Who could have predicted that a 1993 meeting would alter the course of Jimmie Johnson’s motorsports career, eventually leading him to become a seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion? Johnson started out riding motorcycles until the age of 8 before advancing to the Mickey Thompson Off-Road Stadium Series. It was here that his mentor, Rick Johnson, set up a pivotal meeting with Herb Fishel, then executive director of General Motors Racing. This meeting, according to Johnson, introduced him to someone who quickly became a “parent of some sort”—a figure who would shape his career.
On October 20, 2024, Johnson bid farewell to that influential figure for the last time.
“Alan became an advisor, friend, and mentor over 30 years ago… he truly looked after me as if I was one of his own,” Johnson wrote about Alan Miller, who passed away at the age of 87 from natural causes. Miller left a deep impact on Johnson’s career, starting from that fateful meeting with Fishel. A few years after Fishel signed Johnson to a GM contract, they connected with the Herzog brothers, who were looking to break into pavement racing. This is where Alan Miller entered the picture.
Fishel, who was Miller’s attorney at the time, introduced him to a young Jimmie Johnson, asking him to guide the rising star. As Miller recalled to Sports Illustrated, “Herb introduced me to Jimmie at an off-road truck race, and within a year or two, Jimmie had become like a son to me.” Miller then helped facilitate Johnson’s entry into ASA racing by negotiating a deal for the Herzog brothers to purchase an ASA stock car team. This was Johnson’s springboard to the Nationwide (now Xfinity) Series and eventually the Cup Series. Miller also played a role in Johnson’s return to racing in 2023.
Having handled Johnson’s contracts for over 30 years, Miller was instrumental in converting Petty GMS Racing into Legacy Motor Club. During Johnson’s Cup Series career, he raced for Hendrick Motorsports, but upon his return, Hendrick was no longer an option due to NASCAR’s limit of four cars per organization. After informal talks with Trackhouse Racing went nowhere, an opportunity arose through a connection Miller had with Petty GMS—via Eric Jones, who was also represented by Miller. Johnson explained, “When this opportunity came along, it really came through the offices of Alan Miller.”
Now, Legacy Motor Club fields two full-time Cup Series drivers—Erik Jones (No. 43) and John Hunter Nemechek (No. 42)—with Johnson (No. 84) running select races. If it weren’t for Alan Miller, this team might not have come to fruition. Miller’s impact on NASCAR extended far beyond Johnson, as his law firm represented several other drivers, including Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, Casey Mears, and Danica Patrick, among others.
Before entering the NASCAR world, Miller had ties to sports, having played college football and later serving as General Counsel to the AFL Players’ Association from 1965 to 1970. He was also an accomplished amateur racer, winning the Central Division SCCA CSR championship. His contributions to the sport and his deep relationships with drivers and fans were evident in the outpouring of tributes following his passing.
