Lamar Jackson has challenged Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s pending trademark claim of the stylized No. 8 used by JR Motorsports, saying that it "falsely suggests a connection" with the Baltimore Ravens quarterback.
Jackson's attorneys filed the notice of opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday. The documents said that Earnhardt Jr.'s stylized No. 8 would cause confusion with Jackson's ERA 8 brand and that the athletes' "apparel is identical and highly similar."
The stylized No. 8 is the one used by JR Motorsports prior to the 2025 Xfinity Series season.
"Opposer is well-known by this number due to his notoriety and fame, along with his promotion of this number in his trademarks and in media coverage," Jackson's attorneys said in the notice of opposition.
"Applicant's Mark falsely suggests a connection with persons, living or dead, namely, Lamar Jackson, who is well known by the number 8."
MORE: Full Notice of Opposition
Earnhardt Jr. has used the No. 8 throughout his racing career. He took the Busch Series entry to victory lane on seven occasions in the early 2000s, and he used the number in the Cup Series from 1999 until 2007. Earnhardt Jr. won 17 Cup Series races while driving the No. 8 with a stylized font.
When Earnhardt Jr. left Dale Earnhardt Inc., his stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, retained the rights to the No. 8. She held the trademark rights to the stylized number until last year, when she let them expire.
Earnhardt Jr. then filed a trademark claim for his old number. He brought back one version of the stylized number and used it for Sammy Smith's Xfinity Series entry. This JR Motorsports version of the stylized No. 8 is not the one featured in Jackson's notice of opposition.
"Applicant's (8) mark is highly similar in sound, appearance, connotation, and commercial impression to Opposer's trademarks and brand so as to be likely to cause confusion, or cause mistake, or to deceive," the documents state.
This notice of opposition is not the first time Jackson has set out to prevent another athlete from using the number he views as his own. The Ravens quarterback previously challenged former Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman's application to put "EIGHT" on bags and apparel. This case remains pending.