short track STARS DOUG MANMILLER THE HANDLER

BY RANDY KANE

HE IS KNOWN simply as “The Handler”. Doug Manmiller, whether working as a self-employed electrician during the week or strapped into a potent 358 Modified ride on the weekends, knows how to handle, basically, any situation.

“That, actually, came from one of my former employers,” revealed the 54-year-old resident of Shoemakersville, Pennsylvania, referring to “The Handler” nickname.

“Just give it to Doug, he’ll handle it,” Manmiller added, talking about his former employer. “Also, when we were at the race track, he owned the car I drove at the time and he’d tell everyone ‘Look at him handling that car.’ So, it came from that. I’m fine with that.”

When it comes down to Manmiller’s success story throughout all his years at the race track, that formula is also very simple. Preparation, Manmiller is quick to point out.

Manmiller has driven for many top of the line race team owners throughout his 29-year career with the 358 modified cars. He has had several great relationships over the years and each one produced success in different ways. In the end, though, preparation has been a key.

“I started racing when I was seven,” began Manmiller. “No one else in my family had raced anything before me. I’ve always been the only racer in my family until recently. I raced for roughly 16 years in the karts and had success on dirt and asphalt, plus road courses. I won a National Championship and beat out former Winston Cup standout Jerry Nadeau once. I’d raced a lot with Jeff Strunk. We came up through it all together. Eventually, Jeff got into the bigger cars and I got married. I used to travel to the old Reading Fairgrounds halfmile track and growing up I always had a desire to drive a dirt modified. I guess, if I’d grown up in Central Pennsylvania I’d been thinking about driving a Sprint Car, you know? Strunk always told me you can do this.”

That dream of a modified never went away. “Anyway, I was about 24 and that thought was in my head. I hooked up with Gary Spotts, who owned 358 Modified cars in the past but got back into the karts. I’d been his driver for two seasons and he had an itch to go back into 358 modified racing. I figured I’d race karts forever but Gary asked me if I wanted to come along and be his driver. I guess that was my big break, you can say? I’ve also driven for owners like Josh Biever, Dick Biever, Rod Breitenstein, Greg Sarangoulis, Shawn Fitzpatrick, Dave Zubikowski and recently Jason Miller, since 2015, to name eight. I raced my own car for a short time, too. All of them helped me out in so many different ways. I was comfortable driving for all of them and we got along on the family end or whatever. I am still friends with them all today and I never could rank them in any order. We had then and still do today, always good relationships,” Manmiller noted.

His first career 358 Modified feature win came at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania in 1994. By 2003 he claimed his first track championship at Susquehanna (now BAPS Motor Speedway) Speedway in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. In 2010, he was the 358 Modified champion at Big Diamond Speedway. He won the end-of-the-season, rich-paying Coalcracker Championship event at Big Diamond in 2012.

Over the years, Manmiller has put several solid seasons together, running religiously week-after-week on all the local raceways. Every year he’s mentioned as a championship contender and he’s always in the hunt. There’s no need to drive for only high-profile racing teams or teams with deep pockets. Manmiller has accomplished most of his success on driving talent alone.

“My dad, today, still has a burning desire to win a track championship or a Freedom 76 race at Grandview,” mentioned Doug’s 28-year-old son, Cody Manmiller. “That, certainly, would complete his career goals.” However, with Grandview Speedway announcing in September 2022 the track will most likely close its gates, Manmiller won’t get that chance. “My goals in racing since day one have always been go fast, be consistent and win races,” Doug announced.

His son, Cody, has seen his father’s entire career play out. “I was born back in 1994, the first year my dad began running the 358 modified cars. I grew up in the grandstands watching my dad make thousands of laps. I played soccer in college but had no competitive outlet so I decided to try racing. My first two seasons I raced in a 600 modified car and then moved up to a 602 crate car. The first year I raced at Big Diamond. I got my first career feature win and won the 602 crate track championship. In 2022,

I moved to Grandview to race the 602 Crate car weekly there.”

Michael Storms had raced off-and-on throughout New York mainly but moved to Pennsylvania after he got married to Gabriella Manmiller in 2021. They became parents of a son in 2022 and Doug took on a new role as grandfather. It was a job he certainly could handle. “I am a lot more experienced and better at it now than I was when my kids came along,” Manmiller noted, laughing.

Doug’s new son-in-law Storms helped out as Cody’s crew chief and, recently, took over as the 358 modified chauffeur for veteran car owner Norm Hansell and his well-known 357 team at Grandview weekly.

On Saturday night June 4, 2022 it was truly a Manmiller family affair at Grandview when Doug won the 30-lap

358 Modified feature and roughly 30 minutes later son Cody won the 602 Crate 25-lap feature race on the same night. Michael Storms was still the crew chief for Cody’s effort.

That rare feat happened only once before on June 20, 1998, at Grandview when Randy Bailey and his late son Michael won a Twin-35s 358 Modified night on Father’s Day Weekend of all dates. “That night was amazing,” announced Doug. “Racing right now is fun and very fulfilling. All three of us had a hand in the outcome that night and it’s still hard to believe it happened.”

“I sat in the stands for all those years and to be standing in victory lane alongside my dad maybe 30 minutes after he won, on the same night, it was unreal,” explained Cody. “To think we’d both win on the same night, it’s something I never dreamed of. It all was like a dream happening.”

Right now, Manmiller isn’t sure what the future might hold. He knows he can handle it. Whatever comes his way? “Right now, I race year-to-year,” suggested Manmiller. “We’ll see what the future brings. I want to race next year and hopefully my car owner does, too. We’ll see how things play out. If another car owner comes along and my current owner decides to give it up, I’ll decide at that time. If nothing happens and I don’t drive I’ll probably help my son. I have a son-in-law who’s racing and my grandson will be probably racing at an early age. I’d be perfectly happy helping others be successful. I’m pleased with the career path I’ve followed. I know I’ll be able to handle it.

“My future doesn’t only depend on my decision. A lot depends on the car owner and my crew guys, too. If I keep on racing a lot of things have to come into play to make it happen. Who knows what the future will hold but 29 years in, racing is still fun.