Dale Jr. took an surprising however clear stance in help 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 help.
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 observe 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 help 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 motive force he spun out on the ultimate lap at Martinsville. It was captioned,
“Dale Jr. is on website at Darlington at present. 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 help 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 might end in suspension and a ban from the championship race at Phoenix. Smith has since admitted fault.
He advised 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 known as the Martinsville race a disappointment, mentioned on his podcast that he advised Smith straight that his conduct gave folks extra cause to view him in a foul gentle.
Smith presently races the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports within the Xfinity Sequence. He’s one among 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 concern involving NFL star Lamar Jackson. The staff will now use the traditional 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 means of a publish by Dale Jr. on X. He defined that the staff had formally secured rights to the stylized DEI #8 through the USA Patent and Trademark Workplace. In response to Earnhardt Jr., the brand new design will eradicate 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 would have an effect on merchandise gross sales.
“By means of the USPTO, we efficiently secured the rights to the stylized (#8). Subsequently, we might be transferring away from the unique (#8) we’ve 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 additionally ensures there’s no model confusion with Jackson, who’s used the #8 since his school days at Louisville.
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Edited by Rupesh