Dale Earnhardt Jr. is perhaps one of the most famous names in modern-day NASCAR. The man, the myth, the legend, Dale Jr. is known for more than just his achievements on the track. From owning a team to running a podcast to giving race analysis, he seems to do it all gracefully.
However, Junior has gone through his fair share of struggles – physically, emotionally, and mentally. Earlier, despite their complicated relationship, he always had his dad, another NASCAR legend to look up to, but after his untimely demise, things completely flipped for him. One of the few people who was with him from the very beginning was his sister, Kelley Earnhardt.
Apart from the sibling, his wife, Amy Earnhardt, played a big role in shaping the later stages of his career and his life post-retirement from NASCAR. Mrs. Earnhardt even had a major role to play in Junior’s last race at Martinsville.
Amy Earnhardt’s Pace Car Duty Before Dale Jr.’s Final Martinsville Race
Martinsville was one of Dale Jr.’s favorites, and he made it known on several occasions. Although he only won one Cup Series race at Martinsville, his record on the track was quite impressive.
Junior ran a total of 35 races at Martinsville Speedway. Out of these, he finished in the top-5 positions 13 times and led 972 laps. His only win on the track came in October 2014 at the Headache Relief Shot 500. Junior started the race at the 23rd position and, after leading 79 laps, emerged victorious.
When he was running his last race at Martinsville in Oct. 2017, his wife was a part of the affair as well. Although she did not precisely compete on the track, she oversaw the duties of the Honorary Pace Car Driver before the green flag at the First Data 500.
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She expressed her excitement for being a part of Junior’s last on one of his favorite tracks. In fact, the track meant quite a bit to both of them. Even during Junior’s 2014 win, she was by his side all along and could see the joy on Dale Jr.’s face after his historic feat.
“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,” she said ahead of the race.
Clay Campbell, then President of the track, revealed that Mrs. Earnhardt’s involvement in the race was a small token of appreciation to Dale for all his contributions to NASCAR over the years.
In his final outing at track, Junior started in the 21st position and raced his way up through both stages. In the end, he finished at the 11th position in his No. 88 Chevy that boasted a ‘Gray Ghost’ paint scheme akin to the 1980 Daytona 500 winning car of Buddy Baker.