Rod Millen

Rodney K. "Rod" Millen (born 22 March 1951) is a racing competitor, vehicle designer, and business owner. He has competed in numerous genres of motorsports, including rally racing, off-road racing, hillclimbing, drifting, and super touring.

Rod Millen was born in New Zealand. Millen is the father of Rhys Millen and Ryan Millen, and the brother of Steve Millen. All have raced in various types of motorsports. Rod's son Rhys has raced with him in the Baja 1000. Early in life Millen was trained as a surveyor, but he decided to race for a living. He is married to Shelly Campbell, the Event Director for the Leadfoot Festival held each February in Hahei, New Zealand.

Millen began racing in the New Zealand Rally Championship. He was the season champion in 1975, 1976, and 1977 driving Mazda Rx3s. Millen decided to move to the United States in 1978 to do rally races in the United States, again with a Mazda Rotary powered vehicle, the Rx7. He won the North American Race and Rally Championship in 1979.

He repeated as the champion of the North American Race and Rally in 1980. In 1981 he won the SCCA PRO Rally, and he won his second series championship in 1985. He won back to back SCCA National Rally Championships in 1987 and 1988.

While winning his third straight SCCA National Rally Championship in 1989, he also won the FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship. In 1989 he raced against his brother Steve in IMSA's 24 Hours of Daytona. He won the GTU division of the race with codrivers Al Bacon and Bob Reed. He began competing in major hillclimbing events, and in 1989 he won the Class C division at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

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