Eldora Speedway will once again play host to the all-star dirt Late Model race featuring more than 25 world renowned drivers as they battle for dirt supremacy on the half-mile clay oval where HBO Pay-Per-View® will present the event LIVE in high-definition to the entire nation. Net proceeds from the telecast will support Feed The Children, a U.S.-based charity that domestically has helped more than 365,000 families since 2009 through its Americans Feeding Americans Caravan.

The eighth annual Prelude To The Dream joins racing luminaries from all disciplines at one track, on one night as they pilot 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower. It is One Perfect Night.

Tony Kanaan of the IZOD IndyCar Series will again compete against Danica Patrick, who in 2012 has made the full transition from IndyCar to NASCAR. They’ll rub fenders with straight-liners Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Dirt regulars Steve Kinser and Donny Schatz, who have collectively won 24 World of Outlaws championships, will race for the first time in dirt Late Models. All will join NASCAR stars such as Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte and many others, including a band of brothers: the Busch brothers – Kurt and Kyle – and the Dillon brothers – Austin and Ty.

The live, commercial-free, high-definition broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT) with an immediate replay. The Prelude To The Dream has a suggested retail price of $24.95 and is available to more than 92 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming in the pay-per-view industry. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at either www.PreludeToTheDream.org or www.HBO.com. Updates can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PreludeToDream and on Twitter at twitter.com/PreludeToDream (@PreludeToDream).

The 2012 edition of the Prelude To The Dream includes hot laps, qualifying, heat races and a 40-lap feature with double-file “shootout style” restarts. New participants include Patrick, Kinser, Schatz and Ty Dillon, who will join Stewart, Capps, Kenny Wallace and Kenny Schrader as drivers who have participated in every Prelude To The Dream since 2005, where Wallace was the inaugural winner.

“We have the most diverse group of drivers we’ve ever had for the Prelude, and for the first time, the Prelude will be broadcast in high-definition,” said Stewart, owner of Eldora Speedway and a three-time winner of the Prelude To The Dream. “This year’s event is going to be a can’t-miss show. We’ve added 10 laps to the feature and partnered with a great charity in Feed The Children. You’re going to see some intense racing by everyone, including some drivers completely out of their comfort zone. We’ll all be racing for a trophy, but also to make an impact with the more than 16 million children who are at risk of going hungry right here in America.”

For the top-10 finishers in the Prelude To The Dream, Feed The Children will send a food truck to each driver’s hometown or city of their choice.

“This is an excellent opportunity to bring attention to the nationwide problem of child hunger by working with these world-class drivers,” said Rick England, chairman, Feed The Children board of directors. “Their efforts will allow more families to put food on the table and help us provide a solution to those hard hit by the current economy.”

The seven previous Prelude To The Dream events have collectively raised more than $3.5 million. With each year’s event gaining significant stature and mainstream interest, Stewart’s ultimate goal is to have the 2012 Prelude To The Dream raise $1 million, with the proceeds benefitting Feed The Children.

“It’s an ambitious goal,” admits Stewart, “but if we don’t set the bar high, we’re not pushing ourselves the way we should. That’s our goal, and me and everybody else associated with this event is going to do everything we can to meet that goal. Now, we just need everyone out there to purchase the event, enjoy all the action going on at Eldora, and know that their dollars are going to a very worthy cause.”

“Each year we are thrilled to bring the exciting live action from Eldora into living rooms across the country,” said Tammy Ross, Vice President, HBO Pay-Per-View & Sports. “This year’s benefitting organization, Feed The Children charities’ mission is that no child should go to bed hungry, and the HBO Pay-Per-View team is thrilled to bring the Prelude To The Dream to fans everywhere to help further that mission.”

With no points and no pressure, the Prelude To The Dream is a throwback race, allowing drivers to step back in time and compete for the reasons they all went racing in the first place – pride and a trophy. And they’ll do it on the same surface racing legends A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti competed on nearly 50 years ago.

For those who want to see the Prelude To The Dream in person, tickets are available online at www.EldoraSpeedway.com or by calling the track office (937) 338-3815. Act fast – the race has sold out in previous years.

After a seven-year run in INDYCAR racing, where she captured Rookie of the Year honors in 2005 and win in Motegi, Japan in 2008, Patrick made the bold move to concentrate full-time in NASCAR racing this year. She is concentrating her efforts full-time in the Nationwide Series with JR Motorsports, along with a limited schedule of Sprint Cup racing under the banner of three-time Sprint Cup champion and Eldora Speedway owner, Tony Stewart and his Stewart-Haas Racing camp.

At the age of 10, Patrick turned a few laps on dirt, but never in a stock car.

“I raced on dirt once before in a go-kart when I was young, but that’s about it. It’s going to be a challenge for sure, but I know Tony has offered to help in any way possible. I’m excited about it, but I’m also nervous,” stated Patrick. “It’s a totally different style of racing, so I’m not sure what to expect. But, it’s for a great cause with Feed The Children benefiting from the money raised this year, so I’m ready to give it a shot.”

Ryan Newman is no stranger to either the dirt or short track wars, as his early career found him blazing throughout the Midwest en route to an amazing 170 feature wins in USAC (United States Auto Club) Midget, Sprint and Silver Crown competition. However, he has yet to garner a victory at Eldora and that is a statistic the 15-time NASCAR Sprint Cup winner wants to change. This will mark his seventh Prelude appearance, with a fourth-place finish in 2009 his highest mark to date.

Inside knowledge is no problem for Bobby Labonte. The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion fields a very successful short-track dirt Late Model team headed up by Earl Pearson, Jr. who has a much heralded Eldora World 100 win to his credit. Pearson will be coaching Labonte throughout the evening as the 21-time Sprint Cup winner makes his seventh Prelude appearance.

With his ever-present smile and quick wit, Kenny Wallace returns to the Prelude as a fan favorite. As the youngest of the famed racing Wallace siblings, Kenny has had no trouble following their successful footsteps. He has a thing for firsts. Kenny won the main event in his first-ever attempt at racing when he strapped into a Street Stock in 1982 and then when the Prelude to the Dream was introduced in 2005, he was the first driver to claim a win. While he is a regular on the tough NASCAR Nationwide Series circuit, he remains close to dirt grassroots racing with his Modified efforts. His 2012 short-track season is off to a great start, with four feature wins in the month of February.

Another driver having to follow older brother footsteps is Ty Dillon, brother to Austin and grandson of legendary car owner Richard Childress. As Austin creates standards, Ty reaches out and meets them. He concluded the 2011 season with an ARCA Racing Series National championship and then kicked off the 2012 campaign by capturing the UNOH DIRTcar Modified Nationals in Florida. He now sets his sights on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and taking the title that older brother Austin earned in 2011. Ty was able to get a taste of Eldora during the 2011 World 100 where he finished a creditable 8th in the B-Main in his first-ever visit to the famed .500 mile clay oval.

Aric Almirola’s career began with go karts in 1992, but his tenacity to succeed has seen a steady climb up the ladder through Modifieds, into the Joe Gibbs Diversity program, into the NASCAR Nationwide Series and into today’s spotlight where he has landed a ride in the renowned Petty Motorsports #43 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He is quickly adapting to that team with a twelve-place finish at Phoenix already under their belt. With six previous Prelude starts, last year’s strong third place finish was his best showing.

Race fans can catch all the behind-the-scenes preparation for the event by following the track, event, charity, drivers and officials on Twitter: @EldoraSpeedway, @PreludetoDream, @FeedTheChildren, @DanicaPatrick, @RyanNewman39, @Bobby_Labonte, @Kenny_Wallace, @tydillon, @aric_almirola.

Joining these six will be the previously announced Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream drivers Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan, Ron Capps, Jimmie Johnson, Just Allgaier, Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham, David Gilliland and Cruz Pedregon.

Tickets and campsites for the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream and all other 2012 Eldora Speedway Major Events including the $100,000-to-win Dirt Late Model Dream presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers, $50,000-to-win World of Outlaws Kings Royal and 42nd Annual World 100 are available through the speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com.

When the WoO touring pros venture into Eldora Friday night (Sept. 23) for the opening night of the annual Four Crown Nationals, a new twist to the plot will be added.

Not only will Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Cup Champion, be on hand to monitor his team’s performance, he’ll be competing with and against them. Not one to sit idle at a race track, Stewart confirmed this week that he will be strapping on the helmet to compete in the final WoO appearance of the 2011 season at the legendary speed plant.

And Stewart means business – this is not just a celebrity appearance.

Already a winner at his own track in Late Models, Modifieds, USAC Midgets, USAC Sprints and NRA Sprint Invaders, Stewart will be striving to capture his first WoO win at the facility where he pays the bills. It wouldn’t be his first WoO victory; however, as he broke that ice earlier this summer with a July 27 triumph at Ohsweken Speedway in Ontario, Canada.

Stewart knows full well the competition will be formidable. Kinser, the all-time leading WoO winner at Eldora with 35 wins, is hungry. His last visit to Eldora’s victory lane was in July 2010 at the Kings Royal, while Schatz, who has four wins to his name at the Big E, has not carried an Eldora checkered flag since the 2009 Kings Royal.

Throw into the mix WoO hot shoes like defending champion Jason Meyers, Craig Dollansky, Paul McMahan; along with eager young upstarts like Lucas Wolfe and Cody Darrah, and the formula for Stewart, or anyone else, will be tough.

The WoO series will join the UMP (United Midwestern Promoters) Modifieds for a double header on Friday night (Sept. 23) to kick off the two-night Four Crown Nationals. Saturday’s (Sept. 24) card will feature the three National touring divisions of USAC (United States Auto Club) – Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crown. Rounding out the busy weekend will be members of VARC (Vintage American Race Cars) with their static display and on-track exhibition.

The event will feature stars from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the IZOD IndyCar Series and the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. All will join two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in piloting 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower around Eldora’s half-mile oval.

The Prelude to the Dream is a team event. There is still an individual race winner, but there is also a race within the race, with the field broken up into four teams, each representing a children’s hospital:

• Team Levine (Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.: www.LevineChildrensHospital.org):

Ø Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Bill Elliott, David Reutimann, Austin Dillon, Ray Evernham and Cruz Pedregon.

• Team Atlanta (Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta: www.choa.org):

Ø Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Ken Schrader, David Gilliland and Ron Capps.

• Team St. Louis (St. Louis Children’s Hospital: www.StLouisChildrens.org ):

Ø Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Justin Allgaier, Kenny Wallace, Ron Hornaday and Ricky Carmichael.

• Team Dallas (Children’s Medical Center Dallas: www.childrens.com):

Ø Stewart, Tony Kanaan, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Aric Almirola and Dave Blaney.

Each hospital will receive a donation, with the payout breakdown as follows:

• Winning team receives 30 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.

• Second-place team receives 25 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.

• Third- and fourth-place teams each receive 20 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.

The lowest team score wins, and only the top-five drivers from each team will be scored. For example, if Team Levine has finishes of first, fourth, seventh, 11^th and 18^th, respectively, from its top-five drivers, its score will be 41. In the event of a tie, the sixth driver will be scored.

HOW TO ORDER:

• The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT).

• All that is necessary to order the event is a digital cable box or satellite service. You do not need HBO to order.

• The suggested retail price is $24.95. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at either www.PreludeToTheDream.org or www.HBO.com.

• Updates can also be found on Twitter at @PreludetoDream and follow the hashtag #RideWithUs, or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PreludetoDream.

• If you have Cable, Verizon FiOS, AT&T U-verse, DIRECTV or DISH, fans can order the Prelude to the Dream beginning June 6.

• The following are step-by-step instructions to help place an order for the Prelude to the Dream on Pay-Per-View:

Ø Cable, AT&T U-verse TV and Verizon FiOS Customers: All that is necessary to order the event is a digital cable box on your TV. If you are not sure about the kind of box you have, contact your cable company and ask if you have a digital cable box that gets Pay-Per-View (PPV). Once you know you have a digital cable box, scroll through the Pay-Per-View channels on your electronic program guide for Wednesday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET, and look for “Auto Racing: Prelude to the Dream.” Once you see the entry, click it and follow the on-screen instructions to order. If your cable system does not accept orders from your remote control, contact a customer service representative either the day before or the day of the race. Make sure you tell the representative that you are looking to order “Auto Racing: Prelude to the Dream.” Some cable systems have a short window available to order Pay-Per-View events. The more specific you are with the customer service representative, the easier it will be to place your order.

Ø DIRECTV Customers: All DIRECTV customers can order. You can find the event on Channel 121. Go to the programming guide for those channels for Wednesday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET, and look for “Prelude to the Dream.” Once you see the entry, click the event and follow the on-screen instructions to order.

Ø DISH Network Customers: All DISH Network customers can order. You can find the event on Channel 455/472. Scroll through the programming guide for those channels for Wednesday, June 8 at 8 p.m. ET, and look for “Prelude to the Dream.” Once you see the entry, click the event and follow the on-screen instructions to order.

• If any problems are encountered during ordering, contact a customer service representative anytime on Wednesday, June 8, to make sure the order is processed and the race can be viewed. Once it is ordered, sit back and enjoy the ride.
• 
  

The book, which was released in March of 2010, shows off over 50 NASCAR drivers and celebrities with their pets and is a great gift for any pet lover.

Since this is a Pit Road Pets book signing, fans must purchase or already have purchased the newest release of Pit Road Pets™: NASCAR Stars and Their Pets, The Second Lap book in order to get a wristband to get in line for an autograph. Members of the Ryan Newman Fan Club are also able to get a wristband when they present their 2011 membership card.

Books will go on sale at the No. 39 trackside trailer when the gates open and wristbands will be given out while supplies last. The Newman’s will sign copies of the newest Pit Road Pets book in addition to one other item per person during the autograph sessions.

Autograph session information:

Kansas Speedway
Saturday, June 4, 2011
12:15 pm approx. (signing to start after qualifying)
250 wristbands to be distributed

Eldora Speedway
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
3:00 pm
150 wristbands to be distributed

Michigan International Speedway
Saturday, June 18, 2011
10:30 am
400 wristbands to be distributed

The newest edition of the book will be on sale at the No. 39 souvenir trailers for a discounted price of $20.00 each. Proceeds from the book sales will go towards low cost spay/neuter grants to organizations across the United States.

• Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.: www.LevineChildrensHospital.org
• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta: www.choa.org
• St. Louis Children’s Hospital: www.StLouisChildrens.org
• Children’s Medical Center Dallas: www.childrens.com

The seventh annual event will feature stars from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. All will join two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in piloting 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower.

The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT) with an immediate replay. HBO Pay-Per-View’s racing telecast has a suggested retail price of $24.95 and is available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View is the leading supplier of event programming in the pay-per-view industry. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at either www.PreludeToTheDream.org or www.HBO.com. Updates can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PreludeToDream and on Twitter at twitter.com/PreludetoDream

The Prelude to the Dream is a team event. There is still an individual race winner, but there is also a race within the race, with the field broken up into four teams, each representing a children’s hospital:

• Team Levine: Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Bill Elliott, David Reutimann, Austin Dillon, Ray Evernham and Cruz Pedregon.
• Team Atlanta: Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Joey Logano, Ken Schrader, David Gilliland and Ron Capps.
• Team St. Louis: Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Justin Allgaier, Kenny Wallace, Ron Hornaday and Ricky Carmichael.
• Team Dallas: Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Aric Almirola and Dave Blaney.

Each hospital will receive a donation, with the payout breakdown as follows:

• Winning team receives 30 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.
• Second-place team receives 25 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.
• Third- and fourth-place teams each receive 20 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.

The lowest team score wins, and only the top-five drivers from each team will be scored. For example, if Team Levine has finishes of first, fourth, seventh, 11^th and 18^th, respectively, from its top-five drivers, its score will be 41. In the event of a tie, the sixth driver will be scored.

“The team concept adds another level of excitement by having a race within the race,” said Stewart, owner of Eldora Speedway and three-time winner of the Prelude to the Dream. “As individual drivers, we all want the big trophy at the end of the night. But it’s cool knowing that battles for fourth and fifth and even 11^th and 12^th will make a big difference for what children’s hospital ends up with the big check.

“We plan to raise a lot of money for all of these hospitals, no matter where their teams finish. Since HBO Pay-Per-View began televising the Prelude in 2007, we’ve been able to help a lot of deserving charities, and helping children has always been a part of that mission. With this format, and with the hospitals involved, we feel we have our best chance yet to make this year’s Prelude our most successful one to date.”

The four charities – Levine Children’s Hospital, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Children’s Medical Center Dallas – all cater to the medical needs of children.

The six previous Prelude to the Dream events have collectively raised more than $3 million. With each year’s event gaining significant stature and mainstream interest, Stewart’s ultimate goal is to have the 2011 Prelude to the Dream raise $1 million, with the proceeds impacting the four charities.

“It’s an ambitious goal,” admits Stewart, “but if we don’t set the bar high, we’re not pushing ourselves the way we should. That’s our goal, and me and everybody else associated with this event is going to do everything we can to meet that goal. Now, we just need everyone out there to purchase the event, enjoy all the action going on at Eldora, and know that their dollars are going to a very worthy cause.”

Drivers from all types of disciplines, some with lots of dirt track experience and others with hardly any, will participate in qualifying, heat races and a 30-lap feature, all of which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

“For the fifth year in a row we will bring live action from Eldora into living rooms across the country,” said Tammy Ross, vice president, HBO Pay-Per-View & Sports. “With this year’s new start time and enhancing the format of the telecast, race fans will have a chance to settle in at home and prepare for a great night of continuous, live racing action.”

With no points and no pressure, the Prelude to the Dream is a throwback race, allowing drivers to step back in time and compete for the reasons they all went racing in the first place – pride and a trophy. And they’ll do it on the same surface that racing legends A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti competed on nearly 50 years ago.

Other interesting storylines include:

• More Than 50 Driving/Riding Titles Represented at the Prelude: Sprint Cup [10] – Elliott (1988), Labonte (2000), Stewart (2002, 2005), Kenseth (2003), Johnson (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010); IROC [3] – Labonte (2001), Kenseth (2004), Stewart (2006); Nationwide Series [4] – Labonte (1991), Edwards (2007), Bowyer (2008), Busch (2009); Camping World Truck Series [4] – Hornaday (1996, 1998, 2007, 2009); ARCA [1] – Allgaier (2008); IndyCar Series [1] – Stewart (1997), NHRA Funny Car [2] – Pedregon (1992, 2008); Camping World Series East [1] – Logano (2007); Australian V8 Supercar [2] –Ambrose (2003, 2004); World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series [1] – Blaney (1995); AMA 125 National [3] – Carmichael (1997, 1998, 1999); AMA 125 East Coast SX [1] – Carmichael (1998); AMA 250 National [7] – Carmichael (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006); AMA 250 Supercross [5] – Carmichael (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006); U.S. Open of Supercross [3] – Carmichael (2000, 2001, 2005); WSXGP 250 Supercross [1] – Carmichael (2005); MXdN [4] – Carmichael (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007).

• Dirt Veterans vs. Dirt Neophytes: Stewart, Kahne, Newman, Blaney, Bowyer, Elliott, Schrader, Allgaier and Wallace grew up on dirt tracks, while Busch, Almirola, Hamlin and Logano spent the majority of their racing upbringing on asphalt.

• What Happens When a Drag Racer has to Turn the Steering Wheel?: Capps is a 15-year veteran of the NHRA and Pedregon is a 17-year NHRA driver, where straight-line runs over 300 mph are commonplace. They’ll have to turn right to go left as they sling their dirt Late Models around Eldora.

For those who want to see the Prelude to the Dream in person, tickets are available online at www.EldoraSpeedway.com or by calling the track office (937) 338-3815. Act fast – the race has sold out in previous years.

Snapshots of each charity supported by this year’s Prelude to the Dream are as follows:

• Levine Children’s Hospital (www.LevineChildrensHospital.org): Levine Children’s Hospital is a 234-bed hospital in Charlotte, N.C, located on the main campus of Carolinas Medical Center. Since opening in December 2007, the hospital has grown to include more than 30 pediatric specialties and has already received national distinction by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” for treatment of kidney disorders.

Levine Children’s Hospital is also home to the Ricky Hendrick Centers for Intensive Care, which supports pediatric intensive and cardiovascular surgery patients. Additional distinctions include organ and bone marrow transplants; pediatric dialysis; interventional cardiology and cardiac surgery; heart-lung bypass capabilities for newborns and pediatric patients; an inpatient pediatric rehabilitation unit; and 24/7 emergency services. Levine Children’s Hospital is the most comprehensive facility of its type between Atlanta and Washington, D.C. – meaning most children no longer need to travel outside of the region to receive the care they need.

Most recently, Levine Children’s Hospital announced the formation of the Carolinas Kids Cancer Research Coalition, a group of eight of the region’s most dedicated nonprofit organizations committed to supporting pediatric cancer research and services at Levine Children’s Hospital.

“At Levine Children’s Hospital, we are honored to again benefit from the Prelude to the Dream,” said Mark Griffith with Carolinas HealthCare Foundation. “Racing has deep roots here in Charlotte, and we can’t think of a more unique and fun race to partner with than Tony Stewart’s Prelude to the Dream.”

• Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (www.choa.org): Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization, is committed to enhancing the lives of children through excellence in patient care, research and education. Managing more than half a million patient visits annually at three hospitals and 16 neighborhood locations, Children’s is one of the largest clinical care providers for children in the country. Children’s offers access to more than 30 pediatric specialties and is ranked among the top children’s hospitals by Parents magazine and U.S. News & World Report. With generous philanthropic and volunteer support, Children’s has made an impact in the lives of children in Georgia, the United States and throughout the world.

“Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta relies on the generous support we receive from events like the Prelude to the Dream,” said Eugene A. Hayes III, president of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Foundation. “We are so excited to be a part of a fundraiser like this, making it possible for our physicians, nurses and staff to provide the best quality care for children across the Southeast and get kids back to being kids.”

• St. Louis Children’s Hospital (www.StLouisChildrens.org): Founded in 1879, St. Louis Children’s Hospital is one of the premier children’s hospitals in the United States. It serves not just the children of St. Louis, but children across the world. The hospital provides a full range of pediatric services to the St. Louis metropolitan area and a primary service region covering six states. As the pediatric teaching hospital for Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers nationally recognized programs for physician training and research.

“St. Louis Children’s Hospital is grateful to be selected as a beneficiary hospital by Tony Stewart’s Prelude to the Dream,” said Lee Fetter, president of St. Louis Children’s Hospital. “Many of our young patients and their parents are NASCAR fans, and I know they’ll find this race especially thrilling. I imagine we’ll create some new fans before the end of the race – especially those in our Pediatric Neurocritical Care Program.”

• Children’s Medical Center Dallas (www.childrens.com): Children’s Medical Center is private, not-for-profit, and is the seventh largest pediatric healthcare provider in the country with 559 licensed beds, two full-service campuses and 10 outpatient sites. Children’s was Texas’ first pediatric hospital to achieve Level 1 Trauma status and is the only pediatric teaching facility in North Texas, affiliated with UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“Children’s Medical Center Dallas is honored to have been chosen as one of four children’s hospitals that will benefit from the 2011 Prelude to the Dream,” said Pete Kline, president of the Children’s Medical Center Foundation. “Children’s Injury Prevention Program, which is the beneficiary of the race, has provided more than 5,000 car seats, more than 2,000 water vests and more than 300 helmets free of cost to families who could not afford them in Dallas and Collin County. This is an amazing opportunity and partnership for Children’s, and on June 8, the hospital staff, patient families and our supporters in the community will be cheering for our drivers.”

Part 2

Eldora Speedway has played an important part in their step towards fame.

Of the trio, Blaney carries the most impressive Eldora record. Long known among the racing fraternity as “The Buckeye Bullet”, second generation driver Dave Blaney has amassed 16 career wins at Eldora. Six of those have come within the WoO wars at Eldora, so he will be on familiar turf during the Kings Royal.

The Ohio native needs no introduction to the pomp and circumstance of the Kings Royal, as he has sat atop the throne and worn the crown twice (1993, 1995). His final Eldora victory lane appearance came in 1997 when he snatched the $100,000 Historical Big One paycheck.

Stewart’s pre-NASCAR prowess at Eldora came in non-winged action through the United States Auto Club (USAC). Under the USAC banner, Stewart, who also carries the title as owner of Eldora Speedway, captured a pair of feature wins during the 1995 Four Crown Nationals. Checkered flag runs were earned in the Sprint Car and Midget divisions that weekend.

Very little track time in winged Sprint Cars appeared on the two-time NASCAR Cup champion’s early resume. With a desire to perfect his driving style, Stewart has been donning the aerodynamic wing repeatedly over the past few years. He captured the NRA sanctioned Old Spice Sizzler a few years ago, and has three Prelude to the Dream wins behind the wheel of a dirt Late Model, so his desire to excel at Eldora has not waned.

Kahne, the youngest of the trio, went straight from the short tracks to NASCAR-land. With plenty of Eldora experience under his belt, he has a pair of wins to his credit. In 2000 he captured a USAC Midget win during the fall Four Crown Nationals and in 2003 he returned to the massive one-half mile clay oval to reign supreme over an All Star Circuit of Champions field.

All three tested the Eldora clay during the June 9 Prelude to the Dream, and are anxious to shift gears from full bodied to open wheel racing. They are prepared to race, knowing that the WoO and NRA gentry will show no mercy.

Each night will be a full show for both sanctioning bodies. Friday’s (July 16) event has been dubbed the Knight Before the Kings Royal, with full points for the WoO fraternity. In addition to the points to be earned by the NRA Sprint Invaders, they will be chasing for the Jimmy Johnston Memorial trophy.

Saturday’s (July 17) chase is highlighted by the annual run for the $50,000 Kings Royal paycheck and the aforementioned trip to the throne and wearing of the crown.

Complete event information is detailed on the track’s website www.eldoraspeedway.com

Tony Stewart, who launched the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream at the half-mile dirt track in 2005, has won the event the past two years and three of the five since its inception. Stewart set the one-lap qualifying record last year (15.405 seconds) and led all 30 laps of the main event.

The new variation this year includes a team competition, with each team representing one of four children’s hospitals that are the beneficiaries of the Prelude, which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View at 7 p.m. ET, with a replay to follow immediately.

Stewart chose four captains and handicapped each team. Clint Bowyer heads the Riley Hospital for Children (Indianapolis) team that includes Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, AJ Allmendinger, Justin Allgaier, inaugural Prelude winner Kenny Wallace and drag racer Ron Capps.

Kahne Kahne leads the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital contingent that features Stewart, Joey Logano, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott and NHRA star Cruz Pedregon.

Kyle Busch’s Levine Children’s Hospital (Charlotte) team includes Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, David Reutimann, Dave Blaney, Marcos Ambrose and motocross champion Travis Pastrana.

Denny Hamlin leads a team competing for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital (Memphis) featuring Carl Edwards, Ken Schrader, Aric Almirola, Ricky Carmichael, IndyCar star Tony Kanaan and former Cup champion crew chief Ray Evernham.

“You look at it, and they lined up the teams really well,” Busch said Friday at Pocono Raceway. “You look at it, and it’s like, ‘Man, that’s a really, really good guy,’ and, ‘Oh, that’s a really good guy,’ and, ‘I want that guy.’ It will be a hard-fought race for sure. I don’t know who picked the teams, but I will give them credit. They did a nice job of picking the teams.”

Stewart acknowledged that the teams were seeded largely on the basis of past performance in the Prelude, but he wasn’t reluctant to pick a favorite.

“I still think my team is probably the one to beat,” Stewart said. “We basically sat down and looked at everybody that had been there and how they had run at the Prelude and tried to evenly stack the teams up to where they were as even as we could make them to make it as close as possible.

“You don’t have a bunch of heavy hitters on one team and guys that struggled on another team. We’ve tried to make that aspect as even as we can.”

The team aspect of the competition will be scored like a cross-country meet—one point for first place, two points for second, etc., with low total score winning. Only the top five drivers on each team will count toward the team total unless sixth-place finishers are needed as a tiebreaker.

The winning team will collect 45 percent of the net money raised for its charity. Second place will get 25 percent, and third and fourth will receive 15 percent each. Stewart hopes to raise $1 million this year.

Proceeds from HBO Pay-Per-View sales also support the charities.