Budweiser chief Steve Uline recently recalled a story involving Dale Earnhardt, which added to the late driver’s allure as the “Intimidator.” Sitting at a long dinner table, Earnhardt looked at Uline and asked him, “Do you and I have a problem?” Well, there wasn’t any, but that is how Earnhardt operated. There was another side to him, a charitable one, which his son has keenly followed and his latest partnership with Budweiser is another proof of that.

Charity and NASCAR are in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s DNA. So much so that in his NASCAR Hall of Honor’s artifact case hangs an award from a charity he has supported for years. It was formed in 1980 to help achieve the wishes of critically ill children. The charity is Make-a-Wish and the award, a metal star, celebrates Earnhardt’s fulfillment of 200 wishes. And now, Dale Jr. is taking another initiative.

Last month, it was announced that Dale Jr. will return to drive the historic No. 8 Chevrolet with the iconic Bud King of Beers paint scheme at the South Carolina 400 on November 23 at Florence Motor Speedway. Not only this, but, he’s bringing back the No. 8 for his fans in a significant way.

In an Instagram reel, the third-generation racer said, “Since we are running the Bud A Car at Florence this coming weekend…Thought I would offer up some cool items on the Dale Jr. Foundation website for auction. These items come out of my personal storage.” The collaboration combines nostalgia with a meaningful cause, making it a must-watch for both longtime supporters and new fans alike.

In the video, Earnhardt Jr. added, “I have it in storage in a bunch of bins and decided to go looking through those. My sister Kelley and a few other girls from the foundation went to work and picked out some items that they thought you might like. I have autographed those and you can bid on them.

It would raise some great money for the foundation. And, we are always trying to do what we can to continue to support our communities and nationwide as well with charities we work with. These are items that are original, they have been in my storage for 20-25 years and now they can be somebody else’s.”

This initiative isn’t just about celebrating the past—it’s a testament to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s commitment to giving back, blending his racing legacy with his passion for making a difference. Earlier in the video, he also talked about how people keep bringing him stuff they have collected, which he already possesses.

“People bring me old Bud stuff all the time and want to get it to me, items they collected over the years, 20-25 years ago. I have to tell them every time, I’m like, ‘Man we have everything. We kept everything. If they made it, we’ve got some prototypes and some samples of anything and everything they made. Snowboards, skateboards obviously tin signs and shirts, diecast and everything. If it got made, we got it.”

The Dale Earnhardt Jr. Foundation focuses on “giving underprivileged individuals with a focus on youth, the resources to improve their confidence and education and the opportunity to achieve extraordinary goals.”  Last year, the foundation raised $1.3 million as it supported nearly 70 groups, organizations, and charities. The organizations that benefitted from this included Blessings in Backpack, Children’s Hope Alliance, Classroom Central, FeedNC, Pat’s Place Children’s Advocacy Center, Pharos Parenting, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation among many others. Founded in 2007, the organization has raised more than $11 million to help those in need.

Earnhardt Jr. like his father has always been big on charity, something he noted in his 2021 induction speech. “My dad granted a lot of wishes, Jeff Gordon, all the people that I knew as drivers and guys I looked up to, I just was following the examples that they set for me…We still try to continue that (make a difference) with the (Dale Jr.) Foundation. It’s awesome. You see the impact that you have on somebody’s life first-hand,” he said.

Meanwhile, he is gearing up for an iconic reunion with Budweiser and the paint scheme will make its return to the track for the first time in 17 years on November 23

Dale Jr. and Budweiser: An Iconic Reunion

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s partnership with Budweiser has remained quite popular, so much so that when they recently announced their reunion, JR Motorsports quickly sold merchandise worth six figures. Items like autographed helmets, die-cast models, hats, signs, and koozies flew off the shelves, with the merchandise launch perfectly timed with the announcement of the iconic collaboration. For racing fans who grew up watching NASCAR in the early 2000s, this reunion after a 17-year break evokes strong feelings of nostalgia for a beloved era.

Steve Uline, the founder and managing director at Cutthroat Branding, discussed the impact Dale Earnhardt Jr. has had on Bud during an episode of the Dale Jr. Download podcast. Uline added, “When we did that deal, I said to myself, this is gonna be the best deal I ever do in sports marketing and I originally wasn’t even a motorsports aficionado…He (Dale Jr.) took us places that we would have never gone and I think we also took him places. We were cool, he was cool. He was a rockstar. The excitement that it created through the whole system was immediate.”

Additionally, Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared in the excitement over the possibility of a reunion, saying, “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 special for me to be able to represent that brand on the racetrack again.”

Under the agreement, the beverage company will back Junior for a select number of Late Model Stock Car races in 2025, bringing back a classic paint scheme—red, white, and black—that is sure to remind fans of the blast from the past. Know that you know, isn’t it fun that the Budweiser franchise from Dale Jr.’s storage will now be on auction?