BERNARD, Iowa (Nov. 21, 2024) – A high school freshman took fellow IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock drivers to class this season.
Karter Miles, 14 years old and the latest member of the Bernard, Iowa’s Miles racing family to find dirt track success, is rookie of the year in IMCA’s B & B Racing Chassis Northern Region.
He won once and had another 26 top five finishes in 50 outings, racing regularly at four tracks and making single starts at four others.
“Being competitive racing against older drivers in big fields of cars was just awesome. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it,” said Miles, a freshman at Cascade High School. “Being 14 and being able to run with stuff we built ourselves, and not the most expensive stuff, and win regional rookie of the year was really special.”
The youngest son of Stock Car veteran Jerry Miles, who will race for a 40th season in 2025, Karter finished third in points at Davenport Speedway and Maquoketa Speedway – brother Jordan was track champion at both – third at Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway and ninth at East Moline Speedway.
Brothers Jared and Kodey also race, in Northern SportMods and Stock Cars, respectively, and the family travels in multiple trailers before pitting together once they get to the track.
Team Miles builds its own cars and motors and Karter kept up that tradition, putting together an old homebuilt car of Jordan’s for his first season.
“The Hobby Stock is fun and it’s kind of a beginner class,” he said. “We tried to go for rookie of the year and once I got to the lead, we just kept going. We raced as many nights as we could to keep the points up.”
A consistent top five runner almost from opening night, Miles got career win number one in his 42nd start, on Aug. 11 at Dubuque.
“I told my dad I was getting one this year,” he said. “I think it actually came a little earlier than I expected and I had no words (in victory lane). I didn’t know what to say.”
Miles has already checked Boone Speedway off his bucket list, racing at both the NAPA Auto Parts Double Down Prelude and the IMCA Speedway Motors Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
He played baseball and football and is now on the Cougar high school wrestling team.
Wins-1
Top Five Finishes-27
Starts-50
HIS CREW: Parents Jerry and Kristen, brothers Kyle, Jordan, Kodey and Jared, Phil Gehl, Russ Gehl, Charlie Kaiser, Colby Veach, Ernie Driscoll, Chase Murphy and Tom Kennedy.
HIS SPONSORS: MPH Customs and The Squirrel Mafia, both of Bernard; Kennedy Construction, Calco Spray Foam, Leslein Trucking, Flanagan Construction, Burkey’s Bar & Grill, Liak Coatings, Car/Tech, and Rob and Lori Schmitt, all of Dubuque; Veach Septic and Sewer an TCE, both of Maquoketa; Hillside Bar & Grill and Davis Drywall and Construction, both of Monticello; Brian Gade and GRE of Clarence; Double Cheese/Scott Fjelstul of Hopkins; Eichman’s Bar & Grill of Sageville; Urban Acres and CPR Repair, both of Cascade; Delaney’s Auto & Ag of Cascade and Farley; Round Two of Peosta; Performance Bodies of Cedar Falls; Lucky 7 Designs of Waukon; T & T Iron and Metals of East Dubuque, Ill.; Humphrey’s Recycling of Shullsburg, Wis.; and Wade Cross and FX Shocks and Suspension of Phillips, Neb.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.