NASCAR
New Earnhardt Racer On Horizon? Wyatt Miller, ‘Intimidator’s’ Teenage Grandson, Debuts With P2 at Hickory
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry, in both print and digital media. He ed the Sportscasting team in 2021 following a decade of freelancing. He spent his early career as a reporter for various newspapers in Illinois, New York, Florida, North Carolina, and Michigan, with a particular emphasis as a beat reporter for the Chicago Blackhawks. Jeff earned his bachelor's degree in journalism from Oakland University. Over the course of his career he earned several sports writing awards, including two national awards from the Associated Press Sports Editors for column writing and news reporting. One of the five prized columns included a commentary on Get to know Jeff Hawkins better
Published09 Mar 2025
Another brick in the Earnhardt stock-car racing dynasty-in-the-making could be fermenting on the North Carolina regional racing scene.
Wyatt Miller, 13, made his Limited Late Model debut at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway and earned a runner-up finish Saturday night.
Like his NASCAR Cup Series Hall of Fame grandfather, Dale Earnhardt Sr., Miller attempted to bump eventual winner William Aldred during a last-lap altercation.
Miller ran in the top five for most of the 35-lap feature. Displaying patience and taking advantage of a late-race opportunity, Miller was in a position to challenge for the checkered flag. Aldred held him off.
“Hats off to him,” Miller said, as reported by ShortTrackScene.com. “There at the end, I just tried to move him out of the way a little bit.
“It didn’t work.”
Hickory Motor Speedway is celebrating its 75-year anniversary of hosting stock-car racing events.
First Limited Late Model race of the night at @hickoryspeedway was a BARN BURNER!
William Aldred JUST holding off Wyatt Miller.
Debut race at #HickorySpeedway and ON ASPHALT for Miller tonight. pic.twitter.com/52t8i6wirc
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) March 8, 2025
Michael Bumgarner Finds Way Around Hickory
In the Late Model Stock feature, Michael Bumgarner continued to dominate the 0.363-mile venue deemed “The Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.”
Bumgarner, the defending track champion, claimed his second 75-lap feature win over the series’ opening two weeks. He started from the pole and held off challenges from Austin McDaniel and Graham Holler to take the checkered flag.
“Just a really bad fast race car,” Bumgarner said. “I was just trying to take care of it until 30 laps to go and then just worked to maintain the gap I have the easy job at this operation.”
Late Model Stock Results
Here are Saturday’s top-five results of the Late Model Stock 75-lap feature at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway:
- 1. Michael Bumgarner
- 2. Austin McDaniel
- 3. Graham Holler
- 4. Charlie Watson
- 5. Akinori Ogata
Seeing pics of more improvements at @hickoryspeedway makes me so so happy. 😊😊😊 Such an awesome race track with unreal potential to be even more!!!!
📸 Kevin McElvaine pic.twitter.com/HrceOVmggQ
— Matthew Dillner (@MatthewDillner) February 23, 2025
