Dale Earnhardt Jr. reveals why he dropped Lamar Jackson trademark challenge

Dale Earnhardt Jr. has delved into the details of the trademark dispute between him and NFL athlete Lamar Jackson over the number 8. He confirmed that both parties were able to achieve what they wanted from the clash.

The dispute stemmed from the rights surrounding the stylized number 8 that Earnhardt Jr. had used during his early years in racing in Dale Earnhardt Inc. (DEI).

"We learned that the Budweiser No. 8 trademark is not going to be continued and renewed by Teresa," Earnhardt explained on his podcast, referring to his stepmother who maintained control of DEI after his father's death. "We were a bit surprised by that because she kept the one trademark. Haven't talked to Teresa.

"Don't know why that was her decision, but we saw an opportunity to pick up the number and see if we could get the trademark."

According to reports, Teresa Earnhardt, the driver's mother-in-law, allowed the trademark to expire on June 3, 2024, opening the door for Dale Jr. to acquire its rights.

This came after Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson filed an opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office against Earnhardt's original trademark application. Owning the rights to  "ERA 8" and "ERA 8 BY LAMAR JACKSON" for his apparel line launched in 2018.

"I learned on social media, about the same time that everybody else did, that Lamar was contesting our trademark application," Earnhardt said.

Jimmie Johnson, Legacy Motor Club Toyota, Dale Earnhardt Jr., JR Motorsports owner

Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images

"He wasn't suing me, he was just contesting it, and there's a part of trademark process where if you believe somebody's applying for a trademark and it will hurt your brand, you can oppose it... When I learned about it, I thought for sure it was over the Bud 8."

The push back however was specifically on the JR Motorsports stylized 8, not the classic Budweiser version that was more important to the driver.

"The next day, actually, we filed the paperwork to abandon the acquisition of that trademark for the JR Motorsports 8," Earnhardt explained.

"We got what we wanted, and down the road, I was not gonna argue with Lamar over something that I didn't plan on using.

"I wasn't going to spend thousands of dollars with my lawyers to fight for something I didn't need."

This brought to an end the clash between the two sportsmen. 

"There's a lot of history with the No. 8 in my family and in NASCAR. It's time to write some new stories and continue to add to the number's rich heritage," Earnhardt said.