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Amy Earnhardt to drive pace car for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s final Martinsville race

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during the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Apache Warrior 400 presented by Lucas Oil at Dover International Speedway on October 1, 2017 in Dover, Delaware.

Jerry Markland

Amy Earnhardt will drive the pace car and lead the field to the green flag for the Oct. 29 First Data 500 at Martinsville Speedway, the final Cup race for husband Dale Earnhardt Jr. at that track.

“I was very excited when the track approached me about driving the pace car,” Amy Earnhardt said in a statement from the track. “Martinsville is one of Dale’s favorite tracks and seeing how happy he and the team were in Victory Lane in 2014 is something I’ll never forget. I appreciate the track letting me be a small part of Dale’s last race at a place that means so much to him.”

Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell said having Amy Earnhardt drive the pace car is a way to give back to Dale Earnhardt Jr. for all he has done for Martinsville Speedway and NASCAR.

“The Earnhardt family has meant so much to Martinsville Speedway through the years, Dale in particular, and we wanted for him to be able to share his last Cup race here with the person closest to him,” Campbell said in a statement from the track. “Dale has often talked about how much Amy has meant to him and this is one small way in which we can say ‘thank you’ to the both of them; to Dale for what he has meant to the sport and to Amy for what she has meant to Dale.”

The First Data 500 is the opening race of the Round of 8.