Dale Jr. took an unexpected but clear stance in support of his driver, Sammy Smith, after a turbulent week following the Martinsville incident. He showed up at Darlington Raceway and sat on Smith’s pit box in a public show of support.
The update came from motorsports reporter Jeff Gluck, who posted on X that Dale Earnhardt Jr. had made the trip to Darlington specifically for this purpose. Dale Jr. is a two-time Xfinity Series champion and owner of JR Motorsport.
In the tweet, Gluck noted that Dale Jr. had already mentioned this plan during his “Dale Jr. Download” podcast. True to his word, he arrived at the track and took a seat at Smith’s pit box. It was a deliberate move to show the 19-year-old that while criticism may be deserved, he still has support from his team. Dale Jr.’s actions followed a week in which Smith was penalized 50 driver points, fined $25,000, and forced into a face-to-face with Taylor Gray — the driver he spun out on the final lap at Martinsville. It was captioned,
“Dale Jr. is on site at Darlington today. As he said at the end of his podcast this week, he drove down so he can sit on Sammy Smith’s pit box as a show of support after Smith’s rough week post-Martinsville.”
The move by Dale Jr. came just hours after an early-morning mandatory meeting with NASCAR officials and all Xfinity Series drivers. While NASCAR declined public comment, one driver shared anonymously that future behavior like Smith’s could result in suspension and a ban from the championship race at Phoenix. Smith has since admitted fault.
He told The Athletic that his wreck of Gray was a mistake. He also acknowledged that his reaction after the race — a defiant and unapologetic interview — only made matters worse. Dale Jr., who had called the Martinsville race a disappointment, said on his podcast that he told Smith directly that his behavior gave people more reason to view him in a bad light.
Smith currently races the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. He’s one of four full-time drivers for the team, alongside Carson Kvapil, Connor Zilisch, and defending champion Justin Allgaier.
Dale Jr. brings back DEI-style #8 after Lamar Jackson trademark dispute
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has announced a big change to the No. 8 car design for JR Motorsports following a trademark issue involving NFL star Lamar Jackson. The team will now use the classic Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (DEI)-style font for the rest of the 2025 NASCAR Xfinity Series season. This move replaces the version that has been in use since 2019.
The change was confirmed through a post by Dale Jr. on X. He explained that the team had officially secured rights to the stylized DEI #8 via the United States Patent and Trademark Office. According to Earnhardt Jr., the new design will eliminate the possibility of legal conflict with Jackson, who also uses the number 8 for his Baltimore Ravens jersey, and feared brand confusion that could affect merchandise sales.
“Through the USPTO, we successfully secured the rights to the stylized (#8). Therefore, we will be moving away from the original (#8) we have used since 2019,” Dale Jr. wrote on X.
He reacquired rights to the DEI font late last year, clearing the way for JR Motorsports to run it this season. This not only connects the current team to Dale Jr.’s legacy but also ensures there’s no brand confusion with Jackson, who’s used the #8 since his college days at Louisville.
alt=”Dipti Sood” height=”72″ width=”72″>
Edited by Rupesh
