Justin Milliken’s life changed at the blink of an eye in July. Now, the veteran racer is hoping to end what has been a somber year with what would be a storybook ending.
The 36-year-old from Shallotte, North Carolina was injured in the same automobile accident that claimed the life of fellow racer Terry Evans. Evans and Milliken were close friends, on and off the track. The loss of his friend and the injuries Milliken sustained changed his outlook on life.
“It’s been the most difficult year of my life,” Milliken told Race22.com. “This year has changed my entire life. It’s just unreal. It’s like a bad dream but it’s reality. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think I need to call or text Terry. Losing him will be a void I’ll never be able to fill. People like Terry are once in a lifetime.”
Milliken knows he has been given a second chance, and plans to make the most of it.
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be given a second chance and I don’t want to waste it,” Milliken said. “I’m trying to be a better person, better husband and better father. I want to make Terry proud. I don’t want him looking down and saying I screwed up my second chance.
“Mentally and physically, it’s been the toughest thing I’ve ever had to go through,” Milliken continued. “For my family, my dad and my wife, it’s been tough. Racing is a family and this is a family thing that we do. We’re a family. This isn’t a business, we do this because we love this sport and we’re going to continue racing because that’s what Terry would want us to do. Every race we run will be in his honor now.”
While Milliken survived, the physical toll the accident took on him was significant. With broken bones and bruises, Milliken was hospitalized for weeks and had to go through even more weeks of physical therapy before returning to the car in October.
“I broke two vertebrates, a transverse process broke complete off, tore some muscles and that kind of stuff,” Milliken explained. “I was lucky enough that I didn’t have to get surgery. They put in in this huge contraption and, with a lot of praying, everything has healed. I’ve been doing physical therapy. I did in-home physical therapy because I couldn’t get around for the first four or five weeks. Was pretty much on the floor in my house.
“After that, I’ve been doing physical therapy three days a week,” he continued. “It’s been a tough road back but I’m getting strong so I feel pretty good.”
While Milliken, a former Myrtle Beach Speedway track champion, is still on the road to recovery, he says the best healing will come this weekend at his home track.
“Coming down here is the best medicine for all of us,” Milliken commented. “My dad, he loved Terry. Terry was like a second son. It’s good for all of us. The whole family, Terry’s family, they’ll be with me. Terry’s dad and myself are very close. We talk racing almost every day. We did it together and we’re going to continue doing it together.”
In 13 previous attempts, victory lane has eluded Milliken in Myrtle Beach Speedway’s biggest race of the year. He has become the Dale Earnhardt of the Myrtle Beach 400 in a way. He’s been involved in crashes, been in contention at the end, even been leading on the last lap.
If he were to pull off the win on Saturday, it would be a storybook ending to the year.
“It would be divine intervention if we won this weekend,” Milliken stated. “We’ve come so close so many times. We’ve had a great car this year. Terry was our crew chief and we were able to outrun Lee a few races and we were just hitting our stride when the accident happened. We had just won two-in-a-row and beating Lee for us is like Davis vs. Goliath.”
Milliken will be racing in honor of Terry Evans this weekend, and every weekend he’s at the track. On Saturday, he will be carrying Terry Evans on the hood of his car as he looks for redemption in the race that has broken his heart 13 previous times.
“If we were to come out of here with a win this weekend, I would not be able to put into words,” Milliken remarked. “For how long we’ve been trying to win it and the stuff we went through, I don’t think you’d get me out of the car if we won. It would mean the world to me. We’ve tried a long time and will continue to try.”
In the wake of the accident that injured Milliken and killed Evans, the entire racing community came together, whether it was paying for Milliken, visiting him in the hospital or helping out the Evans family during their anguish.
“I can’t say enough about the racing community,” Milliken said. “If I could stand up on a soapbox, I wish I could thank every single person that called, came by, just something for myself or Terry. It’s the most humbling experience of my life. We’re all trying to win races but life is bigger than that. It’s about being a good person. Winning the Myrtle Beach 400 is the most important thing racing wise but, to have people reach out to me and Terry and his family made me realize that, long after we quit, people will remember we were good people and that is more important than anything.”
While Evans’ death took a toll on Milliken and the rest of the racing family at Myrtle Beach, Milliken’s injuries impacted his family as well – mainly wife, Carmen, and daughter, Shelby. During the painstaking weeks after the accident, Carmen stepped up.
“My wife has been by my side,” Milliken stated. “She was my right hand, right leg, left hand, left foot, when I couldn’t even get off the floor. She was having to tend to me and our little baby. She had her hands full, and still trying to work. It’s been tough and I can’t thank her enough.”
While Milliken will think about the events of July 21st every day, this weekend, he hopes he can add a positive memory to them with a victory in the Myrtle Beach 400 – for himself and for his lost friend.
