Race weekend for the South Carolina 400 at Florence Motor Speedway is finally here, and that means that the reunion we’ve all been waiting for since 2007 is finally upon us. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is finally back in Budweiser red and black with the red Bud No. 8 ready to take to the track.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer and winner of 19 races in the Bud colors announced just over a month ago that he would be bringing the iconic Budweiser No. 8 back to life at Florence Motor Speedway for the 32nd Annual South Carolina 400. The reactions on social media were crazy in the days following the announcement, and merchandise sales have been through the roof.

The Sports Business Journal reported that JR Motorsports sold in the “mid six-figures” worth of merchandise in just the first week. 

“It is an incredible opportunity for me to be able to reunite with Budweiser and the No. 8,” Earnhardt Jr. said in the team’s press release. “Budweiser and I had some great memories with that iconic scheme and number. We’ve always supported each other over the years. It’s going to be really special for me to be able to represent that brand on the race track again.”

Now that weekend is finally here, and it’s time for Earnhardt Jr. and his team to get to business on the race track at a place where the two-time Daytona 500 champion has gotten quite comfortable over the last few years.

Saturday’s race marks the seventh time that Earnhardt Jr. will have raced at Florence Motor Speedway since 2022, and it marks the third straight year in which he is competing in the South Carolina 400. And while the results in the summer races and the Icebreakers have been a mixed bag, he’s certainly been consistent in the season-ending South Carolina 400.

Earnhardt Jr. has scored finishes of ninth and eighth over the last two years in this race. He was in contention for the victory in 2022, but he was famously penalized twice for rough driving in the late stages.

Whether or not Earnhardt Jr. finds himself in a similar position late in Saturday’s 250-lap race – in contention for the win, not penalized twice – one thing is for certain. The grandstands at Florence Motor Speedway is going to be a sea of red, giving off vibes of 2004. 

And one other thing is also for certain, whether or not Earnhardt Jr. wins: A lot of Budweiser is going to be drank in the pit area for many an hour after the checkered flag flies.

Race fans can watch Earnhardt Jr. and the iconic Budweiser No. 8 take on more than 55 of Late Model Stock Car racing’s best in the South Carolina 400 on Saturday night live on FloRacing. FloRacing will be live for both nights of the South Carolina 400 weekend exclusively to FloRacing subscribers. Fans can subscribe to FloRacing by clicking here.