“He was a rockstar”: Budweiser chief looks back on investing in Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s potential in NASCAR

Budweiser's Steve Uline looked back at signing Dale Earnhardt Jr. during his early years in the Cup Series and discussed his success and the profit he brought to the brand. Dale Jr. drove the #8 Budweiser-sponsored red-and-black Chevrolet between 1999 and 2007.

The #8 car was Dale Earnhardt Jr's most iconic drive during his NASCAR Cup Series career. Driving under the Dale Earnhardt, Inc. tag, Budweiser struck a deal with him during his early career. He drove with the partnership for eight seasons, also enclosing his best career finish in third place with the #8 car in 2003.

Steve Uline recently reminisced about the time he signed Dale Jr. During that period, his father, Earnhardt Sr., and Jeff Gordon were the most popular drivers in the sport, and striking a deal with them would have been profitable to the brand. However, they chose Earnhardt Jr. who took Budweiser to new levels of success.

"When we did that deal, I said to myself, this is going to be the best deal I ever do in sports marketing. And I originally wasn't even a motorsports aficionado. I learned it quickly because we had so much money in motorsports. I felt then that if Jr. was everything we thought he was going to be. I'd never top it," Uline said.

He discussed the success that Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought to the brand, calling him a "rockstar."

"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."

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. on reuniting with his iconic #8 Budweiser Chevy: "Budweiser and I had some great memories"

JR Motorsports announced earlier in October about Dale Earnhardt Jr's participation in the Late Model Stock Car Series. He will drive the #8 Chevy with the Budweiser livery, striking memories from his first stint in the Cup Series.

Talking about getting back behind the wheel of his legendary car, Earnhardt Jr. said:

"It is an incredible opportunity for me to be able to reunite with Budweiser, and the No. 8. 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."

With the car, he will partake in select races of the Late Model Stock Series in 2024 and 2025. His first participation will come in at the 2024 South Carolina 400 at Florence later this month. In the past two seasons, Dale Jr. has participated in two races (one each in 2002 and 2003) at North Wilkesboro.