Why did Budweiser not follow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to HMS in 2008? All you need to know

Two-time Xfinity Series Champion Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s sponsor Budweiser didn't follow him to Hendrick Motorsports because the sponsor and team couldn't get on the same page. Pepsico was the primary sponsor of HMS, and Budweiser is an alcoholic brand. Both couldn't align with each other, resulting in a split between Earnhardt Jr. and the beer company.

Dale Jr. announced his departure from Dale Earnhardt Incorporation (DEI) and decided to move to Hendrick Motorsports for the 2008 season, resulting in a sponsorship conflict. After joining HMS, Pepsico became the new sponsor of Dale Jr. for his career with the team, and they couldn't be associated with an alcoholic beverage.

Budweiser sponsored Dale Earnhardt Jr. since his debut in the Cup Series in 1999 and was his sponsor till his departure from DEI in 2007. He expressed his gratitude to Budweiser for being his sponsor for seven years. In a report, Junior said that Budweiser is a "good beer" and the sponsors "don't have to pay" him to drink it.

"The relationship I have with Budweiser and the partnership that we had for all these years is a big, huge chunk of my life, and it will always be very memorable to me, and they'll always be a huge part of that," he added (via ESPN).

After the split, the beer brand went on to explore new options that better fit its marketing strategy. The brand then sponsored Stewart-Haas Racing driver Kevin Harvick for 7 years, from 2008 to 2015. After ending on a good note, Budweiser and Dale Earnhardt Jr. reunited this year for a dirt race.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. reunited with his former sponsor Budweiser after 17 years

Former NASCAR Cup Series driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. competed in Saturday's South Carolina 400 with 55 other drivers and made history, giving fans goosebumps. He reunited with his former sponsor Budweiser for the first time in 17 years.

Junior strapped himself in his iconic #8 red and black car from his peak racing days. FloRacing's Rob Blunt was sent back in time after seeing Dale Jr. racing in his iconic car. He reminisced about the moment when Earnhradt Jr. raced against four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon at the Talladega Superspeedway in 2004.

“2024 or 2004? Impossible to tell the difference. Watching the crowd come to their feet when he flew by for qualifying looked like the backstretch stands at Talladega back in the day when he’d take the lead. Just wild to see again,” wrote Blunt.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. raced in his iconic red and black livery #8 car from 1999 to 2007 and clinched 17 wins in his 291 starts. He retired in 2017 but never gave up his racing dream and has been racing part-time under his co-owned team, JR Motorsports, and secured a P7 in his last race held at Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2024.