Budweiser chief reveals the brand went ‘nuts’ after Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s ‘Yankee’ stunt

NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports recently announced the return of NASCAR's historic #8 Budweiser Chevrolet livery. Budweiser's chief Steve Uline recently recalled a specific Dale Jr. habit during his stint with Budweiser as his main sponsor.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. followed his father Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s legacy by debuting in NASCAR's Busch Series (now Xfinity) in 1996. He achieved back-to-back championships in 1998 and 1999 and went on to amass 50 wins across NASCAR's top two divisions throughout his illustrious career.

Steve Uline recently appeared on Dirty Mo Media along with host Kelley Earnhardt Miller. In the episode, Uline was asked what the two-time Xfinity champion's pet peeve was. Jokingly, Uline responded:

"He went through a stage where he was, he would always throw on a baseball cap. And I think it was a Yankee's cap. Our brand guys are going nuts because he's not wearing that Bud hat. I think Kenny Schrader talked to him about, I think Kenny was one of the guys that talked to him and said something"

The Bud chief then recalled another hilarious incident involving Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s 'DMP' move on his car.

"Some days the car's just not gonna work, every lap it's coming in and getting worked on. It's one of those races. They get out some spray paint and they spray it on the side of the car, DMP. Oh my gosh. So I get him on the phone like on Tuesday and I say to him, 'Hey, you know, the DMP ?" And he says, 'Hey, wasn't that cool?' I said, no, that really wasn't that cool," Uline added

Earnhrdt Jr. retired after his 2017 Cup Series campaign. Budweiser, his main sponsor, gave a tribute to him after his last race, the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead, in which they showed all the highs and the lows of his racing career.

Following his retirement, Dale Jr. now owns Dirty Mo Media, JR Motorsports, and also the zMAX CARS Tour with former driver Kevin Harvick.

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WATCH: Dale Earnhardt Jr. in iconic Budweiser #8 car at Florence Speedway ahead of qualifying

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s first appearance behind the wheel of the iconic #8 Budweiser Chevrolet was scheduled for the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway. Nearly 60 cars signed up for the event, including Dale Jr. He is set to compete in limited LMSC events in the zMAX CARS Tour, a series he co-owns.

As the grid geared up for qualifying, Dale Jr. was finally seen all geared up, sitting in his alluring car. Here's a video of him in the car (via @soundlink_trent on X).

His return to the #8 Bud Chevy has also prompted fans to buy new Dale Jr. merchandise, especially new fans who have never seen him drive the Bud Chevy early on in his career.