Dale Earnhardt Jr. Surprised by Step-Mother’s Disinterest in His Iconic NASCAR Legacy After Years of Gatekeeping

Who wouldn’t recognize the red, black, and white Budweiser car with the number 8 slashed on its side? It carries immense nostalgia for the entire NASCAR community. Back when Dale Earnhardt Jr. was making a name for himself in the Cup Series, he drove this iconic car to 291 starts, including 17 victories between 1999 and 2007. In fact, this is the very #8 he drove on July 7, 2001, and won the Pepsi 400 at Daytona—just months after his father’s death on the same track.

The No. 8 Chevrolet at DEI stood at Victory Lane during several golden moments. For instance, Dale Earnhardt Jr. earned his first Cup Series win in the DirecTV 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in 2000. He broke the record of fewer starts before one’s first win, previously held by his father. However, his father’s death also brought up internal conflicts within the family as Teresa Earnhardt, Junior’s stepmother, took control of Dale Earnhardt Incorporated.

When Junior tried to move to Hendrick along with No.8, Teresa refused to give up her rights to it. As a result, he had to go for two 8s on his then-new car with Hendrick Motorsports. A No. 88 Chevrolet. But the driver never forgot about #8. So now, after 17 long years, he is set to enthrall his fans in the same race car soon. And this turn of events still baffles him.

Their rivalry has featured the media headlines for years, as Dale Sr.’s widow steadfastly clung to the trading rights of the No. 8 car and the DEI team. Maybe time softened her rigid mindset. Dale Earnhardt Jr. discussed the topic in a Dale Jr. Download episode: “It’s the first time that we’ll have driven the car on a racetrack in competition in 17 years.”

Further expressing his surprise that his stepmother chose a peaceful path and let the renewal period expire, Junior added, “I never thought that the trademark would not be renewed. I was certainly surprised when Teresa decided not to renew that trademark. Not sure why…so we applied.”

Then Dale Earnhardt Jr. went on to hail Teresa’s undeniable efforts all these years to protect his father’s legacy. The latter tragically passed away in the 2001 Daytona 500. After all, The Intimidator is a legend in motorsports beyond NASCAR. “One of the things that I really appreciate about Teresa is her ability and awareness in terms of protecting trademarks and likenesses. She was always really great at making sure that she took really good care of those things when it came to Dad, when it came to me, or DEI, or all of those things.”

In exchange for Teresa Earnhardt’s change of heart, Dale Jr. has reignited an amazing partnership.

Budweiser: Racing and beer reunited once again!

NASCAR is a sport that thrives on sponsorships and has produced several iconic tie-ups between teams and brands. They include Winston, STP, GM Goodwrench, Lowe’s, and, of course, Anheuser-Busch. The beer brand sits in the Hall of Fame with its two flagships, Budweiser and Busch.

Budweiser hit the tracks in the late 1970s and has accumulated 64 wins with several drivers. But its partnership with Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been the loudest. It trumpeted his victories in the No. 8 car during his early days. The beer brand and the “Bud King of Beers” scheme are sponsoring Dale Jr. for the South Carolina 400. Florence Motor Speedway will ring out in cheers from beer-loving Dale Jr. fans this November.

And Dale Earnhardt Jr. is equally excited about this reignited tie-up. “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.”

Matt Davis, Vice President of Partnerships at Anheuser-Busch, agrees. “There are names that when mentioned, draw on the significance of their place in American history. Among them, Budweiser, and Earnhardt. 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.”

Evidently, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is riding waves of emotions as fans cannot wait to see the No. 8 car again. We can only wait and see what a spectacle that car would be in Florence next month in the South Carolina 400. Dale Jr. plans to compete in a limited series of late-model stock car races in 2024 and 2025.