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Earlier this week, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports announced the return of his iconic Budweiser number 8 paint scheme. The car is slated to run at Florence Speedway in the South Carolina 400 next month as well as in selected races in 2025. With the return of this scheme and the classic DEI number 8 font, we here at the Daily Downforce thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane. Though he drove the number 88 for a larger part of his career, no scheme has been more meaningful to his fans than his DEI red Budweiser number 8. So, with that in mind, here are the greatest moments Dale Earnhardt Jr. ever had in that number with that sponsor and scheme.
For most of us Dale Jr. fans, 2005 was a season we’d largely like to forget. Following his breakout season in 2004, which saw him win 6 races and finish 5th in the Chase for the Cup, expectations were high heading into ’05. But despite his successes in ’04, Dale Jr. and the rest of DEI decided to shake things up. Rather than keep Dale Jr. and his Bud 8 crew together, the 8 and 15 cars essentially swapped teams. This meant that Michael Waltrip was getting the help of the Eurys while Dale Jr. was teamed up with Peter Rondeau until the Coke 600 that season. Rondeau, a Chance 2 Motorsports employee, was subsequently replaced by Steve Hmiel, who led the team to its lone win in 2005.
While ’05 was a season to forget, Junebug’s victory at Chicagoland that summer is easily one of the greatest triumphs in Junior’s career. Following the 2005 season, Dale Jr. and Tony Eury Jr. would reunite and go on to be a championship threat once again in 2006.
The track Talladega is synonymous with the Earnhardt name. Dale Earnhardt Sr. won at the track a record 10 times but his boy was no slouch there, either. He won his sixth and final race at the track in 2015, but that was when he drove the number 88 Nationwide Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. By far and away, Junior’s greatest stretch at the track came during his Budweiser number 8 days. That whole DEI organization (and especially the Eurys) just had the restrictor plate format down pat.
The Bud 8’s most dominant stretch began with a win his win in the fall of 2001. He went on to sweep the races in 2002 and captured his fourth straight win at the track in the spring of 2003. This is a record that will likely never be broken, cementing Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his Bud 8 crew in the record books.
Fresh off his second-career Cup Series win at Richmond, Dale Earnhardt Jr. went into the 2000 All-Star race (then called the Winston) with one goal–to win it all. And he did exactly that. Dale Jr.’s Bud 8 car set was fast early and, clearly, a favorite to win. He ended both the opening stage and the second stage in the third position, but he was within striking distance all race. Junebug finally did strike with two laps to go as he overpowered Dale Jarrett to score his first and only career victory in the NASCAR All-Star Race.
This is often cited as one of the more special moments of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career, typically because of the post-race celebration with Little E and his father in victory lane.
I think that there’s an argument to be had that, as Dale Jr. himself put it, his 2014 Daytona 500 victory was “better than the first one.” That’s not to take away from his ’04 victory in the slightest. That day was monumental and responsible for kicking off the greatest season in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s career. It took his father 20 attempts to finally break through and win the Great American Race. Junebug accomplished this feat in right at 5 years.
Dale Jr. didn’t drive his typical red Budweiser number 8 car. Rather, he drove a primarily white scheme with a red number on the door. Still, it’s an iconic scheme and one that will forever be looked back on fondly.
Maybe this is a controversial moment to place at number 1 on this list, but I don’t care. Yes, the six wins in 2004 were all great and went a long way to cementing Dale Jr. as a championship contender week in and week out. But it was this race where Dale Jr. proved that he had the heart of a champion. After struggling in 2005, Junebug and Tony Eury Jr. reunited and were running fairly consistent in the early weeks of 2006, a promising sign for what was to come.
Dale Jr. had stated after the fact that this car was the greatest car he had ever driven. Though he started towards the back of the field, he started to pick his way through the pack in the opening laps. That was before he got caught up in a multi-car crash, which saw the Bud number 8 take on heavy damage to the right front fender. But the damage went on to help him. With the right front fender gone, the right front tire was able to keep a little cooler, giving the car more grip and making it easier for Junior to drive. And he found himself in the top 10 by lap 200.
Shortly after the halfway mark, Junior spun after hopping the inside curb. He lightly kissed the inside retaining wall but it was enough to hurt the drivability of the car. In addition, this once again mired Dale Earnhardt Jr. to the back of the pack. But Junebug would not be denied on this day. He slowly worked his way back up through the field. And, with 20 laps to go, he re-entered the top 5.
Dale Jr. ultimately finished 4th in this race. It was an eventful race but surely one of the greatest moments from his Budweiser number 8 days. It was a race where Junior showed immense maturity and that never-give-up attitude that champions tend to have.
That does it for us, Daily Downforce readers. What do you think of our list? What are your favorite moments of Dale Jr. in the DEI number 8 Chevy? Let us know! And be sure to keep tuning in right here at DailyDownforce.com for all the latest news and storylines in the world of NASCAR.
