2NR: How has your father been an influence to you and your racing career?RM: It was a pretty interesting approach and I respect him for the level of commitment he gave to me, or on the flip side perhaps, as little commitment as possible. But a lot of input nonetheless. He worked very, very hard to establish himself as a driver and expand the market in which he strived to be the very best. I was never given any funding or a silver spoon to put in my mouth. I had to work to achieve my goals and desires. The doors were never wide open for me because of my father, contrary to what many people think. I respect that because I feel I wouldn't be the person I am today if I didn't have to work as hard as I did.
2NR: Have you ever felt the pressures of needing or having to be just as good as your father or follow his footsteps to uphold the family tradition?RM: That's always a factor when you're put in that position. You take it upon yourself on how much pressure you want to put on your shoulders. I have a very competitive nature. You're basically trying to compete not only to live up to a family name but also to best whoever holds the record for the fastest times. Yes I admit I have looked many times at what my dad was able to achieve at a certain age and say to myself, "Wow that would be cool to elevate to that level or surpass that." Of course it's not out of disrespect to him but I believe it's just that competitive edge that was instilled in me. But as far as the pressure side of living up the Millen name, I don't think much of it as I just work hard and carve my own path everyday.
2NR: With the popularity of the Subaru WRX and the Lancer EVOVIII, the fan base in the U.S. has grown and begun to take notice of WRC [World Championship Rally] events taking place throughout the world. What is your take on that?RM: Internationally, rally is the largest sport in the world, bigger than NASCAR in the U.S. It's an incredible sport and by far consists of the most talented drivers in the world. Not only do you drive at great speeds but you have to react to ever-changing surface conditions. It has bled over to the U.S., but unfortunately the mentality of the U.S. motorsports is completely different from other countries. I think that is one reason rally will never be at that pinnacle or have the popularity other countries experience. You saw the same thing happen in the '80s when Group B cars came to race in numerous series and had a presence for a couple years then disappeared. The series went away for 20 years, came back for two years then permanently disappeared when Mitsubishi and Subaru pulled out. Ford was one of the last to go.
2NR: When you transfer your skills over from drifting on the gravel to the tarmac, can you argue that drifting on both types of terrain are fairly similar?RM: To me moving from dirt to pavement is a little easier because your surface is more consistent. The challenges that we are confronted with on a constant basis are dialing in the correct suspension setup.
2NR: Tell us about your experience at the Ramada Express Rally in which you and your crew took the checkered flag, campaigning, of all things, a Lexus RX300.RM: In 1999 we teamed up with Lexus and campaigned an RX300. This car was the butt of all jokes as everyone poked and made fun of the vehicle when we pulled off the trailers in the Grand Canyon. The car itself had a similar driveline to the Celica's. The engine produced 230hp and we built it for four-wheel drive, but unfortunately for the car, it had an automatic transmission. I figured if we kept the cars momentum going it would do all right and the auto trans was comparable. Surely that was the case as we ended up winning the class and finishing second overall. Better believe it, no one was laughing at us after the event.
2NR: It is said the Ramada Express International Rally is the toughest and longest rally in North America. Do you agree with this?RM: I would for many aspects. It's a three-day event and each day is completely different. Running at high elevations in the Indian reservations at Grand Canyon is something else. The first day consists of a terrain of all ice and snow while the course is really tricky and twisty through the trees. Day two, the road conditions are more of a crushed granite type dirt which cars run at very high speeds, making the roads very difficult to read. The third day is side-by-side competition over rocks and loose sand. Basically three days of various terrain and changing road conditions.
2NR: What type of road surface do you consider the most difficult to race on?RM: That would have to be a wet, muddy type surface. Ice is similar to wet conditions but with mud, because it is thicker, can ultimately change depth and terrain condition, which changes your steering input to slip angles. Ice is more consistent, although both are very scary to race on. Basically it's no grip and no braking for both.
2NR: Have you competed in various rallies out of the country?RM: In 2000 I ran in the Race of Champions on the Grand Canary Islands, representing the U.S. alongside Shawn Palmer and Robbie Gordon for Team USA. We took third place that year.
2NR: With so many rally cars being campaigned in WRC and other sanctioned events. Which car do you feel is the most capable in terms of rally?RM: If I didn't have a sponsor and had to choose my own car, it would have to be the Lancer Evolution, hands down.