The former Trans-Am Series star came up just one position shy of qualifying for a June Nextel Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

“We were a tenth and a quarter (of a second) from making the field,” said Miller about the Sonoma attempt. “We had a struggle with a piece of shrapnel going through the tire. It cost us about 45 minutes of practice. That was our only time on the track as we had no testing. It really set us back in practice and qualifying. We still ended up going over two seconds faster in qualifying than we had been in practice. We were still a tenth and a quarter short, off by one position.”

Miller was originally scheduled this weekend to compete in a road racing series. Although he loves driving sports cars, the chance to get back in a Nextel Cup car for Front Row Motorsports was something he wasn’t about to pass up.

He will be going to the Glen with the same car used at Sonoma. The number will be changed from the No. 34 to the familiar No. 92 they ran at Watkins Glen last season.

“We’re looking forward to it. We have some communication and time in the car with the crew chief,” said Miller, 40. “The competition at Watkins Glen will be as hard, but the course is a little less technical. You have to rely a little more on the equipment at that track versus Sonoma. We are very much looking forward to seeing what is going to happen.”

With such an emphasis on the car at Watkins Glen, there have been changes made to the No. 34 Chevrolet.

“We’ve moved the push and roll centers, some changes with the chassis setup,” said Miller. “We changed it around to give ourselves more adjustments in the car, particularly with the rear suspension. I made some shock changes. It should drive better and get in the corner better. We will see if that helps it.”

This marks Miller’s third time working with the Bob Jenkins-owned team. The combination started 40th and finished 29th in the 2005 Watkins Glen event. Miller climbed as high as third place before the carburetor problems beset his effort. This weekend will be his second time working with crew chief Mike Steuer.

“It’s getting better and better each time,” said Miller about working with the Denver, N.C.,-based team. “It’s getting shorter after a big window was there in between. It’s definitely better than the position we were in heading into Sonoma. There was a huge gap. We started communicating quite a bit better. I think we will roll out of the truck at a good place to start.

“We have to pray for no rain and hope we can get a good qualifying run. We need all the track time we can get. That’s what we are going for, to get the car in the show.”

Miller touched on the differences between the two road courses NASCAR’s premier series races on. There is a sizable speed difference between Sonoma and Watkins Glen.

“It’s not a lot less technical, but I would say 10 to 15 percent less,” said Miller of the latter track. “There is still a lot to it. It’s got longer straightaways which rely more on the engine program. You are running 30 to 40 miles faster at Watkins Glen, but I wouldn’t say it’s any scarier.”

It is the road racing expertise the former Jaguar and current Corvette driver brings to the table that makes him so appealing to the Front Row team. Miller, who boasts over 100 victories, explained what is needed to cut a good lap at the famed New York circuit, which has hosted NASCAR and Formula One events.

“The most important corner on a road course is the one that leads to the longest straightaway,” said Miller, whose racing career began in autocrossing. “At Watkins Glen, turn one in reality is the beginning of the back straightaway if you don’t lift in the esses (S-curves). That’s the way you have to look at it, how much speed you can carry through those esses. The rewards at the end of the back straightaway are substantial for carrying speed through those esses.”

Varying driving styles at Watkins Glen have worked in previous years. Some drivers used a smoother style, while former winners Rusty Wallace and Ernie Irvan attacked the 11-turn, 2.45-mile course. They would bounce over curbs and sling their machines off-course to make quick time.

“It depends on the car set-up and what you have to work with,” said Miller, an engineering graduate from the University of Tennessee. “I’ve been in both types of cars there. It depends on what the car responds to and how well it responds. That’s what drives that.

“I guess we will see Friday if the car we have is one you have to throw around or one you can be smoother with. I’m hoping it will be a smooth piece. It’s easier if it is a smooth ride once the tires get worn. It’s easier on the tires once they get old in the race.”

Qualifying for the AMD at the Glen is scheduled to begin Friday at 3:10