Lamar Jackson no longer has to worry about No. 8 confusion; Dale Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports have retired the stylized No. 8 it previously used in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Earnhardt Jr. and his team announced the news Friday afternoon with a brief statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
"Through the (US Patent and Trademark Office), we successfully secured the rights to the stylized 8," the statement said. "Therefore, we will be moving away from the original JRM 8 we have used since 2019.
"We are looking forward to the remainder of an already successful season."
This announcement follows Jackson's attorneys filing a notice of opposition with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback challenged Earnhardt Jr.'s trademark claim of the stylized number. The attorneys said in the notice that it would falsely suggest a connection with Jackson, "who is well known by the number 8."
Of course, Earnhardt Jr. built a career with the No. 8 when Jackson was still an infant. He took the number to victory lane in multiple NASCAR series in 2000 and beyond while working with sponsor Budweiser.
JR Motorsports began using the now-shelved version of the stylized No. 8 during the 2019 season. The team acquired the 8 from BJ McLeod Motorsports and brought it back into the Earnhardt family.
A variety of drivers controlled the No. 8 during the 2019 season. This included Zane Smith, Ryan Preece, Chase Elliott, Ryan Truex, Earnhardt Jr., Regan Smith, Brett Moffitt, and Jeb Burton.
This version of the stylized number remained on the door through the end of the 2024 season as Josh Berry and Smith took it to victory lane.
However, Earnhardt Jr. and JR Motorsports acquired the Dale Earnhardt Inc. font ahead of the 2025 season. Teresa Earnhardt let her trademark expire, which opened up the opportunity for Earnhardt Jr.
The Xfinity Series team will now move forward with the classic No. 8 on the doors of Smith's car while pushing the previous version to the side. This should ease Jackson's mind.