For most, it would be like a dream come true to race under the prestigious No. 3 banner. And for the Intimidator’s son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., the dream came true one last time in 2010 when he raced in the No. 3 in a Nationwide event at Daytona. However, he made it clear that it was a one-time homage to the NASCAR legend and his father, Dale Earnhardt, saying that he had “no intentions of making it a habit.” While this tradition stopped, a new one is emerging.

With the fourth Earnhardt generation coming in hot and the pressure of being up to mark and the legacy remaining, they are definitely living up to it. Recently, one of Dale Earnhardt’s grandsons opened up about his inspiration behind his racing number, and the NASCAR Cup Series Champion has no part to play in it.

Wyatt Miller takes after his father’s racing number

When asked the reason behind racing with No.73,  Wyatt Miller’s answer was simple.

“I run 73 because that was dad’s number. He beat Burt a lot with that number.”

This was in a sit-down conversation with Burt Myers, LW Miller as part of The Orange Bumper podcast. Myers couldn’t help but smile and cackle up a “Touche” upon the younger Miller’s answer.

And it is true. The three-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion LW Miller ran the No.73 car during his career, but only briefly and much later than when the number first became part of the family racing history. The No. 73 originally appeared under Kim Miller, LW Miller’s family team, between 1999 and 2003 in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, establishing the number as a recognizable part of the legacy.

Again in 2011, Miller took to the No. 73 car, the year he beat Burt Myers. Myers, the one who has amassed over a hundred career wins in the Bowman Gray Stadium, went up against LW Miller a couple of times. That year, Miller famously held off Burt Myers in a tense showdown at Bowman Gray Stadium to take a big win, a race that added fuel to what by then was already a similar rivalry between the two.

“By the end of the second year I ran the Northern Tour, I won Martinsville, which was the biggest race you could win. I did. For a little bit. The Northern Tour wasn’t about to probably let a Southern Tour driver win,” Miller said, reflecting on the wins.

Moreover, Myers couldn’t help but praise LW Miller, adding, “When LW came in, he really forced the rest of us to step our game up. When he came in and you had really good equipment and resources and was winning races, it was either keep following LW or step your game up. That’s the thing that stuck out to me when you first started racing with us.”

And that’s the kind of legacy Wyatt Miller wants to continue.

Being the grandson of Dale Earnhardt and the son of two racers, the gene didn’t keep the 13-year-old; he has quickly become one of the most talked about young prospects in grassroots racing. After starting in Outlaw Karts and micros around 2020 and stacking up more than 70 wins across multiple divisions, he broke out on the national stage last year by winning the restricted A-class feature at the Tulsa Shootout, leading every lap to claim his first golden driller.

Since then, the 13-year-old has expanded his racing portfolio beyond dirt. In 2025, he made only his second limited late-model start at Hickory Motor Speedway and immediately delivered, grabbing the pole and going on to win the race despite heavy pressure in the closing laps. His determination at the grassroots level has drawn eyeballs. And true to Dale Earnhardt’s respect for grassroots-level racing, NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace recently spoke about what the Intimidator told him once.

Moreover, that momentum hasn’t slowed. For 2025, Wyatt has committed to a full season in the Champ Off-Road Series Pro-Spec talk division with Ryan Beat Motorsports, showing impressive range by adding off-road racing to our schedule already packed with pavement late models and both winged and non-winged micros.

Whether on dirt, asphalt, or the off-road course, the 13-year-old is steadily transforming from an Earnhardt family prospect into one of the most versatile and promising young racers in American motorsports. And joining him to continue the legacy is none other than Bobby Earnhardt.

Bobby Earnhardt lands his first full-time ARCA Series deal

Last week, Bobby Earnhardt, the grandson of seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Dale Earnhardt and the son of former racer Kerry Earnhardt, announced that he is set on the full ARCA Menards Series schedule next year with Rise Motorsports.

He also shares the track legacy with his younger brother, current NASCAR driver Jeffrey Earnhardt. Bobby made a quiet but meaningful return to ARCA earlier this year, his first appearance since 2017.

In 2025, he ran two ARCA races, Bristol and Kansas, but both outings ended in DNFs after accidents took him out early. However, with a career-best ARCA effort of 19th at Elko Speedway in 2017, he has shown potential that Rise Motorsports now hopes to tap into.

Rise Motorsports team owner Tim Goulet expressed high confidence in the move, saying, “We’re thrilled to have Bobby join our program for the 2026 season. He’s hungry, he’s focused, and he connects with fans in a way that fits perfectly with the vision of our team. This is a big move for Rise Motorsports, and we’re ready to take the next step together.”

And now with the newer generation of Earnhardts surfacing, all eyes will be on them as they make their way up to the Cup Series.