Lil' Intimidator
· Yahoo Sports
OSKALOOSA — Wyatt Miller has seen the footage of all those classic races.
The 14-year-old offers no excuses.
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"He did what he had to do to win," Miller said with that familiar smile. "That's just who he was."
Now that's classic Earnhardt.
Miller, who is just starting out his racing career, is just starting out the most recent chapter of his family's historic racing story. The grandson of the legendary 'Intimidator,' Dale Earnhardt, arrived in southern Iowa for the first time racing in the annual Sprint Invaders race in Oskaloosa competing against some of the best sprint car drivers in the world.
The mid-July race at the Southern Iowa Speedway serves as something of a kickoff to the biggest event of the year for all drivers of the winged cars with the 65th running of the Knoxville Nationals being run inside of a month. It's a dream Miller himself is hoping to pursue just as soon as the 14-year-old North Carolina native can.
"You've got to be 16-years-old to drive in the Knoxville Nationals," Miller said. "When I turn 16, I'll be running there."
Much like Dayton was for his grandfather, and Uncle Dale Earnhart, Jr., Miller considers Knoxville to be something of a holy grail in racing. As is family tradition, Miller is starting out his racing career early entering his sixth year competing at some level with the race at Oskaloosa in July proving to be a new learning experience.
"This is the first half-mile race I've ever competed in driving sprint cars," Miller said. "It's a good chance to get a lot of experience in this."
Miller has also raced micro-sprint cars while also competing full time in sprint cars and off-road trucks. Miller has also driven late models and outlaw cars so far in his young racing career.
"I've probably ran in 20 sprint car races this year after I ran in four last year," Miller said. "With every race, I've gotten more and more comfortable. Things are clicking better and better."
Miller's first test on a half-mile dirt track in a sprint car ended slightly early at the Southern Iowa Speedway saw a night of mixed results. After finishing with the 11th-fastest time in hot laps, clocking in his fastest lap in 17.971 seconds, Miller finished sixth in the second of the eight-lap heat race before surging from eighth to fourth in the 12-lap B-feature, qualifying for the 25-lap A-feature race.
Miller finished 20th overall in the Sprint Invaders, racing several laps against many drivers that will trying next month to win the Knoxville Nationals. Miller hopes to be among those drivers in the mix to win that championship by 2028.
"I've driven by the Knoxville Raceway. It's really cool to see that place in person," Miller said. "I've watched a few races there. I can't wait to get there to compete."