Over NASCAR’s 75 years of existence, a key factor has highlighted itself as the sport’s most prominent feature: Family. Whether running family-owned teams or following in a relative’s racing footsteps, NASCAR drivers have never shied away from keeping the passion for motorsports alive through the generations. And what could be a better example of the same than the Earnhardt family?

We all know of the legendary family legacy kickstarted by Ralph Earnhardt in the 50s, taken to new heights by Dale Earnhardt in the 80s and 90s, and set in stone by Earnhardt Junior in the 2000s. And now, a new candidate has joined the campaign to preserve the Earnhardt legacy after Ralph Earnhardt’s great-grandson, Wyatt Miller, mesmerized fans with a dominant weekend in the Restricted Class at the Tulsa Shootout. But the story was a little different for the Busch family.

A push for Brexton Busch and the Golden Driller for Wyatt Miller!

It’s December 29, and Kyle Busch is battling for sixth place against Ace Moore in the Stock Non-Wing event. Coming out of the final corner, the two drivers make contact, sending Bush flipping. With his car turned upside-down with significant damage, the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion is forced to retire. Fast forward to December 31, eight-year-old Brexton Busch is in the battle for third place in the Junior Sprint A-Feature. But the two cars in front of him made contact, pushing Brexton into the wall. Almost identical to his father’s flip, Busch Jr.’s car turned upside-down but completed a full rotation. The young driver continued the race and crossed the line in 12th place. However, the story would be quite different for Earnhardt Jr’s nephew.

Wyatt Miller kicked things off with a strong pole position, which helped him maintain the lead for all 20 laps of the race, ultimately achieving glory in the Restricted Class. He would be awarded the coveted Golden Driller trophy for his dominant performance, which stood out amongst the 139 entries. The youngest Earnhardt racer’s win was a welcoming surprise for all those who tuned in, especially Dale Earnhardt Jr. He took to X to commend Miller on his heroics on the dirt track, “Congrats to nephew Wyatt Miller! Big win with @_CBIndustries @BrandtRick @BassProShops at the Tulsa Shootout. Great coverage @FloRacing.”

Wyatt Miller’s Tulsa Shootout heroics add yet another impressive victory to his Dirt Track resume after winning the Outlaw Wing Heat race earlier. Miller participated in four classes over the weekend – Restricted Wing, Stock Non-Wing, Restricted A-Class Wing, and Outlaw-Wing but would find the most success in the Restricted A-Class Wing with the grand slam victory.

In the post-race interview, Miller seemed ecstatic to take home the Golden Driller award but felt the competition was right up there, too. He shared, “I definitely didn’t think it was that easy because Jett Nunley was outside of me. And behind me, and everywhere, was good people. But we had a really good car. I want to thank CB Industries, Carlin, Mike, everyone that helps me, Brandt Agriculture, and everyone else.”

It’s safe to say the Earnhardt Racing family will soon have another young talent adding big race victories to the legacy, much like this one at the Tulsa Shootout. However, Miller may not have ended up with the Golden Driller if things had unfolded differently at the start.

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Last year’s Restricted Feature winner, Jett Nunley, was right on Miller’s tale at the start of the feature race. This put Miller in a tough spot as Nunley was eager to retain his glory from 2022. Miller and Nunley would make contact as the pair battled for the lead on the opening lap, resulting in Nunley spinning out and having to return to third once more. The incident rubbed Nunley the wrong way as he lost out on a potential back-to-back victory.

Reflecting on the incident post-race, Miller dismissed their contact as calmly as Earnhardt Jr would in front of the media, sharing, “He sort of shocked me, I don’t know what he’s mad about so. But no we had a really good car.” Miller’s victory brings the second Golden Driller to CB International’s side after Braxton Flatt dominated the Junior Sprint A Main to seal a successful outing for the team at the 2023 Tulsa Shootout.

It’s safe to say that the Earnhardt family’s legacy will not stop expanding anytime soon, especially with Wyatt Miller cementing the next generation Earnhardt’s ability to deliver dominant performances much like his bloodline.

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