CARRYING CAMRYS WITH CHRIS MIKO
Welcome to Concord, North Carolina.
Image: Chris Miko
Photo: Chris Miko
The truck driver we’re meeting today is Joe Gibbs Racing’s Chris Miko. A well-known figure in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series paddock, he’s an industry veteran with upwards of 18 years in the NASCAR game and hundreds of thousands of miles behind the wheel.
Chris is currently at the helm of the #20 DeWalt hauler which carries the Toyota Camry stock cars of one of the sport’s rising stars, Erik Jones. In the thick of the Chase for the silverware last year, he was kind enough to field a few of our curious NASCAR hauler questions.
Trucks at Tracks: Can we start off by learning a bit about your background? How long have you been driving with Joe Gibbs Racing?
Chris Miko: “I've been with Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) since June, 2016. I've also been with a few other teams throughout my 18 years in NASCAR.”
Chris Miko (left) with Matt Kenseth at Homestead
TaT: We don’t yet have the Freightliner Cascadia down under, but we’re told it’s in the pipeline. Can you tell us about the truck and what’s it like to drive?
CM: “The tractors we have at JGR are the 2018 Freightliner Cascadia. They are equipped with a Detroit DD16 engine and a 13-speed transmission. Not only do they look great, but they drive awesome too. They are very comfortable and lots of room in the bunk with plenty of storage for our stuff during our travels to the tracks.”
TaT: The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series is always on the go with so many races each season. Roughly how many miles does a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series hauler travel per year?
CM: “We travel 60,000 plus miles a year. Back when I started 18 years ago, the mileage was much higher. Because of the limits on testing at NASCAR tracks, most teams have a dedicated transporter for testing.”
TaT: Is it gruelling to cover that many miles in a year while juggling your other responsibilities to the race team?
CM: “Traveling across the country to various tracks can be gruelling, but it's the part I like the most. (Sometimes) For long distance runs, I have a co-driver to help cover the many miles and hours it takes to get to some tracks. We have a split schedule. One weekend I'll drive to the track and work the weekend and I will fly home after the race. My co-driver will be off from work by the time I leave for the track (usually Wednesday) until race day where he will fly up and drive the hauler home. Vice versa the following week. Unless of course we are traveling to a track that requires two drivers to get there.”
Image: Chris Miko
Tat: What are the main features of the trailer? What would we find where?
CM: “In our hauler, we carry two cars up top. Backup car up front and primary in the rear. The bottom of the hauler in the centre aisle is where we load our tool box, weekend parts cart, drink cooler, BBQ grill and our garage generator.
There are various size cabinets with spare parts and pieces and about everything we need to make changes to the race car such as suspension, springs, shocks and engine components. Trying to list all the parts would take a week, but you get the idea.”
TaT: How much effort do you go to over a race weekend to keep the hauler looking clean?
CM: “Keeping the hauler clean is on a list of many things I need to do to prepare the hauler for the next race each week. Washing the rig is done at the track every week before we park in the garage. We have a company that follows the NASCAR circuit around washing our haulers."
Image: Chris Miko
TaT: Do you often find people wanting to take photos of the hauler while you are out on the road?
CM: “I've seen people take photos while driving or at a truck stop. Most of the time they are wanting t-shirts or hats, or just a cool photo of the hauler.”
TaT: The Supercars truck drivers in Australia generally look after the fuel and tyres of the car on a race weekend. What is your role at the race track?
CM: “If it's my week to drive to the track, I’ll catch the first can and catch left-rear tire during pit stops. Then I'll run fuel. Running fuel means getting the empty cans to Sunoco and getting them filled back up for the next stop.”
Make sure you say g’day to Chris on Twitter and follow Joe Riggs Racing’s 2019 campaign on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Of course, if you haven’t yet found us on social media, please drop in for a chat on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.