Dale Jr. took an surprising however clear stance in assist of his driver, Sammy Smith, after a turbulent week following the Martinsville incident. He confirmed up at Darlington Raceway and sat on Smith’s pit field in a public present of assist.
The replace got here from motorsports reporter Jeff Gluck, who posted on X that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had made the journey to Darlington particularly for this objective. Dale Jr. is a two-time Xfinity Sequence champion and proprietor of JR Motorsport.
Within the tweet, Gluck famous that Dale Jr. had already talked about this plan throughout his “Dale Jr. Obtain” podcast. True to his phrase, he arrived on the monitor and took a seat at Smith’s pit field. It was a deliberate transfer to indicate the 19-year-old that whereas criticism could also be deserved, he nonetheless has assist from his staff. Dale Jr.’s actions adopted per week during which Smith was penalized 50 driver factors, fined $25,000, and compelled right into a face-to-face with Taylor Grey — the driving force he spun out on the ultimate lap at Martinsville. It was captioned,
“Dale Jr. is on website at Darlington in the present day. As he mentioned on the finish of his podcast this week, he drove down so he can sit on Sammy Smith’s pit field as a present of assist after Smith’s tough week post-Martinsville.”
The transfer by Dale Jr. got here simply hours after an early-morning obligatory assembly with NASCAR officers and all Xfinity Sequence drivers. Whereas NASCAR declined public remark, one driver shared anonymously that future conduct like Smith’s may end in suspension and a ban from the championship race at Phoenix. Smith has since admitted fault.
He instructed The Athletic that his wreck of Grey was a mistake. He additionally acknowledged that his response after the race — a defiant and unapologetic interview — solely made issues worse. Dale Jr., who had referred to as the Martinsville race a disappointment, mentioned on his podcast that he instructed Smith instantly that his conduct gave folks extra motive to view him in a nasty gentle.
Smith at present races the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports within the Xfinity Sequence. He’s one in every of 4 full-time drivers for the staff, alongside Carson Kvapil, Connor Zilisch, and defending champion Justin Allgaier.
Dale Jr. brings again DEI-style #8 after Lamar Jackson trademark dispute
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has introduced an enormous change to the No. 8 automotive design for JR Motorsports following a trademark challenge involving NFL star Lamar Jackson. The staff will now use the basic Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI)-style font for the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Sequence season. This transfer replaces the model that has been in use since 2019.
The change was confirmed by a publish by Dale Jr. on X. He defined that the staff had formally secured rights to the stylized DEI #8 by way of the USA Patent and Trademark Workplace. Based on Earnhardt Jr., the brand new design will get rid of the potential for authorized battle with Jackson, who additionally makes use of the quantity 8 for his Baltimore Ravens jersey, and feared model confusion that might have an effect on merchandise gross sales.
“Via the USPTO, we efficiently secured the rights to the stylized (#8). Subsequently, we shall be shifting away from the unique (#8) now we have used since 2019,” Dale Jr. wrote on X.
He reacquired rights to the DEI font late final yr, clearing the best way for JR Motorsports to run it this season. This not solely connects the present staff to Dale Jr.’s legacy but in addition ensures there’s no model confusion with Jackson, who’s used the #8 since his faculty days at Louisville.
