“Second time was the charm”: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s nephew thanks the NASCAR legend amid major racing triumph

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s nephew, Wyatt Miller, secured his first Limited Late Model victory at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway. The 13-year-old reached victory lane in just his second start and expressed gratitude to his NASCAR Hall of Famer uncle and JR Motorsports.

Miller started in pole position at the 35-lap Limited Late Model feature at the 0.363-mile oval on Saturday, March 22. After leading early, he reclaimed the top spot in the final laps and held off Aiden King to secure his first-ever feature win in an asphalt stock car race.

Wyatt Miller, son of Kelley Earnhardt Miller and LW Miller, took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate his first Late Model victory, remarking that the "second time was the charm." He made his debut at the same track on March 8, finishing an impressive second. After his recent win, he expressed gratitude to his uncle, Dale Jr., and JR Motorsports.

"Second time was the charm @hickoryspeedway 🏆 Thank you so much to my team, sponsors, @JRMotorsports and @DaleJr for all your support and help. We are just getting started!!" he wrote on X.

Born into NASCAR's most popular racing family, Wyatt Miller, grandson of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt, took up racing in 2020. Over the years, he has cut his teeth in Micro and Outlaw karts and won the 2024 Tulsa Shootout Restricted Micro title.

The 13-year-old added to his family's storied legacy with his maiden asphalt stock car victory at Hickory Motor Speedway. He is set to make his Dirt Late Model debut in April, competing in a 604 Crate Late Model at Natural Bridge Speedway, Virginia.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflects on his nephew's maiden Late Model outing

Wyatt Miller made his Limited Late Model debut on March 8 at Hickory Motor Speedway, a track where the Earnhardt family has raced for decades. The 13-year-old received a call from his uncle before his debut, as Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked him to prioritize finishing the race.

Miller finished second in his debut race, with Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressing pride in his nephew's strong performance. He said on a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download episode:

"I called him before the race and said, 'This is your first race, no pressure, I don't care where you finish. All I care about is that you cross the finish line.' So he's out there running like 3rd and 4th and looked like he was going to finish there. They had some late yellows that positioned him to be able to go for it at the end and he almost won. I was real proud of that."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. also reflected on the Earnhardt family's rich history at the historic 0.363-mile oval. Since its opening in 1951, Wyatt Miller's great-grandfather, Ralph Earnhardt, won track championships, while his grandfather, Dale Sr., secured multiple victories.

Kelley Earnhardt Miller also used to race Late Models at Hickory in the 90s and his father LW Miller has raced modifieds at the track. Dale Jr. has also raced on the track early in his career.