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Robin Miller, the longtime motorsports journalist and media personality who covered auto racing at The Indianapolis Star for 33 years, died Wednesday at the age of 71 after battling cancer.
His death came less than two weeks after he was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.
Miller, a graduate of Southport High School in Indianapolis who flunked out of Ball State University, covered racing for the Star from 1968 to 2001. He also worked for Autoweek, Car and Driver, ESPN and Speed before becoming a senior writer for Racer magazine and its website.
Beginnning in 2011, he worked as an analyst for IndyCar coverage for Versus and NBC Sports Network.
“Racing has lost one of its most well-respected journalists and most beloved personalities,” Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske said in a written statement. “Robin Miller achieved his dream as his lifelong passion for motorsports led him on a path to becoming the premier reporter in open-wheel racing. For more than 50 years, Robin covered the sport he loved with a fierce drive, a great sense of humor and uncompromising honesty.”
In a July 31 column for Racer, Miller informed readers of his health condition: “Facing your mortality isn’t something to think about every day or dwell on, because you’re alive and death isn’t in your daily mindset,” he said. “But when cancer and leukemia decide to gang up on you then everything changes, and you are suddenly lining up in a heat race with The Grim Reaper. Might be a 50-lapper, could be an enduro or you might get lucky and run for a year or two.”
Miller first visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with his father in 1957 and attended his first Indianapolis 500 two years later. In 1968, at 18, he began working for his racing hero, hard-luck driver Jim Hurtubise, on various non-mechanical jobs. However, Miller ruined some paint on Hurtubise’s car and lost the job. He was hired by the Star a month later.
“Friend or foe, you always knew where you stood with Robin Miller,” IMS tweeted Wednesday. “And every open-wheel racing fan knew there were few who were more knowledgeable or passionate about our sport. He will be deeply missed, and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Miller was often outspoken, especially when it came to the open-wheel racing fight between Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART, and the Indy Racing League in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Miller was fired by the Star in 2001—he says for writing critical columns about the IMS and the Indy Racing League. And he was dropped from positions at WIBC radio and WTHR-TV Channel 13. He said he had no regrets about the firing because it allowed him to pursue other opportunities in motorsports journalism.
In an interview with IBJ in 2015, he said he considered himself “the luckiest guy alive,” because he got to spend his career covering the sport he loved.
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one of the most entertaining guys to ever come thru indy
https://theathletic.com/1989025/2020/08/17/the-preposterous-sportswriting-life-of-robin-miller-racings-legendary-hellion/
Was it really necessary to have the line, ” who flunked out of Ball State University, “?
Seems like a very cheap shot inserted by someone who had an ax to grind. Very unprofessional.
Agree….very petty of the IBJ; however, not surprising. Like school on a Saturday…….no class!
While i smiled at the sentence i would agree- not appropriate for a positive endearing story
He often boasted about that, it’s kind of a self deprecating term of endearment he often used on himself.
You obviously did not know of Robin Miller. That line about flunking out of Ball State is a direct quote from his profile on his website and other websites for which he wrote. It was a point of pride for him.
What Jose said.
Flunking out of Ball State was part of the legend. That’s what led to the career in racing. Here’s the first line in his bio for Racer.com, which he undoubtedly wrote himself: “Robin Miller flunked out of Ball State after two quarters, but got a job stooging for Jim Hurtubise at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 when Herk’s was the last roadster to ever make the race.”
That’s his line. If you look at his Twitter profile that is how he describes himself.
Robin wasn’t on Twitter and didn’t think much of the social media.
One of if not the best storytellers of all time.
Robin was always true to himself, greatly appreciated his opinions, insight and comment on indy car.
RIP Godspeed.
Agree with Terry A. It wasn’t intended as a cheap shot. It was almost required that IBJ include it because RM never failed to laugh about flunking out when mentioning that he attended Ball State. It was like the punch line of his long-standing joke.
Flunking out of Ball State was a badge of honor for Robin Miller. In fact, he proudly proclaimed it in the first line of his column bio for Racer and mentioned it prominently in his farewell column: https://racer.com/2021/07/31/miller-a-letter-to-the-racer-nation/
I used to hate to read his column, so much so it was always the first thing I would read! He will be missed!
I agree, Robb. Soon as I picked up the Indy Star sports section I had to turn to his column to see what the a**hole would spout off about! When you love sport and hate a journalist, that’s a compliment to their commentary!! RIP, Mr. Miller! 🙁
Another sportswriting legend who will probably never be replaced. Something about the written word coupled with his passion for racing, and in his earlier carreer for all sports as reported in the Star/News, is a irreplacable asset. Written archives last forever, video and social media is fleeting. Heck “flunking” out of Ball State, was probably one of the best carreer moves for him, his credentials as a great sportswriter and ambassador for motorsports will last forever; at least for us old guys. God rest your soul, Indianapolis has lost a classic.
For those thinking the IBJ was being petty and unprofessional, you obviously never read anything written by Robin Miller. He was very self-deprecating.
From his Racer.com bio: “Robin Miller flunked out of Ball State after two quarters, but got a job stooging for Jim Hurtubise at the 1968 Indianapolis 500 when Herk’s was the last roadster to ever make the race. He got hired at The Indianapolis Star a month later and talked his way into the sports department, where he began covering USAC and IndyCar racing. He got fired at The Star for being anti-Tony George, but ESPN hired him to write and do RPM2Nite. Then he went to SPEED and worked on WIND TUNNEL and SPEED REPORT. He started at RACER when SPEED folded, and currently writes for RACER.com and RACER magazine while also working for NBCSN on IndyCar telecasts.”
RM was fun to be around, always had a story to share that was entertaining. I an not a particularly avid race fan, but he was entertaining to read nevertheless, and the few times I spoke with him, he was a wealth of information on nearly any sports topic. While he was proud of flunking out of BSU, the article did not present this part of his bio properly. A reader who did not know he wore it as a badge of honor does not get the point from reading the IBJ piece. It would have been easy to write, “He boasted about . . .” or similar qualifier. RIP RM.
Years ago when I worked at Ruth’s Chris downtown Robin dressed up as a waiter to prank AJ Foyt who was eating dinner there. He will certainly be missed.
All that it took to be Robin Miller’s friend was to have a genuine love of motorsport. Once established, he was your friend for life.
RIP Robin
RIP-Old Scout
Godspeed Robin.
Told it like it was. Loved listening him tell stories not only racing stories but Pacers too. Stories on Neto and Mel Daniels were hysterical.
Read his columns, never met the man. Did meet Jim Hurtubise though – several time at the Indy Airport. One of the good guys. Always friendly and after his awful crash, you never forgot shaking hands with him… Miss all those “old guys”. RIP