(Video) Dale Earnhardt Jr. breaks silence on abandoning trademark dispute with Lamar Jackson

Two times NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt Jr. has shared his thoughts on the trademark dispute with Lamar Jackson.

(Video) Dale Earnhardt Jr. breaks silence on abandoning trademark dispute with Lamar Jackson

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Lamar Jackson (Via IMAGO and NY Post)

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently found himself in a middle of a trademark dispute with Baltimore Reaves’ two times NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. His team JR Motorsports filed an application with the USPTO, for the trademark rights to two separate designs of the No:8, one of which he has been using for a long-time.

Dale Earnhardt Sr.’s third wife Teresa Earnhardt, who inherited the iconic No:8 Budweiser trademark used by Dale Earnhardt Jr. at DEI, didn’t renew it and Junior pounced on the opportunity, filing an application. They also filed an application for the trademark for the JR Motorsports No:8 design for as well, which caught the eyes of Lamar Jackson’s entourage who owns the “ERA 8” trademark.

YouTube video

So, they disputed the application for the JRM No:8, though many thought it was the Budweiser No:8 that’s been challenged, due to it having very identical font style to that of Jackson. Dale Jr. addressed the situation on his podcast, and revealed that he backed down from the application, as he doesn’t want to waste resources on a backup trademark.

The next day, actually, we filed the paperwork to abandon the acquisition of that for the JR Motorsports 8. We got what we wanted, and down the road, I was not gonna argue with Lamar over something that I didn’t plan on using. I wasn’t going to spend thousands of dollars with my lawyers to fight for something I didn’t need.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via Dale Jr. Download.

The comment from Junior suggests that he was expecting drama over the Budweiser No:8 and when it was granted, which he wanted for a long-time, he was surprised. Abandoning the dispute over a design they have been suing since 2019 isn’t a big lose for them as they have an iconic design to replace it by.

What was Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s reaction when the iconic trademark came back to the market?

Junior wanted to have the Budweiser 8 trademark since he was forced to exit Dale Earnhardt Inc. owing to the issues with stepmother Terresa. She kept renewing the trademark for the design and didn’t give Dale Jr. the opportunity to have it till 2025, before giving it up for one reason or another.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Via NASCAR.com)

In the podcast, Junior admitted that when he learned that Teresa Earnhardt wasn’t going to keep the trademark he was surprised as he expected her to keep it for a long-time. He also revealed that he hasn’t talked to his stepmother about it and didn’t know why it wasn’t renewed, but took the opportunity when it was presented itself.

We learned that the Budweiser No. 8 trademark is not going to be continued and renewed by Teresa [Earnhardt]. We were a bit surprised by that because she kept the one trademark. Haven’t talked to Teresa. Don’t know why that was her decision, but we saw an opportunity to pick up the number and see if we could get the trademark.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.

Currently JR Motorsports can use the design for the Xfinity Series cars from the coming season but can’t use it in the Cup Series if the wants to as Richard Childress Racing has the number with them. But they can get something done in the future and field No:8 cars in the top tier instead of the No:88 they used on their Cup debut race, 2025 Daytona 500.