Talladega bans No. 8 display amid Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Lamar Jackson’s legal dispute
Talladega Superspeedway has temporarily banned the public display of Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s number 8. The news was recently shared on X by former Kaulig Racing driver Landon Cassill.
This has happened in light of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s feud with Dale Jr. over the NASCAR legend’s attempt to trademark the iconic number. Jackson owns trademark registrations for ‘ERA 8’ and ‘ERA 8 BY LAMAR JACKSON,' which include a variety of his products.
So, to safeguard his claim on the number, the NFL sensation filed a Notice of Opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office earlier towards the beginning of this month. However, Dale Earnhardt Jr. can still use the number on his merchandise.
Cassill captioned his post, saying,
“lol bravo to the @TALLADEGA marketing department.”
This is what the Hall of Famer said while reflecting on his dispute with Jackson (via Dale Jr, Download, quoted by NBC) :
“When I learned about it, I thought for sure it was over the Bud 8. But when I dug into it, I learned that it was that JR Motorsports font. And we weren’t ever gonna use that again. Ever. So yeah it’s not an issue. It’s a non-issue. I didn’t wanna see this get nasty for no reason.”
As NASCAR gets ready for a triple-header weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, several reports have stated that the number 8 cannot feature on any apparel, merchandise, or even signage within the premises of the 2.66-mile tri-oval superspeedway in Lincoln, Alabama. As such, Dale Jr. hasn’t said anything about this.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. expresses his desire to see Kasey Kahne run “more pavement ovals”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. wants Kasey Kahne to run more races on NASCAR’s ovals. Last Saturday (April 19), Kahne returned behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car for the first time in seven years. Named North Carolina Education Lottery 250, the race took place at the historic Rockingham Speedway.
After tackling a pair of run-ins, one of which was with British driver Katherine Legge, the motorsports veteran was able to salvage a P15 finish. When asked if he would return for more in the future, Kahne didn’t seem so sure.
“I don't know about more in the future but I'm really glad I did this,” Kahne said during a post-race interview.
However, Dale Jr. wasn’t going to let Kahne off, who now competes full time in the Kubota High Limit Racing winged sprint cars series. He took to X and wrote,
“I hope @kaseykahne runs several more pavement ovals. I want us all to live forever!”
Richard Childress Racing driver Jesse Love won Saturday's Xfinity race initially but was stripped of the victory as his car failed post-race inspection. Sammy Smith, driver of the No. 8 Chevy for JR Motorsports, which Dale Earnhardt Jr. owns, was awarded the victory. It marked his first win of the season and got him an automatic spot in the 2025 playoffs.