg Miller has had a long career in drag racing, and he’s probably best known for being the track manager of Pennsylvania’s Keystone Raceway on two separate occasions. “I first took over managing Keystone in 2009 and then left to go manage Quaker City in Ohio after Norm Fox bought the track. I returned to Keystone in 2012 and have been here ever since,” he says.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #190, the State of Drag Issue, in September/ October of 2024.]
Miller’s involvement at Keystone can be traced back much further than when he first took over as track manager. “I actually got a job running the computer in the tower when I was 14.” Back then, the Chantilly family owned the track and Miller delivered their newspaper, so naturally his nickname at the track was “The Paperboy.” Miller has done his fair share of racing at the southwest Pennsylvania facility as well, even winning the track championship back in the day.
In recent years, Miller has overseen massive improvements to the aging facility, which was built in 1967. A brand-new tower was constructed atop the bleachers on the spectator side of the facility, while new wiring and electrical upgrades were installed throughout the facility. The former tower was torn down and replaced with a spacious building that features a comfortable employee room with a number of amenities. The Gear Head Gift Shop is another newly-constructed upgrade, featuring a sprawling souvenir building, as well as a concession stand on the end of the building. The racing surface was also overhauled, with brand-new concrete stretching out to 350 feet.
With the facility in tip-top shape for the 2024 season, the only thing Miller was lacking was good weather. “It’s been a real struggle this year,” he says. In fact, of the first 18 race days scheduled, 15 of them were rained out. April and May were nearly complete washouts, with the lone exception being the first completed bracket race, which finally took place in late April.
“Mother Nature marinated me for two months, then threw me in the smoker,” he laughs, referring to the torrential downpours, followed by sweltering heat that arrived in June and lingered for months. “We had 19 Funny Cars here on July 13, but the spectator turnout was way down since it was 100 degrees that day. Who wants to sit on aluminum bleachers when it’s that hot?” he says.
Early August ushered in very pleasant weather, just in time for a scheduled track rental. The 22nd annual Night of Fire event was slated for the following week (August 22) and featured a wide assortment of entertainment, including jet Funny Cars, a jet truck, jet dragsters, AA gassers, along with nitro Funny Cars and legendary IHRA competitor Bruce Litton in his Top Fuel dragster. Each year, the event traditionally concludes with a huge fireworks display.
Also returning in 2024 is Michael Beard’s Staging Light bracket event, now in its 10th year. The Sherwin Williams bracket points series closes out the month of August. The Southern Bracket Racing Association (SBRA) also visits Keystone and runs in conjunction with the regular bracket program.
“This is also our second year of WDRA sanction, and couldn’t be happier with our involvement. The WDRA is an organization that works for the tracks and for the racers. They really care and it shows,” says Miller.
Lots of great events are slated for September and October, with the three-day season finale 22nd annual Ghosts, Goblins, and Gearheads scheduled for October 25-27. “That’s a great family-oriented event and every year we decorate the track with handmade decorations…it takes a whole week just to set everything up and decorate the track!” says Miller. “On Saturday night, we shut down racing and lock the gate. No motorized vehicles are in operation, and the kids will literally collect pillowcases full of candy!”
While this much-anticipated Halloween-themed race typically closes out the season, Miller has been tempted to race a little longer in recent years. “We hardly get snow here anymore, and if I had a 70-degree weekend, I’d be real tempted to put together something like the Christmas Nationals!” he laughs.
“More than anything, I just want to keep trying to improve the place, make things nicer, and hopefully people will want to be here. I’m very thankful for my team and full-time employees; they’re a multi-talented group of people who make this track operate smoothly,” he concludes.
This story was originally published on October 16, 2024.
The post DIALED IN: Keystone Raceway Prospers With Track Manager Greg Miller at the Helm first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
