Budweiser chief reveals bitter truth about being Dale Earnhardt’s son: “There’s people that want you to fail”

Steve Uline uncovered the bitter truth about having Dale Earnhardt's 'magic' nametag. During the Dirty Mo Media podcast with Kelley Earnhardt, the Budweiser chief talked about the time Budweiser inked a deal with Junior. He mentioned the pressure Earnhardt Jr. faced just because he was the seven-time Winston Cup Series champion's son.

Dale Jr. is set to mark his third consecutive return for the annual South Carolina 400 Late Model Race at the Florence Motor Speedway. However, unlike his previous entries, he will sport the iconic red-white Budweiser paint scheme that won hearts during the company's campaign with Junior from 1999 through 2007.

When Dale Jr. struck a deal with Budweiser, he already had the 1998 Xfinity Series championship in his arsenal. And being Dale Earnhardt's son only made him more popular in the community. But with that, the pressure to live up to his legendary father's name mounted.

Kelley asked Steve if they were nervous about their deals following Senior's tragic death at the 2001 Daytona 500. The Budweiser chief said they weren't and revealed that Junior was concerned that he got the deal because of the 'Intimidator's NASCAR stature.

"We weren't (nervous). But I think your brother was. Because at one point you brother (Dale Earnhardt Jr.) said something to the point of, he was concerned that the reason we had signed him was because of your dad," Uline said. "But he was our guy, Jr. was our guy."

The company chief elaborated and spoke about the bitter truth that comes along with Earnhardt's 'magic' nametag.

"There's pressure when you have a magic name. You know, you live it. There's also an expectation greater because of that last name. It opens doors, there's no question. But then you gotta perform to stay in the room. You've got to have the talent and there's people that want you to fail because you do have that name. There's challenges to it," Uline said.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. surely lived up to his father's name. The retired NACAR driver who makes one-off Xfinity appearances each year has two Xfinity titles, 26 Cup Series wins, and is a two-time Daytona 500 winner, to name a few.

"He took us places that we would never have gone": Steve Uline heaps praise of Dale Earnhardt Jr. for skyrocketing the brand's value

Budweiser's parent company Anheuser-Busch has been heavily sponsoring NASCAR events and drivers for over 40 years. They have sponsored several drivers including Kevin Harvick for 13 years, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, and most recently, Ross Chastain, among others.

However, according to Uline, it was with Dale Earnhardt Jr. that their relationship became mutually exponential. While Junior's fandom helped Budweiser strengthen its loyal customer base and add more fans, the driver reaped sponsorship benefits and became a household name when a Budweiser beer was in the talks.

"He took us places that we would never have gone. And I think that we also took him places. We were cool. He was cool. He was a rockstar. The excitement that it created through the whole system was immediate," Uline said.

Uline also mentioned that when he inked a deal with the 'Intimidator's' son, he was sure it would be the 'best deal' in his entire sports marketing career, despite the former not being a motorsports enthusiast.