DEI #8 trademark gets officially canceled putting Dale Earnhardt Jr. in pole position to acquire the rights in 2025

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s path to owning the trademark of #8 DEI is clearer than ever. It was recently reported that the #8 trademark, which was previously owned by Earnhardt Jr.'s stepmother, Teresa, was expiring on June 3rd.

And as per a recent update by Joey Tartamella, the #8 trademark owned by DEI is officially canceled now.

"The #8 Trademark owned by Dale Earnhardt Inc, has officially been cancelled as of 6.15.24. As I’m sure everyone knows now Dale Jr and DEJ HOLDINGS have gone forward with applying for it, and are likely acquiring it in 2025," Tartamella wrote in a recent update on X.

It's worth mentioning that Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently addressed this subject on his podcast show, "Dale Jr. Download". The former DEI driver claimed he wants the trademark to either stay with Teresa or for him to get it. Earnhardt claimed he'd be "totally comfortable and happy" about having the trademark.

Junior further praised Teresa Earnhardt for her guardianship and ownership of their family's legacy.

"I have a lot of trust in her around those things. She’s very smart, very savvy, always thinking. She takes emotion out of business decisions and says ‘this is what’s fair, this is what’s right.’ And so in terms of this, I would be completely fine if she re-acquired the trademark," Junior said. [27:03]

Having said that, if Teresa weren't to renew the trademark, Dale Jr. emphasized again that either he or his sister Kelley would make sure that they get it so that it stays within the family.

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Teresa Earnhardt didn't want Dale Earnhardt Jr. at DEI according to his sister Kelley

During a recent conversation on Kenny Wallace's show, Kelley Earnhardt opened up on Teresa's reluctance towards having her or Junior at DEI. Dale Earnhardt Jr. decided to leave the #8 car and his father's organization at the end of 2007 in favor of joining Hendrick Motorsports and the #88 car.

This was a move that widened the rift between Dale Jr. and Teresa at that time, but one that also paved the path forward for Junior and the fate of DEI.

But talking about the decision behind leaving DEI, Kelley claimed that knowing what Dale Earnhardt Sr. left for his children and wanted for them, by moving away from DEI, they were "letting a piece of that down." However, she added that she and Dale Earnhardt Jr. both knew in their hearts that was "like a letdown."

Yet at the same time, the Earnhardt siblings were also aware of what their stepmother didn't want for them.

"We knew that Teresa (Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s wife) here didn't want that for us," Kelley Earnhardt said.

In the end, Dale Jr. left DEI, an organization where he began his NASCAR career, and started a new chapter at HMS. This chapter of Junior's career wasn't as successful as the one at DEI, at least statistically. But it was a new start for the future Hall of Famer nonetheless.

Notably, Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s move to HMS further strengthened JR Motorsports, which subsequently became a powerhouse in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.