Dale Earnhardt Jr. History
1998 Season

1998: Busch Grand National
After running a limited schedule in 1997, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. began his first full NASCAR Busch Grand National season in 1998, driving the No. 3 ACDelco Monte Carlo. The car, owned by Dale Earnhardt Inc., had been driven the previous season by Steve Park.

Earnhardt's first win in the series came on April 4, 1998, when he took the checkers at Texas Motor Speedway. As his seat time accumulated over the '98 season, Dale gained valuable experience. The No. 3 ACDelco team went on to win 6 more races in 1998, at Dover, Milwaukee, California, Indianapolis, Richmond, and St. Louis.

The performance of Dale Jr. and the ACDelco Team was turning heads. Budweiser, the "Official Beer of NASCAR," noticed the young driver and saw potential. On Sept. 21, 1998, it was announced that, beginning in 1999, Budweiser would be the primary sponsor for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. on NASCAR Winston Cup Series through 2004!

By the end of the '98 season, the team had collected 3 poles, 16 top-5's, 22 top-10's, 7 wins and the NASCAR Busch Grand National championship! A new star was born.