Fred Miller
Fred Miller, more commonly known as “Waterbed Fred,” started his career in drag racing in 1968 when he was racing a ’68 F/S Oldsmobile. In 1971 he accepted a position as one of the crew members of Bob Riggle’s “Hemi Under Glass.” This set the pattern for Fred’s continued involvement in the sport where he is recognized as one of the top crew members and authorities in drag racing.
In 1972, Fred left drag racing to compete in the motorcycle world as a part of the Maico Trans AM Moto Cross Team. This lasted only a year, and in 1973 Fred returned to drag racing, where he joined Dale Emery on the Jegs Racing Team. This proved to be a winning combination as the team won the 1973 NHRA Grand Nationals in Montreal, Canada, and the 1974 Winternationals in Pomona, California. He moved camps again 1974, joining Billy Meyer’s Funny Car.
In 1975, Fred made the move that brought him the recognition he deserved when he joined the famed Blue Max Racing Team of Raymond Beadle and Harry Schmidt. This was home for Fred for twelve years. In 1977, working side by side with Dale Emery again, they earned the Supertuner “Crew of the Year” award and also a spot on the Car Craft Magazine All Star Team with a repeat of the All Star Team award again the next year.
Waterbed was a very integral part of the Blue Max team during its heyday, a period during which it won 36 National events and six World Championships between NHRA and IHRA. In 1987, Fred retired from his full-time involvement with racing, but he isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty if someone needs and extra hand to make the next round.
While Fred has left the day-to-day thrashing to others, he is still a part of drag racing and as Asset Manager of drag racing for Action Performance Companies, Inc., Fred is now helping race team owners gain additional exposure for their cars by involving them in the die-cast model program at Action.