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“We’re extremely honored to have Governor McAuliffe serve as our honorary starter,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “Having four Sprint Cup races in the Commonwealth, he understands the significant economic impact they have.

With heavy hearts, Richard Petty Motorsports will head to the Martinsville (Va.) Speedway this weekend. STP will return as the primary sponsor of the No. 43 Ford with driver Aric Almirola and DEWALT will be the primary sponsor of the No. 9 Ford driven by Marcos Ambrose.

In 32 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts at Martinsville Speedway, Red Horse Racing boasts two wins (David Starr in 2006 and Timothy Peters in 2009), nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes. The Mooresville, N.C.-based organization has an average starting position of 11.7 and 15th-place average finishing position.

“The biggest challenge about Martinsville is the track changes so much throughout the weekend,” explained Truex. “And the track is never on Sunday what it was like all weekend. As soon as they drop the green flag the track is completely different than it was the day before when you felt you had your car dialed in for the race.

Earlier today, Graham Rahal, driver of the No. 15 National Guard Honda for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, participated in an INDYCAR Conference Call to preview the 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series season. Selected quotes from the availability are below

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Richard and the entire Petty family in their time of loss. Lynda is such a huge part of the Petty success story here at Martinsville Speedway."

“We want to extend our most sincere condolences to the Petty family following the passing of Lynda Petty. She will forever be remembered for her strong commitment to her family and her extraordinary support of the generations of racing Pettys. She left a lasting impact on numerous individuals throughout the sport.”

Edsel B. Ford II, member, Board of Directors, Ford Motor Company: "Our sympathies go out to Richard and the entire Petty family today on the passing of Lynda. She has stood by Richard's side throughout these many years, and she will be missed by many in the sport."

Site of career-best finish: “Martinsville Speedway has always been a favorite place of mine for a couple reasons,” AJ Allmendinger said. “One of the main reasons is because it’s where I posted my career-best NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish. I finished second there in April 2012 after starting 27th with Penske. I have that top-five finish and a couple top-10s there. It’s just an action-packed track and a fun race for the fans to watch. I know it’s a fun track for me and it’s one of the tracks I love going to.”

Victory Junction's COO, Austin Petty, makes a statement on the passing of his grandmother, Lynda Petty: "We have lost my grandmother, but my family and our Victory Junction family are grateful to have had her love and wisdom for so many years. It was no secret that she was the cornerstone of the Petty family; a woman of humility and extraordinary strength."