Bill Miller is a man who holds true to his traditions.

Miller, the veteran piston and rod manufacturer who campaigns a Top Fuel dragster as the company’s research and development car, has raced the NHRA event in Seattle for the past two decades, faithfully.

The only entity more reliable than Miller in Seattle has been rain.

This year, for the first time since he began Top Fuel racing, Miller will be absent from the Pacific Raceways pits when the NHRA Northwest Nationals kicks off this Friday.

Manufacturer Will Serve As Delegate at Republican Convention This Weekend …

Bill Miller is a man who holds true to his traditions.

Miller, the veteran piston and rod manufacturer who campaigns a Top Fuel dragster as the company’s research and development car, has raced the NHRA event in Seattle for the past two decades, faithfully.

The only entity more reliable than Miller in Seattle has been rain.

This year, for the first time since he began Top Fuel racing, Miller will be absent from the Pacific Raceways pits when the NHRA Northwest Nationals kicks off this Friday.

Miller has a higher calling – his country.

Miller, and his wife Virgie, who live in Carson City, Nev., will represent their city as delegates at this weekend’s Republican convention in Las Vegas.

“I feel it is more important for myself and my wife to represent the people of Carson City,” Miller explained.  “We will be part of the political process.”

Miller, 66, admits he’s a late-bloomer to the political process having spent much of his youth toiling seven days a week building his BME brand. The last decade has been an enlightening experience for a businessman who has quoted George Washington and Thomas Jefferson among others to sell his product.

“Our founding fathers literally died broke in an effort to grow these United States,” Miller explained. “They pledged their wealth and fortunes and honor to the people who signed not only the Constitution but the Declaration of Independence and I think we owe them for having the foresight and guts to lay their life on the line to create what has arguably been the greatest thing to happen to mankind in the last 10,000 years. It is my responsibility, as well as the responsibility of everyone in this country, to defend what they initiated. I feel it is going downhill fast.”

Miller understands in this world two areas of conversation can make a man a lightning rod – religion and politics. While he doesn’t claim to have an opinion on the former, the latter is something he can participate actively in.

“It’s my responsibility to do something to help the situation,” Miller added. “I’m not a highly educated man, barely graduated out of high school and entered the military,” admitted Miller, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. “Through my hard work, and work ethic, here I am 35 years later, with a good company and in charge of 40 people now. I feel like that same opportunity for others is eroding. I think it’s important the opportunity provided me is there for the next generation.”

That’s why Miller believes Greek philosopher Plato had a valid point when he uttered, "The penalty for not participating in government is to be governed by your inferiors."

“This is not a new situation,” Miller added. “With the Internet, where you can find out in a matter of seconds what is happening, the excuse of not knowing what is going on can no longer be valid. This information superhighway now has empowered the individual and the federal government through the Net Neutrality Act wants to take it away.”

And because of the knowledge he’s gleaned, Miller says missing a race weekend is in his best interests.

“If the country fails, there will be no racing,” Miller surmised.

For Miller, it’s a matter of priorities.