Two giants, one number, and a story that’s got us hooked. Dale Jr., NASCAR’s beloved heir, has the number 8 etched into his legacy, from his Budweiser glory days to Junior Motorsports. When Teresa Earnhardt let the Budweiser 8 trademark lapse, Dale saw a shot to reclaim it. Dale’s quest to reunite with Budweiser to bring back the legendary red-and-black No. 8 Chevy for Late Model Stock Car races in 2024 and 2025, kicking off November 23, 2024, at Florence Motor Speedway. “It’s incredible to reunite with Budweiser and the No. 8,” Dale said, calling it a special moment. JR Motorsports had announced that Sammy Smith will drive the stylized No. 8 in the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series.

But right as that hype was building, Lamar Jackson stepped in with a trademark challenge, and suddenly, we were all on edge. Lamar Jackson, the Ravens’ superstar QB, has made that same digit his NFL calling card. But then Lamar contested it, and social media went wild. “Earnhardt Jr.’s) mark falsely suggests a connection with persons, living or dead, namely, Lamar Jackson, who is well known by the number 8,” Jackson’s argument said.

Fans picked sides, tempers flared, and everyone was left wondering if this would get ugly. Junior put it to rest with a simple statement. “Through the USPTO, we successfully secured the rights to the stylized (#8). Therefore, we will be moving away from the original (#8) we have used since 2019.” Junior hadn’t backed down. He simply read the fine print.

Then Junior spilled it all, and his words hit hard. It wasn’t just legal noise. He revealed, “The eight trademark situation with Lamar Jackson to kind of give a timeline, if you will. So we learned that the Budweiser number eight trademark is not going to be continued and renewed by Teresa. Haven’t talked to Teresa. Don’t know why that was her decision, but we saw an opportunity to pick up the number, see if we could get the trademark. Without the trademark, we can run the number. Anyone can. We can use the number, no problem. Did we have a trademark for the current number 8 Junior Motorsports number that we’ve been running since 2019?”

Why’d Teresa drop it, you ask? On SiriusXM’s “On Track,” Larry  McReynolds told Danielle Trotta it took “15-plus years” because Teresa clung to it for sentiment and cash from die-cast sales. Trotta wondered if it was just ego, too. Now, Teresa’s eyeing a bigger payday, turning 399 acres near Dale Earnhardt Inc. into an industrial park.

Junior continued his saga, “No, there was no trademark for that number. So we filed for the Bud 8 trademark. We have succeeded in that process, and as a backup plan, filed for the trademark on the Junior Motorsports number eight that Josh Berry and all those guys have been running for the last couple of years. Well, I learned on social media about the same time as everybody else did that Lamar was contesting our trademark application. He wasn’t suing me. He’s just contesting it. And there’s a part of the trademark process where if you believe somebody’s applying for a trademark and it’s going to hurt your brand, you can oppose it, right? And say, I need this. I need y’all to look at this first.”

In such a situation, Junior knew if this stretched out, it would hamper his plans with the No. 8 car, and he scrambled to find a solution. Imagine his surprise when his sister, Kelley Earnhardt Miller, revealed to him how quickly the entire situation would end.

“Well, when I learned about it, I thought for sure it was over the Bud 8. But when I dug into it, I learned that it was that Junior Motorsports font. And we weren’t ever going to use that again, ever. And so after some conversations with Kelley and our team, they’re like, yeah, we’re going to abandon that. And so, yeah, it’s not an issue. It’s a non-issue. A lot of people thought it was obviously the Bud 8. I did too initially. I dove into it. And so social media got all riled up and p—-d off for a bit. I didn’t want to see this get nasty for no reason. And so, yeah, all that got sorted out,” concluded Junior.

Whew, talk about a relief. Dale thought Lamar was after the Bud 8, but it was just the Junior Motorsports font something he was done with. “I was not gonna argue with Lamar Jackson,” he told. Lamar’s guarding his $260 million brand ( even launching an “8” clothing line). Troy Aikman had warned about legal traps, but Lamar’s charging ahead. Ultimately Dale’s team jabbed back on Twitter, and he’s rebranding his 8. But he and Kelley Earnhardt ultimately chose peace.

Junior is going the Hard Rock way

Dale Earnhardt Jr. just added a wild new chapter to his story. He’s teaming up with Hard Rock International as their latest Brand Ambassador, joining the likes of Lionel Messi. Yeah, that same Lionel Messi. How cool is that?

Hard Rock’s Keith Sheldon couldn’t hold back his excitement: “As a leader consistently delivering entertaining experiences across live music, gaming, and sports to guests, Hard Rock is honored to have Dale Earnhardt Jr. as part of our team.” They’re planning limited-time menu items, exclusive gear, and even a free slot game called “Full Throttle” that’ll have you racing a car with every win. Junior’s all over it, and already itching to play.

For Dale, this isn’t just a gig.“It’s a brand that is a fun brand. It’s something that I personally enjoy and I was excited to put this partnership together,” he told Racing America. “They’re wanting to work with me on some of the projects.” He’s even more pumped because Hard Rock gets him: “They know some of the things that I’m working on in my own personal life, and they want to help me with my own goals and ambitions.”

It all started with Hard Rock reaching out. “They wondered if we wanted to work together on a partnership,” Dale said. “They have been around forever, right? And they’ve kind of ebbed and flowed over the years. And they’re in this sort of phase where there’s a lot of great new energy around their brand, and so we had been talking to them, God feels like a year we’ve been talking to them about doing something together.”

New food, betting picks for NASCAR, and a game that screams speed. One might tear up a little thinking about how Dale’s legacy keeps roaring on. What’s next for this legend? We’re about to find out.