“If I see red, I might faint”: Fans react as Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s team teases paint scheme for 2025 

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Xfinity Series team JR Motorsports recently teased fans with an announcement about a new paint scheme for Sammy Smith's #8 Chevrolet in the Xfinity Series. The social media post sparked excitement, with fans eagerly speculating about potential designs and expressing their views.

JR Motorsports, co-owned by Earnhardt Jr. and his sister Kelley Earnhardt Miller, was established and made its Xfinity Series debut in 2005. Since its inception, the team has secured four driver championships, 88 race wins, and 35 pole positions in the Xfinity Series. They run four full-time cars driven by Carson Kvapil, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Connor Zilisch.

Meanwhile, JR Motorsports teased the 2025 paint scheme for Sammy Smith's #8 Chevrolet, sparking excitement among fans. The buzz is amplified by the legacy of the iconic #8, famously driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr. during his Cup Series career, particularly in the memorable Budweiser scheme.

While fans are eagerly anticipating the reveal, many speculated about a potential nod to the historic design that holds a special place in NASCAR history.

"If I see red, I might faint," a fan wrote.

"Would be nice to have a similar paint scheme to Jr's Bud days." a fan said.

"So glad to see this 8 font back don’t have many memories of seeing that 8 on track glad to see it back in the right hands and on track again," a fan expressed.

"I think red is the only right color?" a fan claimed.

"Sure, looking forward to the stripes." another fan wrote.

Meanwhile, one particular fan shared a few pictures with conceptual paint schemes for Sammy Smith's #8 machine and expressed his anticipation.

"Can't wait to see this type of scheme coming next season" the fan wrote.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s return to the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet took place in the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway in the zMAX CARS Tour, a series he co-owns with other notable NASCAR athletes. He will appear in the iconic livery for a limited number of times in the Late Model Stock Car event of the grassroots series.

Meanwhile, action in the Xfinity Series will return right after Valentine's Day, on February 15 for the United Rentals 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares a heartfelt memory from the South Carolina 400 at Florence

Dale Earnhardt Jr., a two-time Xfinity champion, is fondly remembered for his #8 Budweiser Chevy days, but his recent return to the iconic livery fell short of expectations.

A bad run in qualifying demotivated the former champion from continuing his run. However, a deep and inspiring interaction with fellow driver Gary Greenwood Jr. gave Dale Jr. his second wind and he nearly won the race. Recalling this incident in an interview with Matt Weaver, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said:

"I'm sitting there. I made that qualifying run. I was mad as hell... He(Gary Greenwood) come up to me, and he's like, Hey man, I want to tell you something, man. You need to keep your head up[...]Don't worry about that qualifying lap; he's like, You know the things you're doing are good, and you're helping people, and you're helping me,”

A fuel pump issue in the final laps of the race forced the #8 Budweiser Chevrolet into retirement, however, Dale Jr. won a personal battle the same day, locking in a memory of a lifetime.