By Tony Veneziano

If the season-opening race with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions back in February is any indication, it should be a good year for Parker Price-Miller as he follows the tour for the first time in his career. 

Price-Miller started on the pole at Bubba Raceway Park in Florida and led 21 laps en route to a fourth-place finish in that race. He wound up recording a pair of top five finishes and was among the top 10 in all three of the races, which were non-points events.

A recent decision by Price-Miller's Destiny Motorsports team to follow the All Stars, after starting the year with the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series, will pit the young Indiana racer against a solid lineup of drivers and teams competing full-time with the Tony Stewart-owned series in 2018.

Not an easy decision but I’m very excited to chase a @ASCoC Championship with @DestinyMS4! https://t.co/KziafQs1wB

— Parker Price Miller (@parker_pm9) March 21, 2018

“We honestly should have won the first race of the season, with how many laps we led,” Price-Miller said. “That was a huge boost to my confidence and showed what we are capable of. That was the first race, we were working out some bugs and I think I wanted to win it so bad that I was driving a little too hard and kind of cost us that one. We had a great start to the season in Florida with the All Stars and definitely showed we can hang with those guys.”

Price-Miller has raced at a fair number of tracks that comprise the All Star schedule. Meanwhile, his crew chief, Shane Bowers, has experience with a number of other tracks that are unfamiliar to Price-Miller. Bowers has worked over the years with championship-winning drivers, including nine-time Outlaws champion Schatz and two-time titlist Jason Meyers.

“I've raced in Ohio quite a bit, some in Pennsylvania and have been to Wisconsin,” Price-Miller noted. “I think we’ll be alright at those places. There are still quite a few new tracks that I’ll be going to this year. With the knowledge my race team has, I think we’ll be OK. We have good cars and speed and it’s up to me to do my job.”

One of the keys to contending for an All Stars championship is to run well during the three separate visits to Central Pennsylvania over the course of the season. To help gear up for those pivotal races, Price-Miller and his team recently made a trip to the Keystone State to race at both the famed Williams Grove Speedway and Lincoln Speedway, during Easter weekend. Against a stout field, they finished seventh in each of those races. After Mother Nature postponed a pair of races in Ohio, the points-paying season will now open in Pennsylvania on April 13-15.

“Pennsylvania is the toughest local racing you are going to find in America,” shared the native of Kokomo, IN. “To go there and have two really good runs was important and it makes you feel good. We go back there soon, so hopefully, we can carry that momentum with us and have some good runs. It’s going to be tough for sure, with the locals there and 18 or so All Star guys. Getting laps under our belt in Pennsylvania and getting the car figured out up there is huge for our team. I’m really glad we were able to go up there.”

One of the advantages of racing with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions, especially for a team that has a shop in Indiana, is that Price-Miller's crew will be home every week. The compacted travel schedule also helps with the bottom line, when it comes to the business side of the operation.

.@parker_pm9 was tonight’s @LincolnElectric fast time award winner #ArcticCatAllStars pic.twitter.com/IYo4nPpR3z

— Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions (@ASCoC) February 4, 2018

“It definitely makes it nice on my crew guys that they are able to come home,” Price-Miller noted. “It makes sense for me as well, because I have to focus on my business, Chalk Stix. I have to come home every week. It saves money as well, which is another thing we want to do this year. When you come home every week, you are not having food and hotel bills. All in all, you are saving money and you get to see family more. It’s a good deal all around.”

While contesting the full Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions schedule, Price-Miller and the Destiny Motorsports team will also compete in all of the crown jewel events of the sport, including the inaugural Sprint Car World Championship at Mansfield Motor Speedway in Ohio on April 27-28. The Knoxville Nationals and Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway are also on their schedule. Price-Miller notes the benefits of having more time in the shop to prepare for these marquee events.

“Mansfield actually had a lot to do with the decision to pull off (the World of Outlaws tour),” he explained. “That’s $100,000 to win and probably three hours from my house. It’s kind of hard to go against that. 

"When you are racing all the time and on the road, you don’t really get to focus as much and be as prepared for the big races, as you would if you were in the shop, getting things organized and ready. It makes things nicer and the same thing with Knoxville. All those guys are on the road before Knoxville and get all worn out. Hopefully, we can go into all of these big races with 100 percent confidence, good race cars, and fresh race cars.”

The All Star scheduled is comprised of nearly 50 races in seven different states across the Midwest and East Coast. 

Price-Miller, who won the MOWA (Midwest Open Wheel Association) title in 2016, feels as if he and his team may be flying under the radar a bit to start the season. 

Chad Kemenah, who won his sixth All Star title last year is the odds-on favorite again this year, while “rookie” Aaron Reutzel is also one of the names that continually is mentioned when talking about championship contenders—as is former World of Outlaws champion and NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney.

“I would say we are an underdog and most people wouldn’t pick me to win the championship, but I think we have a good chance to contend for the championship, as long as we play our cards right and stay out of trouble,” Price-Miller said. 

“Consistency is the main component. Chad Kemenah is one of the most consistent guys out there, besides Donny Schatz. If he is not winning, he is running top three or top five. That’s the key to winning championships. Chad and Brian Kemenah work really good together and those two are the team to beat this year, I think. There will be a lot of good guys out there. We’ll give it our best shot every night.”