Dale Earnhardt Jr. has expressed his desire to own a NASCAR Cup Series team. But for some reason or another, he’s never put that plan in motion despite the success story at the Xfinity level. One of the big reasons that has kept Dale Jr. away from this ambitious plan is the surging value of charters along with a lack of financial stability for the team owners.

Let us put it this way: Dale Jr. isn’t willing to risk his life savings to fund his Cup Series dream. And in the past, he’s revealed that he might be able to give this idea a thought if he had a partner or financial backing. But, going by the recent developments in particular with the return of the iconic #8 Budweiser car, it looks like Jr. won’t have to worry about the money anymore.

According to a report by Adam Stern from Sports Business Journal, Dale Jr. and Budweiser’s reunion saw JR Motorsports sell six figures worth of merchandise. The #8 Bud car will roll out on the racetrack for the first time since 2007 in the late model series races. Budweiser sponsored Dale Earnhardt Jr. for nine years in NASCAR, and the return of the iconic sponsorship saw NASCAR fans rush to grab their hands on the merchandise.

There was a wide variety of options for the fans to choose from. It includes $250 worth of autographed replica helmets, $140 autographed die-cast toys, $27 hats, $10 signs, and $5 Koozies. It’s only been a week, and it’s fair to say the merchandise has been a huge hit among the NASCAR community. Who now believes that the six-figure merch sale windfall should allow Jr. to reignite his Cup ownership dream?

Can Budweiser help Dale Jr. in his dream project?

The current value for the charters is reportedly around $25–30 million. Jr. might be hesitant to shell out that much cash out of his pocket, but there’s also the scenario of 23XI and NASCAR involved in the lawsuit. And this legal battle just might allow Jr. an opportunity to plant the seeds for his own team, according to this race fan. “Surely this will be what permits jr to buy a cup team!! He uses the extra charters from the lawsuit!! JR to cup 2025.”

Highlighting the flip side of this prospect, another fan chimed in with their suggestions. “I could bring in some financial support to acquire charters,” this was Dale Jr.’s alternative plan to acquire ownership of a Cup team. He wasn’t sold on the idea of banking on charters to get a return on his investment. This is why this fan believes that he won’t go on a spending spree despite the revival of the iconic partnership with Budweiser and its success. “What Jr wants is somebody to more or less fund the team themselves and put him in charge. He has no interest in actually paying to have a cup team.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a net worth close to $300 million, and he has several other business ventures outside of racing. He owns a media production company named Dirty Mo Media and has entered the spirit market with the High Rock Vodka. These are just a few examples of his extensive business portfolio, so if he wants, he could easily grab a charter, but he is smart with his investment. Highlighting the same, a user on Reddit sharing his take added, “Jr. could most certainly afford it. He just doesn’t want to spend all that money. Which is fair.”

Given NASCAR’s legal troubles and the future of the charters in the air, this probably isn’t the best time to buy new charters. It has to be noted that both 23XI Racing and FRM’s purchase of the SHR charters hasn’t been approved yet. This was enough reason for a fan to conclude that Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t buy the charter despite the merch sale success. “Still won’t buy charter lol.”

Meanwhile, a Reddit user was surprised to see the merchandise sale reaching only six figures in over a week. Fans on social media have been quite vocal about their spending and are even willing to take a dent in their wallet with Budweiser merchandise. This is why this fan wrote, “Honestly surprised it didn’t do 7 figures.”

What was your pick from the Bud 8 merchandise options, and which items are on your wish list? Do let us know in the comments below.