We all know that Dale Earnhardt Jr. loves racing and giving back to the sport. Most importantly, he loves to win. The hope is that more winning is on the horizon in 2026, as the NASCAR great has just finished putting together his three-driver Late Model team.
Jr. Motorsports announced Friday that Caden Kvapil will race full-time in the No. 88 Chevrolet car, while Wyatt Miller has joined part-time to drive the No. 73 Chevrolet. That’s in addition to Earnhardt Jr. himself getting behind the wheel of the No. 8, though those dates will be revealed at a later date.
Advertisement
Jr. Motorsports’ 2025 Late Model Performance
As of now, there is no set schedule on the races to be run. Nonetheless, the team will run, and they will run to win. Earnhardt Jr. will now offer what may be the best equipped team on the scene. He also has three stellar drivers behind the wheel, including himself.
In 2025, the team was the same three-car setup; however, they ran just four races: Cordell Motor Speedway (Georgia), Anderson Motor Speedway (South Carolina), Florence Motor Speedway (South Carolina), and Tri-Count Motor Speedway (North Carolina).
Advertisement
Caden Kvapil (No. 88)
Kvapil made four career starts in the CARS Pro Late Model Tour back in 2022, per Racing Reference. In that, he won one race and finished top 10 every time he ran.
Kvapil may be a familiar name to racing fans. Caden is the son of former NASCAR driver, Travis Kvapil, and the younger brother of Jr. Motorsports Team driver, Carson Kvapil.
Back in 2023, Kvapil won the CARS Pro Late Model Tour Championship. He continues a drive toward a hopeful NASCAR career, with his father by his side.
Advertisement
Kvapil has been running late models for some time now. He now is 19 years old and with more success, he could eventually see a rise into the ARCA Menards Series and, perhaps, the true NASCAR scene.
Wyatt Miller (No. 73)
It is no surprise at all that Miller is now racing under Earnhardt Jr. He is the nephew of Earnhardt Jr., being the son of Dale’s sister, Kelley Earnhardt-Miller.
Miller began racing Karts in 2020. He has won an array of races on the scene. In 2025, Miller ran the Champ Off Road Series Pro Spec Truck Series for Ryan Beat Motorsports. In fact, Miller ran a whole bunch of series in 2025, marking over 80 races, per his website.
Advertisement
In 2026, Miller will be 14 years old, hoping to keep rising in the racing scene.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. talks with late model driver Ryley Music before qualifying for the 16th Annual Hampton Heat at Langley Speedway. Imagn
(Imagn)
Joining the young prodigies, Earnhardt Jr. will race his own car alongside. In his famed No. 8 car, Earnhardt Jr. will be the guiding light of the team, hoping to help them reach great success.
In 2025, Earnhardt Jr. expanded his reach to race in Late Models. In that, he reunited with the No. 8 brand to race a car, sponsored by Sun Drop and Budweiser. He did finish best in 10th place, hoping to improve much further in 2026 with his team.
Advertisement
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
