Dale Earnhardt Jr. is preparing to cap off his legendary NASCAR career on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 14-time Cup Series Most Popular Driver will retire from full-time racing after the weekend and transition to a career in broadcasting.

As the son of the late Dale Earnhardt, Junior blasted onto the NASCAR Cup scene in 1999 for a cup of coffee before taking the reigns of the now-legendary No. 8 Budweiser car full-time in 2000. From his first career win at Texas in April of his rookie season, to the tearjerking return and victory at Daytona in 2001 after his father's death, to multiple Daytona 500 triumphs and a record four-straight wins at Talladega, Dale Jr. has left a lasting impact on the entire sports community.

On Tuesday morning, Budweiser released a video paying tribute to Junior's likely Hall of Fame career. The video is scored to one of Junior's favorite songs, Lord Huton's "The Night we Met," and starts with the unveiling of his iconic paint scheme on a quiet night at Daytona. Footage and commentary of Junior's most famous win can be heard cutting in and out as the video progresses.

"Budweiser will always have a special place in my heart," said Junior in a release about the video. "They took a chance on me early on, sponsored my first Cup ride, and paved the way to many great opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise.  I'm deeply honored in what they've done to commemorate my final race. It was unexpected and humbling. It brought back a rush of memories, but more than anything it reminded me how awesome it was to drive that red No. 8 car."

Junior's Budweiser sayonara is up there with the likes of Derek Jeter's farewell ad and the emotional tribute to Harry Caray after the Cubs won the 2016 World Series. According to Anheuser-Busch executive Nick Kelly, the salute to Earnhardt has already surpassed Caray's tribute in engagements. and is on pace with Jeter as of Wednesday morning. 

While many sports fans associate Dale Jr. with Budweiser, he has not driven the red car since 2007 after he made the move to his current and final team, Hendrick Motorsports. Earnhardt has spent the better half of the past decade in the No. 88 Chevrolet boasting a variety of sponsors like Nationwide to Mountain Dew and AMP Energy. Axalta, a major sponsor of both Junior and Hendrick Motorsports will also pay tribute to the No. 8 Budweiser paint scheme on Sunday in Miami.

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Axalta Racing

Over the course of his 19-year career, Dale Jr. has 26 Cup wins (including two Daytona 500 wins), 260 top-10 finishes, 15 poles and two XFINITY Series championships. While he has yet to win this season, a trip to Victory Lane at Homestead on Sunday would certainly be a fitting end to the career of the arguably the most beloved driver in NASCAR history.