MARTINSVILLE, Va. (October 20, 2010) – Ashley Young has been coming to two races a year at Martinsville Speedway since she became old enough to drive … which hasn’t been all that long, because she’s just 23.
But to call her an avid fan of Martinsville Speedway and Dale Earnhardt Jr. would be a gross understatement. That’s why it was only fitting that she won the Farm Bureau Insurance contest to be the honorary starter for Farm Bureau Insurance Pole Day on Friday. She will get to throw the green flag for the first car out in qualifying for the TUMS Fast Relief 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup race and then get to have her picture taken with the pole winner.
“I can’t believe I won something like this. No words can describe how excited I am,” said Young. “I’ve been coming to Martinsville every since I’ve been old enough to drive myself. Everybody else wanted to watch on TV … I wanted to be there.”
It’s not like it’s a really long drive for Young. She lives in Ferrum, a little town tucked up under the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 30 miles from the race track. She makes the winding trip twice a year across some of the same roads that NASCAR’s original moonshine-running drivers got their start.
She was here last fall when all of the fans got a green flag to serve as honorary starter. Young has been practicing her flag-waving technique with it the last few days.
“I promise not to drop it,” she said. “The only thing that could make this better is if Dale Jr. wins the pole.”
AUTOGRAPH SESSION: At least a dozen of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series top drivers will be in a free autograph session Friday at 6 p.m. The autograph session will be at the TUMS display in the main display area. Drivers committed so far include: Jennifer Jo Cobb, Ron Hornaday Jr., Timothy Peters, Johanna Long, Aric Almirola, Stacey Compton, David Starr and Mario Gosselin. Several more are expected to be added to the list before Friday.
TICKETS REMAIN: Good seats remain for the TUMS Fast Relief 500. Tickets begin at $25 and range to $77.
Tickets to the Kroger 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on October 23 are $30 in advance, with children 12 and under admitted free. Tickets for Farm Bureau Pole Day, which features practice and qualifying for both the Kroger 200 and the TUMS Fast Relief 500, are $15, children 12 and under admitted free.
From Mike Smith / Martinsville Speedway
