Miles the Monster is the face, albeit not so pretty face, of Dover International Speedway. He was born in 1969, the same year as the first NASCAR race at the speedway.
DT: You appear in many forms: action figure, plush doll, comic book character, logo, trophy and giant monument. Are you worried that you’re overexposed?
MM: No, not at all. Actually, I am always working to increase my star power. I have a bunch of development deals in the works, including feature length films, a new reality series and a series of young-adult romance novels. Expect to see more of me, everywhere.
DT: You seem to be constantly angry. Why?
MM: I’m a monster. I’m angry by nature.
DT: Your eyes are as red as a fire truck. Have you considered using Visine?
MM: I have been sending letters to the good folks at Visine for years, trying to get a “monster-strength” formula that will work for me. No luck so far.
DT: Are you a good guy or a bad guy?
MM: Do you know many “good” monsters?
DT: Where do you live?
MM: In a lair under the Monster Monument at Dover International Speedway.
DT: Do you have family?
MM: I’d prefer to keep my private life private.
DT: What’s your favorite food?
MM: Sheet metal and battery acid
DT: Who is your favorite driver?
MM: Joey Logano. Anyone that can bounce back from that crash I created in the fall 2009 race is someone I respect.
DT: Who is your least favorite driver?
MM: Richard Petty and Bobby Allison. They each have seven wins here. I don’t like that.
DT: Favorite actor?
MM: John C. Reilly. I loved him in “Days of Thunder” and “Talladega Nights.”
DT: Favorite song?
MM: It’s always been the “Monster Mash,” but lately, my iPod won’t stop playing “Dirty Deeds” by AC/DC.
DT: Favorite film?
MM: A friend of mine, King Kong, always makes good films. But right now, Cars 2 is a favorite.
DT: What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen during a race at the Monster Mile?
MM: The race here on Sept. 23, 2001, was the first major U.S. sporting event held after 9/11. Every person in the grandstands had a flag in their hand, and the chants of “U.S.A.” still ring in my head. There wasn’t a dry eye in the place. Heck, I’m a monster, and even I was emotional. It was an amazing display of patriotism, and the upcoming race weekend is the 10-year anniversary of that event.
DT: You look pretty chiseled. Do you work out?
MM: Funny you ask. These are not store-bought muscles, achieved from hours in the gym. These are real muscles, from years of crushing cars and wreaking havoc.
DT: Boxers or briefs?
MM: Neither. Commando.
