Though he raced with the No. 88 on the door of his Chevy race cars in the twilight years of his Cup Series career, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is perhaps most well-known for his red-and-black No. 8 Chevy with the Budweiser logo splashed across the hood. When Earnhardt parted ways with Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI) at the end of the 2007 season, the era of the Budweiser No. 8 ended, but Dale Jr. will bring the iconic livery back from the dead in select Late Model races.
After nearly 17 years, the stylized No. 8 from early in Earnhardt’s career has been resurrected, complete with his famous Bud King of Beers paint scheme. The livery will decorate his Chevy Camaro Late Model, which is fielded by Earnhardt’s own racing team, JR Motorsports (JRM). Prior to his departure from DEI, Earnhardt raced his scarlet No. 8 Chevy for nine Cup Series seasons with Budweiser on the hood as his primary sponsor.
“There are names that when mentioned, draw on the significance of their place in American history. Among them, Budweiser, and Earnhardt,” said Matt Davis, Vice-President of Partnerships at Anheuser-Busch, in JRM team statement. “This return to the racetrack alongside Dale with the Bud King of Beers paint scheme is another chapter in Anheuser-Busch’s long and storied sports history.”
Dale Jr.’s first Late Model race with the Budweiser scheme will be at Florence Motor Speedway for the South Carolina 400 on November 23rd, 2024. The race will be exclusively broadcast on FloRacing.
“It is an incredible opportunity for me to be able to reunite with Budweiser, and the No. 8,” Dale Jr. said. “Budweiser and I had some great memories with that iconic scheme and number. We’ve always supported each other over the years. It’s going to be really special for me to be able to represent that brand on the racetrack again.”
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Hard to believe it’s been 17 years, seems like yesterday!
Look forward to seeing him driving it again!