I did not know what was in store for me as we arrived at Yello Belly Drag Strip after the 30-plus-mile police-escorted cruise from Texas Motor Speedway organized as part of the Mopar® Heaven 2025 weekend. Little did I know, a very special Chrysler 300 was rolling along the Texas highway inside this group of 300 Mopar vehicles. One that I would soon learn is owned by a massively personable and generous individual.
As the sun sets and most folks head home to prepare for the workweek, the dedicated drag racing community is just hitting its stride. Among them is 27-year-old Cam Miller, whose Redeye-powered Chrysler 300 has left an indelible impression on me – both as a car enthusiast and as a journalist who’s spent considerable time behind the wheel of high-performance vehicles.
Earlier in the day, Cam had generously handed me the keys to his monstrous creation. My wallet was in danger – after experiencing the raw power of this monster 300, I thought I don’t need another hobby with wheels and engines. But I’m not so sure after spending time with Cam and his incredible machine. 1,000+ horsepower is … quite exceptional!
Cam’s Mopar journey began at age 16 when his half-brother put him in the passenger seat of a Dodge Magnum SRT8. “He said, ‘Don’t touch those bottles in the back,'” Cam recounts. The bottles weren’t for a baby, as young Cam initially thought, but nitrous bottles ready to unleash some HEMI® engine fury. “When he launched it, the chest pressure, the excitement that I felt in the passenger seat – I was like, ‘I have to drive this,'” he recalls. After days of pleading, Cam finally got his chance on his 17th birthday. His first attempt ended with him “curve stomping the curb in the Walmart parking lot,” but when his brother suggested taking it to the highway, where he could properly experience 30-to-100 mph acceleration, the die was cast. “That stole my heart,” says Cam. “I immediately said, ‘I’m selling my V6 Camaro and I have to get me a Mopar.'”
His first purchase was a V6 Chrysler 300, a model often dismissed as a “grandpa car.” That stereotype only fueled his determination. “I was always told, ‘It’s a grandpa car, it’s never gonna go fast, it’s never gonna be good.’ I said, ‘All right, they’re just wrong.'”
Ten years later, Miller’s garage showcases his dedication to the brand. His fleet includes a 2016 exterior, a 1971 Plum Crazy Purple Challenger with just 1,600 original miles, an SRT® Hellcat Durango and a 2018 Trackhawk that’s currently disassembled for an ambitious all-wheel-drive project. His disease, as we car enthusiasts lovingly call it, is palpable.
His tone shifts when I ask if he’s the only one in his family with the Mopar bug. “My brother, he passed away,” Cam says softly. “He was a Magnum lover all the way. He had a Dodge Neon before then with a huge turbo on it. He actually passed away in the Magnum.” In a poignant tribute, the Magnum is the one Mopar vehicle that Cam won’t own, choosing instead to honor his brother’s memory differently – by sharing the joy of these machines with others.
The road to Yello Belly wasn’t smooth. Five days before the event, Miller was working on a twin-turbo setup with an air-to-water intercooler setup. “We realized we just could not make it happen before this event,” he explains, forcing him to revert to the Supercharger with just 72 hours to make it to the event.
“I was terrified I wasn’t gonna bring it,” he admits. Friends who “didn’t know a damn thing” rallied around him, following YouTube videos and his instructions to reinstall coil packs and spark plugs. Considering its hasty reassembly, the car made the 12-hour journey and runs impressively well.
Despite the obstacles, events like those at Yello Belly Raceway foster a sense of belonging. Throughout our conversation, other enthusiasts stop by, offering help and encouragement. The owner of the track himself approached Miller with an invitation to return, eager to see the 300’s progress.
After watching him make several passes, including beating an SRT Demon 170 (though Cam humbly attributes this to the other driver’s mistakes rather than his car’s superiority), I’m convinced this Chrysler 300 has the potential to run in the 5-second range with some tuning and the proper setup.
For Miller, that’s what it’s all about – continuous improvement, the pursuit of speed and, most importantly, the community. “You gave me a lot of confidence today,” he tells me as we wrap up our conversation.
As darkness falls at Yello Belly and engines continue to roar, it’s clear that Cam Miller’s journey – from that first ride in his brother’s Magnum to his current stable of Mopar vehicles – represents the best of car culture: passion, perseverance and the willingness to share the joy with others. “I appreciate you taking it for a drive,” he tells me as we conclude our interview, embodying the generous spirit that makes this community special.
Sometimes, the most significant connections are formed when enthusiasts share their stories and the driver’s seat of their 1,000+ horsepower pride and joy.
Check out the left lane. He’s already knocking on the 5-second 1/8th mile door and running mid 9’s in the quarter. This is not your grandpa’s 300! Unless your grandpa is like … really cool!
0 Comments