“We didn't want Miller beating us in anything”: Budweiser chief tells Kelley Earnhardt about signing brother Dale Jr. for NASCAR’s ‘biggest sponsor’

Kelley Earnhardt Miller has discussed the coming together of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Budweiser with Steve Uline. NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Jr. drove the #8 iconic red-white paint scheme in the Cup Series from 1999 till 2007 for Dale Earnhardt Inc.

Under its parent company, Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser, Busch, and Busch Light have a significant history with NASCAR. In addition to being the primary sponsor of Dale Jr., Kevin Harvick, and now Ross Chastain, the beer company sponsored NASCAR's second division series (now the Xfinity Series) and the pole award.

In a recent Dirty Mo Media business segment, JR Motorsports co-owner Kelley hosted sports marketing executive Uline and discussed Dale Jr. being under the radar as a young driver in the stock car series. He also mentioned the company's relationship with legendary driver Dale Earnhardt and the beer company being a big sponsor in the sport. To this, Dale Jr.'s sister exclaimed:

"The Biggest." [0:22]

Furthermore, Uline talked about the fierce competition from Miller Brewing Company, another beer company that sponsored Rusty Wallace driving for Team Penske.

"Every week Rusty's kicking our butt in the #2 car, you know, and we liked Rusty... There's a lot of competition in the beer world. We didn't want Miller beating us at anything and they clearly were, and they had a great driver and charismatic driver and one that was well-loved in the sport. And he was getting all the attention and so we spent that time and we decided to go after Junior [Dale Earnhardt Jr.]."

As things stand, Budweiser and two-time Xfinity Series champion Dale Jr. are set to reunite after 17 years for a Late Model race at Florence Motor Speedway on November 23.

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"It's going to be really special for me": Dale Earnhardt Jr. reacts to his iconic reunion with Budweiser and No. 8

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will once again be seen donning the famous red-white livery for the South Carolina 400 race at Florence Motor Speedway.

In a press release, the 50-year-old Junior shared his feelings on reuniting with his former long-standing sponsor.

"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," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said (via anheuser-busch.com).

Although Dale Jr. retired full-time in 2017, he has competed in select races in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports. He was last seen piloting the #88 Chevy at Bristol Motor Speedway where he finished seventh.