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Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shared his thoughts on the return of the No. 8 with the iconic font for the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. Earnhardt Jr. said seeing the number and font at Daytona would be an awesome feeling for him.
Earnhardt Jr. is a 50-year-old Kannapolis native who drove the iconic No. 8 Chevrolet Cup car in the 2000s. Today, he uses the number on his Xfinity Series team, JR Motorsports, with the 2025 car set to run the old font.
In an Instagram post via JR Motorsports, Dale Earnhardt Jr. made his feelings known about the return of the No. 8.
"It is awesome to have this number and this front back at JR Motorsports this year," Dale Jr. shared.
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The 26-time Cup race winner said he was excited to see the number in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
I can't wait to see it on the car in Daytona. That's going to be a pretty awesome feeling for me personally," Dale Jr. added.
Sammy Smith will pilot the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for 2025. Smith has been using the No. 8 since driving for JR Motorsports this year. Multiple drivers also previously ran the number for the team, including Josh Berry and Dale Earnhardt Jr.
After the 2024 NASCAR Xfinity Series season, Smith scored seven top-5 and 16 top-10 finishes. The 20-year-old driver also won one race at the Talladega Superspeedway during the playoffs where he reached the Round of 8.
The No. 8 Chevy will return to the second-tier series for the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 15.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals prayer for return of Budweiser No. 8 car
Aside from the No. 8 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Dale Earnhardt Jr. brought the Budweiser No. 8 back to the racing scene. In a Dale Jr. Download episode, Earnhardt Jr. revealed praying for every driver's safety in the South Carolina 400 despite not attending church a lot.
Held at Florence Motor Speedway last month, the South Carolina 400 was where Dale Jr. and the Budweiser No. 8 raced again together after over a decade. He last ran with the beer company in the Cup Series in 2007.
Per Dirty Mo Media on X, the Kannapolis native shared:
"I don't go to church a lot, alright, but I've always believed in God. So I don't know where I fall on the scale of religion, but I'm on there and and I do say some prayers from time to time, right? When I really need something, I say a prayer and I asked for it. I never asked to win. I don't believe you pray to win, right.".
He added:
"I prayed that when it was over, that I would be happy. I don't know what that looks like. I don't know; that's not necessarily a result. It's like, Man, when I get out of the car, I just don't want to be sad. I don't want to feel like I felt after I said that little prayer."
The return of the Budweiser No. 8 was off to a bad start after qualifying 40th for the South Carolina 400. Dale Earnhardt Jr. made up for it in the race after driving his car to a P2 position. However, a fuel pump issue ended his race early.
While a DNF was disappointing, getting out of the car early saved him from possible on-track incidents, especially in the closing laps when drivers scramble for the win.
