Dale Earnhardt Jr. unveils iconic Budweiser No. 8 scheme ahead of South Carolina 400

This weekend Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the iconic No. 8 Budweiser Chevy return to the race track at Florence Motor Speedway. Dale Jr. is bringing back the red Bud car in the South Carolina 400. NASCAR nostalgia overload!

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has invested a lot into Late Model Stock racing in the last few years. His own JR Motorsports team competes all over the place. There is the CARS Tour that Earnhardt is a co-owner of.

The South Carolina 400 is a fantastic event. It is one that Dale Jr. has taken a great interest in over the last few seasons. We are going to see Earnhardt race against some of the best short-track racers in America.

Most importantly, we are going to see this gorgeous car on the track.

pic.twitter.com/N9T8vJHQNy

— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) November 22, 2024

If you want to catch the South Carolina 400, you can watch on FloRacing. There is a practice session today and tomorrow ahead of qualifying. Then the main event will race on Saturday night for the big trophy.

More than 55 racers will attempt to make the show. Short track stars Brenden “Butterbean” Queen, Conner Jones, Tristan McKee, Brent Crews, Treyten Lapcevich and more are going to be competing. Cup Series star Josh Berry is also on the entry list.

Last year, Kade Brown was the winner. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 8th overall ahead of a young 17-year-old Connor Zilisch.

Can Dale Earnhardt Jr. improve upon P8 in 2023?

While Dale Earnhardt Jr. makes limited starts in the Late Model Stock races, he wants to do as well as possible. We have seen Earnhardt lead laps in the NASCAR Xfinity Series as recently as 2023. Why not lead some laps at Florence?

Now, it will be easier said than done. These short-track races get physical. It can be hard to make passes without a truly fast car. But a veteran like Earnhardt knows his way around a short track like Florence.

His 2023 effort was really strong, to be honest. He finished behind talents like Carson Kvapil, Josh Berry, Brenden Queen, and Landon Huffman, as well as others. In the No. 8 Budweiser Chevy, maybe he takes his performance even more seriously than he did a year ago.

Short-track fans are going to be spoiled watching this race. Great talent, a NASCAR Hall of Famer, and one of the greatest paint schemes of all time. And it’s all happening at Florence Motor Speedway.