NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his former sponsor Budweiser have hinted at a new partnership, sparking excitement among fans.

Earnhardt Jr. previously drove with Budweiser branding on his car from 1999 to 2007, including his 2004 Daytona 500 win in the No. 8 Budweiser Chevy.

The teasing began on Monday when Earnhardt Jr. updated his social media profiles with a photo from his 2004 NASCAR Daytona 500 Victory Lane celebration, followed by a picture of an advertisement featuring himself looking up at a giant Budweiser beer can. Budweiser responded with a cryptic eyes emoji, fueling speculation among fans.

“DON’T PLAY WITH US ON A MONDAY Dale JR,” one fan exclaimed. “I still have one of these in my stash somewhere. Prob shouldn’t drink it,” another said. “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY,” a third replied. While the details of the collaboration are unknown, Earnhardt Jr. has been trying to acquire the trademark for his iconic No. 8 from his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt.

In 2007, Earnhardt Jr. left his father’s Dale Earnhardt Inc. for Rick Hendrick’s team, but Teresa refused to transfer the iconic number despite a request from DEI’s president Max Siegel.

“She either feels too personal about the number, or the rift between me and her is too personal. I’m not going to sit here and get personal about this. It’s upsetting as hell and unfortunate, but that’s just what happens sometimes. I’m not really all that surprised. I knew I wasn’t going to get the number a long time ago,” Earnhardt Jr. has previously stated.

“Max (Siegel) tried his butt off to make it work. He was trying to talk to Teresa and get some sense into her,” he added. “I feel like it’s an Earnhardt tradition because my grandfather and my dad used it a little bit, too. I’m using it right now, and I figured that we would be able to keep using it. But unfortunately, we’re not going to be able to.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Budweiser are teasing NASCAR fans ( 

Image:

Getty)

Reports suggest that Earnhardt Jr. could be close to acquiring the copyrights to his old Dale Earnhardt Inc. font, though, hence the teasing by the NASCAR Hall of Famer, and Budweiser. Earnhardt Jr. says he doesn’t intend to flood the market should he get his hands on the No. 8.

“I would not be interested in spamming the NASCAR ecosystem with vintage, retro 8 gear,” said Earnhardt. “I know that there are fans that would like to have some things, so maybe would do a small batch of select – one shirt, one hat. Just figure out something sort of nice and tasteful.”

He went on to say, “I would probably have interest in using the number in the CARS Tour races if Kelley would be fine with this,” adding that “We have other owners in the JR Motorsports building that would have to sign off on ever using that number in the Xfinity (Series) level. But I would be wanting to activate it, I’d be wanting to get it out there and get it going.”