Dale Jr. Resurrects Classic 2001 Livery For His No. 8 Chevy Late Model: Video

Though Dale Earnhardt Jr. spent just as many years driving the No. 88 NASCAR Chevy as he did his iconic red No. 8, it’s the Budweiser colors that most fans picture when they think of Dale Jr. He brought back the famous No. 8 for select Late Model races last year, and now, he’ll fly under a different livery that’s just as iconic: the white Major League Baseball paint scheme he took to Victory Lane at Daytona in the summer of 2001.

Just like the original car from 2001, Budweiser will sponsor the No. 8 Chevy Late Model, which Dale Jr. will drive in the zMAX CARS Tour event at Anderson Motor Speedway in South Carolina on August 16^th, 2025. The race car features a white base overlaid with red accents, including the spoiler and window trim, and, of course, the iconic No. 8 emblazoned on the doors and roof. It also sports baseball-themed “stitching” in red, meant to mimic the surface of an actual baseball, along with a graphic of a baseball player on either side.

This paint scheme was seen just once when Dale Jr. raced in the Cup Series. It carried him to victory in the 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona in the series’ return to the track after his father’s death in the Daytona 500 just months earlier.

“It is an incredible opportunity to reunite with Budweiser and Major League Baseball,” Dale Jr. said in a statement. “I’ve watched that July 2001 race at Daytona so many times. It’s such a great memory for me. I am excited that we have this chance to collaborate with Bud and MLB to bring that scheme back again because of what it means to me and so many others.”

The race car will also help promote the MLB Speedway Classic, which will pit the Atlanta Braves against the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Dale Jr. recently acquired the rights to the stylized No. 8 that he raced under when he was at his father’s team, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated. However, football player Lamar Jackson took issue with the No. 8 font that Dale Jr.’s team, JR Motorsports, was using, taking legal action against Earnhardt over the number.