Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Budweiser will honor three generations of racing success with a commemorative Fathers Day paint scheme for the #8 Budweiser car that Dale Earnhardt Jr. will race at Michigan International Raceway on Fathers Day, June 18. The paint scheme is based upon the #8 cars driven by Ralph Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt during their NASCAR careers. The predominantly cream-colored car will feature vintage Budweiser bow-tie logos which were introduced in 1956 the same year Ralph Earnhardt won the NASCAR National Sportsman title, a series that eventually became the modern-day NASCAR Busch Series. The car is the second DEI paint scheme this season to honor the legacy of a member of the Earnhardt family. Previously, Dale Jr. raced a black and silver #8 Budweiser car at Talladega on April 30 to celebrate his fathers induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. While Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time NASCAR champ, is most famous for driving the black No. 3 car with Richard Childress Racing, he raced much of his early career with the #8 on his cars. Earnhardt raced the #8 during his 1974 debut season in a NASCAR series, the same year Dale Jr. was born. Driving a cream-colored #8 car, Ralph Earnhardt finished in the top 10 of the NASCAR National Sportsman point standings six times, won more than 350 NASCAR races, and was selected as one NASCARs Top-50 all-time best drivers in 1999. He passed away in 1973.(fingerprint inc/Bud/DEI PR), image of the scheme added to my Paint Scheme Gallery.(5-31-2006)
