No. 8 has been well known among many sports athletes that put the number. Baltimore Ravens star, Lamar Jackson, has taken his association with that number to another level.
Jackson’s lawyers presented an opposition notice to the United States patent and brands office against Nascar’s Hall of Fame, Dale Earnhardt Jr., for a registered brand claim pending JR Motorsports (Nascar Dale Jr. team possesses) for a style use of No. 8.
“Mark of Earnhardt Jr. falsely suggests a connection with people, alive or dead, namely, Lamar Jackson, known for No. 8,” said Jackson’s team in the opposition notice.
The stylized No. 8 Dale Jr. USA in his Nascar Xfinity Series (conducted by Sammy Smith) car is the same style as Junior No. 8 used when he drove for Dale Earnhardt, Inc. (Dei) from 1999 to 2007 in the Nascar Cup series. Dale Jr.’s father, Dale Earnhardt, owned the team until his death in 2001 and Junior’s stepmother, Teresa Earnhardt, took over the team.
Due to the differences with his stepmother, Dale Jr. left Dei to join Hendrick Motorsports after the 2007 season, since Teresa had the registered trademark rights of No. 8. Dei had the rights over that style of use of the number, even after the team closed. Last year, Teresa let the rights expire, which has allowed Dale Jr. to compete with No. 8 in that style. Dale Jr. has also made a registered brand claim for that style of No. 8, which is where Jackson enters.
Jackson’s opposition notice does not challenge Junior for that style of No. 8, but a different number of number that is in a different source. The reason why the claim was made by Jackson’s team was because conflict with the two -time MVP field of the NFL “was 8”. If that number 8 is granted to Dale Jr., Jackson’s team suggests that “would create a false suggestion of a connection” with Jackson.
While Jackson has won two MVP awards with No. 8, Dale Jr. has succeeded when he drove using the number. Junior assured 16 of his 26 victories in the Cup in No. 8 of the nine seasons he drove for Dei. He was also the most popular Nascar driver for 15 consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2017, the Junior year retired from driving. Dale Jr. is possibly Nascar’s face even in his retirement, since his podcast “Dale Jr. Download” is one of the most popular forms of media in sport.
