Dale Earnhardt Jr. is expected to drive the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet.
Yes, it’s 2024. No, this is not an exercise.
JR Motorsports announced that Earnhardt, 50, will drive the iconic Bud King of Beers paint in a limited series of Late Model Stock Car races this year and next year, beginning with the November 23 race. South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway. The car will feature the stylized Earnhardt No. 8 made famous from 1999 to 2007 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“It’s an incredible opportunity for me to be able to reunite with Budweiser and the No. 8,” Earnhardt said via his team’s press release. “Budweiser and I have had fond memories of this iconic pattern and number. We have always supported each other over the years.
“It’s going to be really special for me to be able to represent this brand on the race track again.”
PICTURES: Dale Jr. drives late models
The tickets are already on sale for the South Carolina 400, a race Earnhardt has competed in for the past two years. The NASCAR Hall of Famer is now familiar with Florence, as he has been a frequent Late Model Stock competitor at the facility over the past few seasons following his retirement from the NASCAR national series.
Below you’ll find more information on the South Carolina 400 and how to watch Earnhardt’s triumphant return to the iconic No. 8.
How to watch Dale Earnhardt Jr. drive the No. 8 Budweiser Late Model at Florence Motor Speedway
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Race: South Carolina 400
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Date: Saturday November 23
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How to watch: FloRacing
The South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway, one of the most prestigious late model stock car races in the country, attracts some of the Southeast’s best racers each year, including Earnhardt.
Located in Timmonsville, South Carolina, Florence Motor Speedway is a NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series track that notoriously lacks an outside wall from Turn 1 to Turn 4. Earnhardt likes racing at Florence in part because the abrasive surface of the track creates extreme tire wear and crashes. -off, which makes the tire saving strategy paramount.
The South Carolina 400 on November 23 will be broadcast exclusively on FloRacingthe streaming home for all NASCAR Regional properties. The race will not be broadcast on a traditional television channel/network.
For those wishing to witness Earnhardt’s return in person in the No. 8 Budweiser Chevy, South Carolina 400 tickets are available to order.
The South Carolina 400 is a two-day show that features Late Model Stocks, Limited Late Models, Super Trucks, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Legend Cars and Bandoleros. On-track action begins Friday and culminates Saturday evening with the Late Model Stock main event.
The South Carolina 400 is a $10,000-to-win race.
Teams will also be able to participate in a test day on Thursday November 21 if they wish.
Earnhardt made a significant return to his roots in 2022 by competing in the South Carolina 400. In what was the 30th edition of the race, he drove a sports car. a return to car diagram Bass Pro Shops his father Dale Earnhardt Sr. competed in the 1998 NASCAR All-Star Race.
He finished ninth that year and last season he bettered that performance with eighth place.
Florence Motor Speedway Track Profile
Even casual racing fans are familiar with South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway, one of the most iconic venues that the NASCAR Cup Series visits each year.
These same fans may or may not be familiar with a NASCAR Home Track located just 15 miles south of Darlington, known as the Diamond of the Southeast. Florence Motor Speedway, nestled in the town of Timmonsville, is indeed a short track gem.
Florence Motor Speedway, now a NASCAR-sanctioned venue and part of the weekly NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Series, has hosted local short track races since 1982. It has been operated under the watch of owner and promoter Steve Zacharias since 2020.
Zacharias is the reason the racing season in Florence begins with the IceBreaker, an event that features late model stocks in addition to super trucks, limited late models and mini stocks. He brought the IceBreaker to Florence from nearby Myrtle Beach Speedway when that track closed.
The track itself is unique in its layout. The 0.4-mile paved oval features a gradual bank in the turns, a combination likely to produce side-by-side racing.
Perhaps the most unique attribute of Florence Motor Speedway is the fact that except for the front section in front of the grandstands, it has no exterior wall.
“It’s unusual the first time you go there and experience it,” 2020 NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series champion Josh Berry told NASCAR.com. “But after a while, it doesn’t matter anymore.
“It’s a really fun track.”
Watch the full Florence Motor Speedway track profile below.
