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(Courtesy Anheuser-Busch / JRM)
When it comes to professional racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a legend and now he’s reunited with Budweiser beer.
Here’s the deal…
NASCAR has featured plenty of iconic cars through the years and one of the most notable is the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr.
And on Oct 22, Anheuser-Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced the return of one of the most recognizable paint schemes in racing history, a design that pays homage to Budweiser beer.
The NASCAR Hall of Famer will drive the historic No. 8 Chevrolet with the iconic Bud King of Beers paint scheme once again for a limited series of Late Model Stock Car Races in 2024 and 2025. The paint scheme will make its return to the track for the first time in 17 years on November 23, 2024 when Earnhardt Jr. competes in the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway.
Budweiser sponsored Earnhart from 1999-2007 when Earnhardt raced for Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s Dale Earnhardt Incorporated reports the Daily Down Force. “However, upon his departure, the sponsor and Earnhardt parted ways.”
“Dale Jr. retired in 2017. However, he continued to race throughout the years, initially in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. He returned to Late Model Racing in recent years as part owner of the CARS Tour and his own Late Model team.”
“It is an incredible opportunity for me to be able to reunite with Budweiser, and the No. 8,” said Earnhardt Jr. “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.”
This return for Budweiser is the latest in Anheuser-Busch’s long-standing commitment to NASCAR and the motorsports industry. For more than 40 years, Anheuser-Busch has supported NASCAR with driver partnerships, key event sponsorships and media investments in the sport for more than 40 years.
“There are names that when mentioned, draw on the significance of their place in American history. Among them, Budweiser, and Earnhardt,” added Matt Davis, Vice-President of Partnerships at Anheuser-Busch. “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.”
Anheuser-Busch and its brands Budweiser, Busch and Busch Light have a long history of supporting NASCAR legends, notably as the primary sponsor of Earnhardt Jr. for nine seasons, as well as through a 13-year partnership with Kevin Harvick, and with Busch Light as the current sponsorship of Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain announced in 2023.
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