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.

CAN YOU TALK MORE ABOUT PRELUDE TO THE DREAM THIS YEAR?:
“Excited about it. It’s obviously something we’ve enjoyed doing every year. The drivers have been awesome and very supportive of it. We’re up to that weekend before now and this is the weekend that I start getting nervous and start watching The Weather Channel like there’s nothing else on TV to watch. Worried about just making sure we get good weather for the week and excited with the new team aspect this year of having the entire field split up into four groups and divided amongst the four children’s hospital charities that we have on board. There will be an individual winner, but there will also be a team winner and that will determine who gets 45 percent of the proceeds. The second-place team will get 25 percent of the proceeds and the remaining two teams will get 15 percent respectively.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE TEAM SET-UP AND TEAM CONCEPT?:
“It was kind of a hard handicapping system, 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. I think it gives these guys, guys that may not have a shot to win the race or may be running sixth or seventh, know they don’t have a shot at winning, but at least give them some pride in knowing their finishing position counts and they know that hopefully that will be the points that helps propel their team to getting the majority of the proceeds from it. It really has given everybody that’s coming a renewed pride in not only the fact that they’re supporting the event, but at the same time, even if they don’t have a shot to win, their finish does count and makes a big impact.”

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE TEAM AND WHO GETS TONY KANAAN?:
“I don’t know who gets (Tony) Kanaan. He ends up with St. Jude and Denny Hamlin is the captain. They also have Carl Edwards, Kenny Schrader, Aric Almirola, Ricky Carmichael and Ray Evernham. I don’t know. I still think my team is probably the one to beat. We had probably one of the best races there three years ago and I wasn’t even a factor in it. Between Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin — they put on one of the best races we’ve ever had there.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SECOND YEAR OF BEING A CAR OWNER?:
“We’re worried about the Prelude bud, we’re not worried about me being a car owner right now. We’ve got five days to make this thing happen and we need everybody’s help here. What people don’t understand, it’s four months of non-stop work to make this thing happen. The PR staff and getting drivers organized and the people at the track that are working hard and Pam Miller from Fox that come and help us out, this is a big deal that we’re putting on here and a big push we’re trying to make.”

IS THIS THE BEST THING YOU DO ALL YEAR?:
“It’s definitely the biggest fundraiser we do all year for sure. There’s no doubt about that. Like I say, it’s a year round project, but its four months leading up to the race that really are the hardest push. This is not something that gets put together overnight. This is an event that takes thousands and thousands of man hours from a lot of different groups to make it all happen on one day. Especially at a facility that you can’t just bring a jet dryer out if it rains and dry it off. You have to have the weather cooperate with you to get it in. It’s a lot of pressure and it is probably the biggest single thing we do all year as far as fundraisers are concerned and probably the one we put the most effort into.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE SPIRIT AND ENERGY OF THE PRELUDE?:
“It’s a really cool deal. We have tried every year and after every event that we have done, we’ve went to the drivers and went to different people and said, ‘how can we make this better, how can we make this more enjoyable for the guys that are coming and doing it.’ We do a short media session before hand and once the drivers actually get down in the race track with the race cars, the only media they do is during the telecast and during the broadcast of the show. It is, it’s a really cool deal. You don’t ever see drivers getting to hang out at the back of their trailers and have fun like we used to. That’s something that we do get to do at Eldora. We kind of control the pit area. There’s a lot of people down there, but there’s a lot of racing people and a lot of the crew members from the different guys teams come and support their drivers. A lot of the car owners bring their planes and help us out on that aspect and help bring guys down.

“It really is an atmosphere and I think it’s something these guys really look forward to and I don’t know how many guys this year went and tested, but I know last year (Kevin) Harvick tested about five times before he came. It just shows that these guys really care about what’s going on, it’s not that they’re just going to show up and ride around and at the end of the night go home. They really care about how they do there and have a lot of fun doing it. I know there’s a group of us staying over after the race and we’re just going to hang around and have a good time and that’s something we never really get to do.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT GILLETTE’S INVOLVEMENT?:
“This is the second year Gillette has been on board. It takes a lot of money and a lot of effort to make this event happen and Gillette has come on board the last couple years and really helped us take it a step above where it’s been. HBO has been a really big factor in that too. Without people like Gillette, it’s something that would make this event nearly impossible to try to put on and to bring the TV aspect into it to where it can generate the funds that we’re giving to these charities.

“I don’t shave very much, but every day I want to shave a little bit more because of them and every time I see an ad they run on TV, it makes me proud that they have wanted to be a part of this. They’ve really jumped in head first and really went above and beyond of what you could ask a partner to do to come in and help with an event like this.”

HOW DID YOU SELECT THE CHARITIES?:
“Last year we had the military charities and we had the four branches that we helped support and we were in a situation where we had been supporting the Victory Junction Gang Camp and we still do support them very highly. We felt like this was a great opportunity every year to do something a little different. Children and animals are two big aspects of something that I’m pretty passionate about. I really believe in kids, I believe in the attitude of children and their true emotions. Being able to help the four children’s hospitals this year was something that we were really passionate about doing. The really hard part is we know that two of these charities are only going to get 15 percent, another is going to get 25 and one winning team is going to get 45 percent of the proceeds that we raise. It’s hard because you want everybody to get the same amount, but it does add an element of excitement and I know no matter who gets what that all four of those children’s hospitals have been very grateful to be a part of this and we’re excited to raise a lot of money for them.”

DOES IT HELP THAT GILLETTE ALSO SPONSOR THIS WEEKEND’S RACE?:
“I think it’s kind of cool, but I think it was more of a coincidence than anything else that we ended up getting them back to back like this. It’s cool that they are a part of it this weekend too and it really makes for a good four or five day swing of having the Cup event and the dirt race at Eldora — both Gillette events. It’s definitely something that I think they are really excited about and been able to use both of these events to help cross promote.”

IS THERE A CERTAIN AMOUNT YOU WANT TO RAISE?:
“As much as we can get. We tried to set the million dollar mark and we fell short of it the last couple years, not by a lot, but we would love to get to that million dollar mark again. This room is the one room that can help put it over the top like that. The help that we get from you guys is really a huge factor, more than you guys can possibly imagine, of getting these people aware of what’s going on this week and letting them know how they can be a part of it with us.”

DID THE PRELUDE START THE SECOND YEAR YOU TOOK OWNERSHIP?:
“It was the first year that we owned it that we started the Prelude.”

COULD YOU EVER HAVE IMAGINED IT WOULD GET THIS BIG?:
“No, not at all. The first year I think we had 17 drivers that came and we had to beg, literally beg car owners to bring cars for NASCAR guys to drive. These car owners were so scared that somebody that hadn’t been on a dirt track and hadn’t been in a dirt late model wasn’t going to be able to drive one. We really had to beg that first year to get car owners to bring good race cars. After the first year, it went so well that the second year we didn’t have to beg near as hard to get it and now we’re still having to work to get really good cars, but we’re getting top of the line cars for these guys to drive. Mark Richards from Rocket Chassis helps with about half the field. I know Clint Bowyer’s team, they bring their own car. Bobby Labonte’s team, they bring a car. Scott Bloomquist has brought cars.

“The major chassis manufacturers in the dirt late model industry have really wrapped around this event too and they realize that this is a good advertising night for them too as much as it is what we’re doing for charity. If their brand and make of car wins the race then it’s just like we do with the Cup side. If their car can win then it helps them sell chassis. We’ve really got top notch cars for these guys to drive and that makes the even that much better because they know they are in good cars when they get there.”

Tony Stewart at Pocono 2009.
Photo by Geoff Burke Getty Images

It was a monumental win, not just in terms of numbers, but also because it stamped Stewart’s foray into team ownership with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) as a success. It was his 34th career Sprint Cup win, but first with SHR after leaving the comfy confines of Joe Gibbs Racing, where the two-time Sprint Cup champion spent his first 12 years as a NASCAR driver.

That it came at Pocono wasn’t really a surprise, for Stewart had proven quick at the Tricky Triangle since first turning a wheel on the track’s infield road course in 1986, where at age 15 Stewart raced a go-kart as a member of the World Karting Association. Upon returning to Pocono in a 3,400-pound stock car in June 1999 as a Sprint Cup rookie, he promptly finished sixth and then followed it up with a fourth-place run when the series returned to the Keystone State in July.

Stewart knocked down his first Pocono pole in July 2000 and his first Pocono win in June 2003. In 22 career Sprint Cup starts at Pocono, Stewart has seven top-fives and 16 top-10s. And in eight of his last nine Pocono races, Stewart has finished 10th or better, an impressive achievement considering that 500 miles at Pocono provides a daunting test of man and machine, for races easily nudge the four-hour mark.

Yet there Stewart is after running 200 laps at nearly 200 mph no worse for wear. He simply wipes his brow with a strategically placed Old Spice towel, takes a swig of ice-cold Coca-Cola, dons a sponsor hat and a pair of Oakley sunglasses and describes his day at the office. He’s cool, even in the dog days of summer, which is now upon the Sprint Cup Series. And as the weather heats up, expect Stewart to heat up at Pocono.

TONY STEWART, Driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing:

With all of the wins you’ve achieved in your racing career, where did your win last June at Pocono rank?
“We don’t keep rankings. We keep trophies. They’re on a shelf and you scoot one over and slide the next one to it. You love having the opportunity to do that. It’s not about rankings. It’s just about enjoying the moment. Obviously, special races like the Brickyard 400 and Daytona 500 and Indy 500s are marquee events that mean more, but a win is a win. It’s just the personal satisfaction at the moment that you have for it and the appreciation that you have for how hard everybody works to get you in a situation like that.”

Your win at Pocono last June came in a fuel mileage race. Can you explain what you did to make sure you had enough fuel to go the distance while many of your competitors did not?
“I’ve lost a lot more races like that than I’ve won. It was between Carl (Edwards) and I. We were the strongest two cars at the end of the race and we were able to get the track position we needed. Our guys did a great job of getting us out of the pits in the lead and that gave us the opportunity to make Carl push harder in the beginning to get the lead. Once he went into that fuel conservation mode, we had to follow suit. To be in a situation where your speed is dictated off the guy behind you and not off of what you can do, it’s a different style of racing. It’s hard. It’s just as hard, if not tougher, than trying to run 100 percent.”

That win at Pocono was the first point-paying victory for Stewart-Haas Racing. Now that you’re going back to the scene of that impressive “first,” can you reflect on the impact it made within your organization?
“I knew it was big when we were there in victory lane, obviously. Getting the first one at Charlotte (the non-points Sprint All-Star Race) was a huge accomplishment for the organization, but that first official points win was big, too. The feeling was the same as it was in Charlotte, but it was different because you knew it was a points race. It just meant a lot. It meant so much to a lot of people because it had been a long road to get this organization to where it could win races. Everybody put a lot of hard work into getting this program where it’s at, so it was nice to get to victory lane for a points race.”

Was winning any different as an owner?
“Does it matter? As long as you’re enjoying it, you’re enjoying it. The one part that was a little different than it had ever been was when we won the All-Star Race. Afterward, all I cared about was getting back and seeing my guys. I didn’t really even realize it until after we finished third in the Shootout at Daytona in February. It was the first event we ran and couple of the guys came up and were high-fiving each other and said, ‘Hey, that is the best finish we’ve ever had.’ It was like, ‘You guys have never run in the top-three in a Cup race… ever?’ That was what was so exciting about the All-Star Race – knowing that there is a group of guys in this organization that have been there from day one, guys on my team, guys on Ryan’s team, that had never been to victory lane. That, from a driver and owner standpoint, is just cool, that you were part of getting them their first win and being there to celebrate with them.”

Explain a lap around Pocono.
“Turn one is probably the easiest of the three – you drive it in kind of deep and then try to float the car through the corner. You go down the backstretch and into the tunnel turn and it’s basically one lane. It’s flat and very line-sensitive. You’ve got to make sure you’re right on your marks every lap when you go through there. Then you’ve got a short chute into turn three. It’s a big, long corner and it too is very line-sensitive. Add the fact that we’ve got a straightaway that’s three-quarters of a mile long after that, and it’s very important that you get through the last corner well. You need to come off the corner quickly so that you’re not bogged down when you start down that long straightaway. Each corner has its challenges, and each one tends to present a different set of circumstances with each lap you make.”

From a driver’s standpoint, what’s your biggest challenge at Pocono?
“All three corners are different – that’s the most challenging part. It seems like you can always get your car good in two of the three corners, but the guys who are contending for the win are the guys who can get their car good for all three corners, which is very hard to do. It seems like if we can get our car to go through the tunnel turn well, then we’re normally able to get it to go through the rest of the racetrack well. The tunnel turn seems to be our toughest turn on the racetrack. Getting through turn two and the last corner of the racetrack that’s flat, long and sweeping – those seem to be the toughest two corners to get through. And if you’re a little bit off, you’re a bunch off. If there’s a guy who can get all three of those corners right, then that’s the guy who’s going to win the race.”

After you’re done competing at Pocono, you’ll put on your track promoter hat and get ready to host the sixth annual Prelude to the Dream Wednesday, June 9 at your racetrack – Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Talk about that.
“It’s a lot of fun. The biggest part of the gratification for me is just seeing the guys that come up there and how much fun they have driving these dirt Late Models on a night where we get to race with guys we’re typically racing with every week. But we get to do something a little different, and that takes the edge off I think.”

Why should someone order the sixth annual Prelude to the Dream and watch it on Pay-Per-View?
“The Prelude to the Dream is a race that we hold prior to ‘Dream Weekend,’ which is one of our biggest weekends at Eldora Speedway. Professional dirt late model racers from across the country are racing for $100,000 to win. The Prelude to the Dream is on the Wednesday before, and it’s a race that myself and more than 25 drivers from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, the NHRA and extreme sports compete in for bragging rights, but also to raise money for charity. It’s a fun atmosphere for the drivers, crews, fans and the people watching at home on Pay-Per-View. Most of these guys don’t race on dirt very often, so it’s a chance for a lot of us to go back to our roots and have a great time. The viewers at home get to see us much differently than they would on a normal race weekend. There are no points, no pressure, just a lot of fun. This year, we’re helping out children by raising money from the Prelude to benefit four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals – Riley Hospital for Children, Cincinnati Children’s, Levine Children’s Hospital and St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.”

How gratifying is it for you to see all the drivers come together to help you with such a great cause?
“That’s the best part of it. To me, that’s the biggest compliment – that they are willing to take a day out of their schedule. You know, our schedules get more and more hectic every year. So, to get a full day on your schedule, that’s taking away a lot. And, for these guys to all do this once a year and come to our facility and race at a place I’m very passionate about is something that is very humbling, but at the same time, it shows their passion and compassion for charities and the fact that they work very hard to give back to communities.”

Why is racing on dirt so much fun for you guys?
“I think what’s fun, or challenging, about dirt is that the surface is never the same. When we go to Charlotte or Daytona or Talladega, the conditions are pretty much the same every time, as far as the surface goes. Dirt tracks are always different from the last time you were there. So, for the guys who are preparing the cars and doing the setups on them, they kind of have to guess ahead and try to plan for what they think the track is going to do. The drivers have to plan accordingly, too, and they have to make adjustments while they’re out on the track because the conditions are constantly changing. That’s what’s so fun about dirt – it’s never the same twice.”

How unique is it for more than 25 of the top drivers in the country to race at a half-mile dirt track in the middle of Ohio cornfields?
“It’s unreal. I guess it would be like Tiger Woods taking all of his buddies and going to play the local putt-putt course, or Michael Jordan taking all of his friends to the playground and shooting hoops. These guys all converge on this track and it’s fun, and it gets us back to our roots – why we got into racing to begin with. There are no points, no prize money. Guys pay their own way to get there and it’s for a worthwhile cause.”

When you guys go to Eldora, the routine is totally different from a normal race weekend. Is that part of the challenge, or the fun for you guys – getting adjusted to the dirt and getting away from your normal routine?
“Yeah, I think if we could get an hour of practice like we do at a (Sprint) Cup race, most of these guys would really pick this up really quick – and they do anyway. But they have to do it in probably a total of 10 to 12 laps, and that’s something they’re not used to having to do. I mean, they’re used to being able to have a lot of practice time, where on dirt tracks, you just can’t spend that much track time without it affecting the racetrack. So, where you used to have two warm-up sessions for the race at a Cup event, now, all of a sudden, you get two five- or six-lap sessions to get ready to go qualify right away, and that’s not a lot of time for a professional driver to try to figure out a different racecar and a different racetrack and surface.”

He is Travis Pastrana, and never afraid to try something new and different, the Red Bull athlete will take on yet another challenge when he competes in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream June 9 at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio.

“I’ve raced a lot of different types of cars in my career, and like every racer, I want to do well,” said Pastrana, who has become renown for seemingly doing the impossible, such as intentionally flipping his motorcycle over an airborne helicopter to jumping his Subaru WRX a world-record 269 feet last New Year’s Eve. “Compared to the Cup drivers, I am the low man on the totem pole and have very little experience, but I know it will be a good time and I’m honored to be a part of this event.”

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream will be presented live to the entire nation on HBO Pay-Per-View® with net proceeds from the telecast supporting four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals:

• Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis: www.RileyChildrensHospital.com

• Cincinnati Children’s: www.CincinnatiChildrens.org

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

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.: www.StJude.org

“Travis is an incredible talent on two wheels and on four,” said Tony Stewart, owner of Eldora Speedway. “We’re really happy to have him participate in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream. I know myself and the other drivers with dirt Late Model experience will be more than happy to give him all the help he needs to be successful. I think he’ll surprise a lot of people and show why he’s one of the most talented guys in the world.”

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream is headlined by the Gillette Young Guns: Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano. All will join two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Stewart and many others, including fellow Sprint Cup champions Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott. All will pilot 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower.

“To have Travis Pastrana and Ricky Carmichael competing in the Prelude is a huge boost for the event,” Stewart added. “They are two of all-time greats in extreme sports and motocross and they both have very large and very loyal fan bases. We’d love to have their fans tune into HBO Pay-Per-View to see how Ricky and Travis handle the high-banks at Eldora, and also help us raise money for four great children’s hospitals.”

And beyond the new charity element, this year’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream will be a team event. There will still be an individual race winner, but there will now be a race within the race, with the field broken up into four teams, each representing a children’s hospital:

• Team Riley: Bowyer (captain), Ryan Newman, J. Gordon, A.J. Allmendinger, Kenny Wallace and Ron Capps.

• Team Cincinnati: Kahne (captain), Logano, Stewart, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliott and Cruz Pedregon.

• Team Levine: Busch (captain), Johnson, Kenseth, David Reutimann, Dave Blaney, Marcos Ambrose and Pastrana.

• Team St. Jude: Hamlin (captain), Edwards, Ken Schrader, Aric Almirola, Carmichael and Ray Evernham.

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

• Winning team receives 45 percent of net money raised.

• Second-place team receives 25 percent of net money raised.

• Third- and fourth-place teams each receive 15 percent of net money raised.

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

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

With no points and no pressure, the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 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 like A.J. Foyt and Mario Andretti competed on throughout the last 56 years.

The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. EDT (4 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.

For those who want to see the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 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 each of its five previous years.

Martin, who hails from Greenfield, Ohio (120 miles southeast of Eldora), and Ramey, a native of Cape Girardeau, Mo., will perform the Star Spangled Banner prior to the all-star dirt Late Model race featuring more than 25 world renowned drivers as they battle for dirt supremacy on Eldora’s half-mile clay oval. It’s all presented live to the entire nation on HBO Pay-Per-View®, with proceeds from the telecast supporting four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals:

• Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis: www.RileyChildrensHospital.com

• Cincinnati Children’s: www.CincinnatiChildrens.org

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

• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.: www.StJude.org

“John and I are honored to have been asked to perform the national anthem at the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream,” Martin said. “Being an Ohio native, it’s something I’m looking forward to.”

“It going to be a great experience for us to be a part of this event,” Ramey added. “The fact that we’re going to be a part of something that raises money for children’s hospitals makes it even more special for Brad and I. We’re very humbled by the invitation and we look forward to the opportunity to perform at Eldora.”

Martin Ramey was formed in 2007 and they recently completed work on their first album, which includes the single “Twisted.”

“We’re excited to have Martin Ramey perform at the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream,” said Tony Stewart, owner of Eldora Speedway. “They’ve got a great sound, and with Brad being from Ohio, it’s fitting they’ll help kick off one of the biggest events in the Buckeye State.

The Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream is headlined by the Gillette Young Guns: Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Joey Logano. All will join two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Stewart and many others, including fellow Sprint Cup champions Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte and Bill Elliott. All will pilot 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower.

Beyond the charity element, this year’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream is a team event. There will still be an individual race winner, but there will now be a race within the race, with the field broken up into four teams, each representing a children’s hospital:

• Team Riley: Bowyer (captain), Ryan Newman, J. Gordon, A.J. Allmendinger, Kenny Wallace and Ron Capps.

• Team Cincinnati: Kahne (captain), Logano, Stewart, Labonte, Elliott and Cruz Pedregon.

• Team Levine: Busch (captain), Johnson, Kenseth, David Reutimann, Dave Blaney and Marcos Ambrose.

• Team St. Jude: Hamlin (captain), Edwards, Ken Schrader, Aric Almirola, Ricky Carmichael and Ray Evernham.

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

• Winning team receives 45 percent of net money raised.

• Second-place team receives 25 percent of net money raised.

• Third- and fourth-place teams each receive 15 percent of net money raised.

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

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

With no points and no pressure, the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 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 throughout the last 56 years.

The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. EDT (4 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.

For those who want to see the Gillette Fusion ProGlide 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 each of its five previous years.

Two-time NASCAR champ and current Chase contender Stewart headlines a list of drivers including three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champ Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano, and NHRA drivers Cruz Pedregon and Ron Capps. The all-star lineup competed at the Stewart-owned half-mile track located in Western Ohio in 2,300-pound dirt late model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower.

Scheduled air dates for “Prelude to the Dream” on SPEED:

Oct. 18, 2 p.m. ET
Oct. 23, 8 p.m. ET
Oct. 31, 10 p.m. ET
Nov. 4, 3 a.m. ET
Nov. 14, 8 p.m. and 3 a.m. ET

The popular event benefited four military-themed charities — Wounded Warrior Project, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Operation Homefront and Fisher House.
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Stewart passed Kenny Wallace on lap 13 of the 30-lap event and led the final 18 laps en route to victory.

“This was probably the best I’ve run in the Prelude,” said Stewart, who bought Eldora in 2004. “We won last year, I think we led the whole thing, but this was one I had to work for. We weren’t exactly perfect, and we weren’t perfect because I hit the wall on the first two starts right off the bat.”

Clint Bowyer finished 3.358 seconds behind Stewart in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Drag Racing standout Cruz Pedregon, David Reutimann, Aric Almirola, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson comprised the top-10.

There were four caution periods during the event, although the laps conducted under caution did not count.

The race, which drew more than 23,000 fans, was broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View with proceeds from the nationwide telecast supporting four military-themed charities – Wounded Warrior Project, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Operation Homefront and Fisher House. Each has a mission that outlines assistance to the courageous men and women who serve their country and need additional support both during and after their time of service.

“The Wounded Warriors Project, Fisher House, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Operation Homefront, that’s who this money’s going to tonight,” Stewart said. “Thank you to the fans – you guys helped us do this and you’re the reason we were able to do this tonight. I just really appreciate the support that our fans give us here. We also can’t thank the drivers enough. With the rainout in June, it really means a lot that they were able to rearrange their schedules and come out and help us do this tonight.

“We’re proud to do this. Thanks to Gillette and HBO, we’ve been able to do more than we ever thought here at the Prelude. The fans keep making it bigger and better every year. As long as the fans keep coming and I can keep getting drivers to come out, we’re going to keep doing this every year.”

All race information from the fifth annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream, from starting lineups to qualifying and finishing results, can be found at www.TrueSpeedMedia.com by simply clicking on the event logo.

Photos from the 2009 Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream are now available to the media online through Getty Images. Media will not be charged an editorial usage fee for images from the event. To view and download materials, please register at www.image.net and select “SPORTS” in the “Subjects You Cover” section.”

Tony Stewart, Winner:
Talk about your win.

“We had a lot of fun tonight. This makes up for the spring rainout for sure. What a great race with Kenny Wallace, Clint Bowyer, Rowdy (Kyle) Busch, Ryan Newman and Kasey (Kahne,) we had an awesome run there. We got lucky to get by them on the top and then to get by Kenny (Wallace) was great.”

“This was probably the best I’ve run in the Prelude. We won last year, I think we led the whole thing, but this was one I had to work for. We weren’t exactly perfect, and we weren’t perfect because I hit the wall on the first two starts right off the bat. I’m sure there is a lot of bent up stuff on this Rocket Chassis car, so I’m just really proud of Mark and Josh Richards and all of these fans here and that watched tonight. This is something that took a lot of time and effort, not on my part, but with everyone involved with this event here at Eldora Speedway. They have just done an awesome job of helping us to raise thousands of dollars for these charities.

You keep winning your own races. What’s up with that?

“If Gillette will put a bounty up to put me on the tail of the field to start next year, I’ll start on the tail of the field.”

You started sixth. How did you get to the front?

“It was like everyone moved in the direction I needed them to move in order to get to the front. I couldn’t really run on the bottom, but they seemed to all open up on the top and that let me get the spots.”

There were four very deserving charities that will get a nice donation from tonight’s Prelude.

“The Wounded Warriors Project, the Fisher House, the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Operation Homefront, that’s who this money’s going to tonight. Thank you to the fans – you guys helped us do this and you’re the reason we were able to do this tonight. I just really appreciate the support that our fans give us here. We also can’t thank the drivers enough. With the rainout in June, it really means a lot that they were able to rearrange their schedules and come out and help us do this tonight.

“We’re proud to do this. Thanks to Gillette and HBO, we’ve been able to do more than we ever thought here at the Prelude. The fans keep making it bigger and better every year. As long as the fans keep coming and I can keep getting drivers to come out, we’re going to keep doing this every year.”

Clint Bowyer, Second-Place:
Tell us about your night.

“He (Stewart) works his butt off for this event. Man, it’s only right that he does win it. You put in that much work into something and he wants to win, too. He’s a competitor and he runs good. He’s one of the best racers in the world, and he showed it again tonight. (On the incident with Kenny Wallace:) I didn’t mean it. Kenny spun his tires on his restart and kind of came across my nose. I tried to miss it, but he was already spinning. That’s the thing about these cars. You break traction and you can’t get it back. You can’t back-pedal enough. I had momentum in that deal. But it was fun. The cushion, that’s dirt racing, you never know what you’re going to have. Some nights it’s on top, some nights it’s on the bottom, some nights you’ve got both. It was certainly on the top tonight and kind of one line. But, hey, we got it in.”

Kyle Busch, Third-Place:
Tell us about your night.

“It’s tough to beat the track owner at his own track. Nah, I’m just joking. It was great. I really want to thank Gillette Young Guns and Gillette, M&M’s – everybody on this car here. Scott Bloomquist was a great help for me. It was really cool to come out here, have some fun. Get a good run here. Last year, I struggled here a little bit. That was pretty cool. Wish it was a little more racing than the one groove that we had.”

Is this something you would like to do more than once a year?

“I’ve done it twice this year, and I’ve finished second and third, so my record seems to be okay. My average finish is definitely a lot better than my Cup effort.”

Anything you can take from here into this weekend momentum wise?

“No, not at all. We’ll just get down to Richmond and hopefully give it a good run and see what we can do.”

Ryan Newman, Fourth-Place:
What did you see out there tonight?

“Well, I thought it was pretty good racing. Tony (Stewart) did a great job obviously. I wanna thank all the fans for coming out. It’s just a blast to do this and obviously for a great reason with the injured and wounded warriors and fallen heroes as the charities. It was cool when it was kids and now it is really cool because we couldn’t do what we’re doing without the people that fought for our freedom a long time ago. To give back like this is awesome. It’s the best way for us drivers to give back, and obviously for the fans to come out the way that they did and buying it on TV – it was really special.”

This is something that is obviously really close to your heart because of your U.S. Army sponsorship. Did you get a chance to talk to the soldiers or wounded warriors that were here tonight?

“I talked to a good few of them – even the National Guard guys who don’t always associate themselves with the Army guys came around and talked and took pictures. It’s just special. I’ve got to thank Tony (Stewart) and all the people for putting this on – obviously Gillette, Old Spice, Bass Pro Shops, everybody that helps out with this function. It’s a blast to drive the racecars, but to see the soldiers here and what we are doing this for, it was really special. They call them soldiers, but they are really heroes.”

At any point tonight did you think you could beat your boss?

“When he was behind me. I knew that he was going to be the guy to beat. I said that before. If you are going to beat somebody, you might as well beat Tony here because that will give you a good shot at the win. Obviously, it would have been nice tonight, but to start fourth and finish fourth and do some passing, it was the most competitive I have felt in a dirt late model. I had a blast.”

Anything you can take from tonight and carry-over into the weekend at Richmond?

“Excitement, adrenaline, fun. I mean, it’s what it is all about. When you have a good night like this, it definitely helps. I really look forward to this weekend.”

Matt Kenseth, Fifth-Place:
How was the track tonight?

“The track was good, I guess. I don’t run much dirt. We didn’t wreck it too bad so that’s good. The one run right before the caution I was running fast and it seemed like I was catching the leaders there. But after the caution, I just couldn’t get going again. The track was in really good shape, but it was slick.”

How does the track change every time you come here?

“I never now what to expect here. I didn’t think we’d qualify that fast, so I was surprised. The speeds were slow, and the track got slower and slower as the night went on. I was surprised by that. How it is now (at the end) is what I expected it to be.”

Cruz Pedregon, Sixth-Place:
Tell us about your night.

“I had a good car, but fatigue started to set in. I knew where I wanted to run on the track. Parnelli Jones once told me, ‘You’ve got to go where they’re not.’ My plan was to do what I did: slide guys and I wanted to make sure I cleared them. You know, for a drag racer – I’ve probably raced 12 Late Model races in my career that started about three years ago thanks to Tony and his whole group here – this is the most fun type of car I’ve ever driven. These cars are incredible, but they’re very difficult to drive. Had it not been the eight or 10 (Late Model) races I ran this year, I probably wouldn’t have passed anyone tonight. But that experienced helped me out a lot. In previous years, I did just some hot laps at different tracks before this event. But this year I went out and bought my own car. I bought a rocket car. And I decided that this is such a neat event and it’s such an honor for a guy like me to come in a different venue, that I thought there are not many opportunities where you can race in front of a crowd like this, race with all these guys, so I invested in a car and went out to different tracks around the Indianapolis area and thought if I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it right. So that’s about as good as it gets. I think I was a slight bit over my head, there. But I kept picking guys off, so I thought, let’s keep it going. It’s a great feeling. My goal was to finish in the top-10 tonight and I got sixth. So, I’m so excited and happy to have done this event. I hope the fans enjoyed it.”

Kasey Kahne, Ninth-Place:
Tell us about your night.

“We had a great car throughout most of the night. It was a lot of fun to drive, and a lot of fun to race with these guys. We just missed it in the main event.”

Talk a little bit about why you guys take the time to come out do the Prelude.

“We get to race late models and come out and raise money for a great cause. It’s enjoyable. Everybody gets to do it. It makes a lot of sense to come out here and have fun for the night with no pressures. It’s time to just go out, enjoy yourself and race hard.”

With the Chase weighing on everyone’s minds does this give you any momentum going into Richmond?

“This is just kind of a nice part of the week. Saturday night will all start on Friday with practice and getting the car where it needs to be. Then Saturday we just need to have a clean night. Tonight’s just a great part of the week, and a fun part of the week looking ahead to Richmond.”

Jimmie Johnson, 10th-Place:
Tell us about your night.

“To win a heat race and beat Tony (Stewart) is awesome. Starting that deep in the field (10th), it’s really tough to pass guys. So I just kind of rode around and had fun. You’d think if you win a heat they’d give you a chance to start up front. (Laugh.) No, I understand, it’s all good inverted short-track racing stuff. I had a blast tonight. It was a lot of fun. I never experienced movement like this before, so there’s a lot of new things I went through tonight and learned. All in all, really good.”

Kenny Wallace, 17th-Place (top-three for most of the night before incident on final restart with Bowyer):
Tell us about your night.

“You know, it’s disappointing because I take this as a real race. We led, Tony was just really fast, he got by us. And then Clint (Bowyer) got into my left rear and flattened it out, so it was a real bummer. It’s disappointing. On to Richmond.”

Joey Logano, 20th-Place:
Tell us about your night.

“It didn’t go so well. I’m fine. It was a good car again, driving to the front, running alright. And then they wrecked in front of me and I had nowhere to go on that. The track is fun, but you just can’t see three cars in front of you when you’re in the back like that. By the time you go into a corner and see it (a crash) and the track is so slick, and you just slide, and you slide and you just slide right into the wreck. It’s a bummer.”

Results Wednesday of the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream Dirt Late Model with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):

1. (6) Tony Stewart, 30
2. (1) Clint Bowyer, 30
3. (3) Kyle Busch, 30
4. (4) Ryan Newman, 30
5. (11) Matt Kenseth, 30
6. (15) Cruz Pedregon, 30
7. (18) David Reutimann, 30
8. (9) Aric Almirola, 30
9. (8) Kasey Kahne, 30
10. (10) Jimmie Johnson, 30
11. (17) Kevin Harvick, 30
12. (12) Brian Vickers, 30
13. (23) Ron Capps, 30
14. (19) Marcos Ambrose, 30
15. (20) Casey Mears, 29
16. (22) Red Farmer, 27
17. (2) Kenny Wallace, 20, Mechanical
18. (7) Robby Gordon, 12, Accident T3
19. (14) Ken Schrader, 12, Accident T3
20. (13) Joey Logano, 12, Accident T3
21. (21) Ray Evernham, 2, Accident T1
22. (16) A.J. Allmendinger, 0, Accident T3
23. (5) Denny Hamlin, DNS, Mechanical

Race Statistics
Winner’s average speed: 38.978 mph
Time of race: 23:05.405
Margin of victory: 3.358 seconds

Cautions: 4 (Lap 1: Allmendinger, Accident T3; Lap 3: Evernham, Accident T1; Lap 13: Schrader, Gordon, Mears, Logano and Ambrose, Accident T3; Lap 20: Mears, Spin T2)

Lead changes: 2 among 2 drivers
Lap leaders: Wallace 1-12, Stewart 13-30
Attendance: More than 23,000
Broadcast: HBO Pay-Per-View