Prelude to a Dream will not run in 2013: According to a news release issued Thursday by Eldora Speedway, the track will not host the Prelude to the Dream next year. "Eldora's commitment to the best possible experience for its loyal fans and competitors attending the Dirt Late Model Dream will result in a schedule change to Dream Week. The logistics associated with the Dream's expansion for the dirt Late Model teams that supplied the cars for the Prelude, along with speedway officials who must transition the facility, prevents the Prelude to the Dream from being included on the 2013 calendar. Advance ticket holders to the 2012 event will retain their renewal rights for the next scheduled Prelude to the Dream event going forward."(Eldora Speedway)(10-18-2012)

Kyle Busch wins Prelude to the Dream: After knocking on the door to victory lane countless times in his five previous runs in the Prelude To The Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, Kyle Busch finally broke through Wednesday night to score his first win in the all-star dirt Late Model race benefiting Feed The Children. "This is cool," said Busch, who outlasted strong challenges from Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer before finishing 2.283 seconds over runner-up Tony Stewart. "This is what it's all about when you go dirt racing. It's a lot of fun." Busch started the 40-lap feature event in second place and dueled with Kahne and Bowyer, who together led the first 24 laps (Kahne 1-12; Bowyer 13-21; Kahne 22-24) before Busch took over the lead on lap 25 when Kahne crashed into Bobby Labonte. Busch then checked out, beating three-time Prelude winner Stewart to nab his first career victory at Eldora. Finishing third was Austin Dillon in just his second Prelude start. Four-time World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion Donny Schatz finished fourth in his dirt Late Model debut. Stewart's NASCAR teammate at Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan Newman, finished fifth. Aric Almirola, Cruz Pedregon, Dave Blaney, Ty Dillon and Justin Allgaier completed the top-10, all of whom will get a tractor-trailer filled with food from Feed The Children delivered to their hometown or city of choice.(True Speed Communications)(6-7-2012)

2012 Prelude to the Dream race results: with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (2) Kyle Busch, 40
2. (9) Tony Stewart, 40
3. (4) Austin Dillon, 40
4. (8) Donny Schatz, 40
5. (6) Ryan Newman, 40
6. (10) Aric Almirola, 40
7. (18) Cruz Pedregon, 40
8. (20) Dave Blaney, 40
9. (5) Ty Dillon, 40
10. (22) Justin Allgaier, 40
11. (14) Jimmie Johnson, 40
12. (15) Kenny Wallace, 40
13. (16) Ray Evernham, 39
14. (19) Bill Elliott, 39
15. (25) Danica Patrick, 37
16. (1) Kasey Kahne, 24, Accident
17. (7) Bobby Labonte, 24, Accident
18. (12) Jason Leffler, 23, Mechanical
19. (3) Clint Bowyer, 22, Mechanical
20. (21) David Gilliland, 18, Mechanical
21. (23) Ron Capps, 3, Accident
22. (13) Tony Kanaan, 2, Mechanical
23. (24) J.J. Yeley, 2, Accident
24. (11) Kenny Schrader, 1, Accident
25. (17) Steve Kinser, 1, Accident
26. (26) Kurt Busch, DNS, Accident in Heat Race

Race Statistics
Winner's average speed: 51.211 mph
Time of race: 23:25.951
Margin of victory: 2.283 seconds
Lead changes: 3
Leaders: Kahne 1-12; Bowyer 13-21; Kahne 22-24; Ky. Busch 25-40
Attendance: Approximately 20,000
Broadcast: HBO Pay-Per-View
(6-7-2012)

Prelude To The Dream– FAST FACTS:
WHAT: Eighth Annual Prelude To The Dream
WHERE: Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (Half-mile dirt oval)
WHEN: 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT) on Wednesday, June 6, 2012
DISTANCE: Feature consists of 40 laps (preceded by qualifying and heat races)
CARS: Dirt Late Model stock cars

THE TRACK: Half-mile dirt oval
· Banking: 24 degrees in the corners; 8 degrees on the straightaways
· Capacity: Reserved seating + suites + hillside seating = more than 20,000.
· Eldora Speedway is a half-mile dirt racing facility located in western Ohio. The “Big E” is owned by three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. The Indiana native purchased Eldora from legendary promoter Earl Baltes in 2004. Baltes built Eldora in 1954 and had been the sole owner of the facility for 50 years. Eldora plays host to some of the largest dirt racing events in the country, including the Prelude To The Dream, The Dream, Kings Royal and World 100 – each of which attracts more than 20,000 spectators on an annual basis.

PRELUDE TO THE DREAM RECORDS:
· Most Victories:
Ø 3 – Tony Stewart (2006, 2008, 2009)
· Highest Percentage of Laps Led:
Ø 100 percent (Stewart led 30 of 30 laps in 2008, Johnson led 30 of 30 laps in 2010 and Bowyer led 30 of 30 laps in 2011.)
· One-lap Qualifying Record:
Ø 15.405 seconds at 116.845 mph (Tony Stewart – 2009)
· Attendance:
Ø Approximately 23,000 (2009)

TV:
· Pay-Per-View, 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT), Wednesday, June 6, 2012
· Booth: Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds and Allen Bestwick
· Host: Matt Yocum
· Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren and Steve Letarte (crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)
· Director: Artie Kempner
· Producer: Pam Miller

PHILANTHROPIC ELEMENT:
· 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.
· 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.

SCHEDULE (All times local – EDT; subject to change):
7:30 a.m.: Ticket office opens
8:00 a.m.: General admission markings may begin (chairs/blankets ONLY)
8:00 a.m.: All admission gates open
12:00 p.m. Pit gates open for teams
4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.: Media availability session for drivers (media tent) *NSCS drivers unavailable due to travel from Pocono, Pa.
5:25 p.m.: Qualifying draw (victory lane)
5:40 p.m. Driver’s meeting (media tent)
6:30 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.: Hot lap session No. 1
7:05 p.m. to 7:25 p.m.: Hot lap session No. 2
7:30 p.m.: Prelude To The Dream driver introductions (victory lane)
7:45 p.m.: Prelude To The Dream driver parade
8:00 p.m.: HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast begins
8:08 p.m.: Invocation and National Anthem
8:10 p.m.: Prelude To The Dream qualifying (2 laps)
8:45 p.m. Modified feature (15-minute timed event, including cautions)
9:05 p.m.: Prelude To The Dream Heat race No. 1
9:20 p.m. Prelude To The Dream Heat race No. 2
9:35 p.m. Prelude To The Dream Heat race No. 3
9:50 p.m. Prelude To The Dream Heat race No. 4
10:05 p.m.: Stock feature (15-minute timed event, including cautions)
10:25 p.m. Prelude To The Dream feature (40 laps)
11:00 p.m.: Prelude To The Dream winner’s circle and introduction of Feed The Children representatives
(6-4-2012)

Tony Stewart Hosts SiriusXM Special on June 5: Sirius XM Radio announced that three-time and reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart will host a special edition of Tony Stewart Live from Eldora Speedway, Stewart’s dirt track in Rossburg, Ohio, this Tuesday, June 5 (7:00 – 9:00 pm/et). The broadcast will be available to listeners nationwide on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90 on Sirius and XM Premier (formerly known as “The Best of Sirius”). The show airs the night before Stewart’s annual “Prelude to the Dream,” the all-star dirt Late Model race that will be run at the half-mile dirt oval and will feature some of racing’s best drivers including NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson, Danica Patrick, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Ray Evernham, Tony Stewart, IZOD IndyCar Series driver Tony Kanaan and others.
On the program, Stewart and co-host Matt Yocum will offer a preview of the Prelude, take calls from race fans across the country, and discuss the current NASCAR season. Scheduled guests on the program include Clint Bowyer, who won the 2011 Prelude, and Steve Letarte, crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the #88 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team.
Tony Stewart Live airs on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio at various times during the year, including during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Champion’s Week, when Stewart and Yocum host their annual season-ending “Stewie Awards” broadcast. The Prelude to the Dream event will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View with net proceeds from the telecast supporting the charitable organization Feed the Children.(SIrius)(6-1-2012)

HBO Taking Orders for Eighth Annual Prelude To The Dream: If you can’t make the drive to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Wednesday, June 6 to see the eighth annual Prelude To The Dream in person, don’t worry. Beginning today, race fans across the nation will have their first opportunity to order the charity all-star race on pay-per-view.
The event will feature stars from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the IZOD IndyCar Series, the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series and the World of Outlaws Sprint Car 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.
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 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. It is One Perfect Night. 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.
HOW TO ORDER:
· The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT) with an immediate replay following.
· 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 #OnePerfectNight, 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 today.
· 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 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 6 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 now. You can find the event on Channel 123 HD or Channel 124. Go to the programming guide for those channels for Wednesday, June 6 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. Or you can order online at directv.com/events or text EVENT to 223322. Standard data and messaging rates may apply in accordance with your wireless carrier.
Ø DISH Network Customers: All DISH Network customers can order the event now by going to Channel 473 or Channel 474 HD. Follow the on-screen instructions to order. On Wednesday, June 6, the event will be shown on Channel 455 or Channel 468 HD.
· If any problems are encountered during ordering, contact a customer service representative anytime on Wednesday, June 6 to make sure the order is processed and the race can be viewed. Once it is ordered, sit back and enjoy the ride.(HBO)(5-30-2012)

The Prelude To The Dream, Race Under the Lights in All-Star Event at Eldora Speedway in Support of Feed The Children on HBO: On Wednesday, June 6 in tiny Rossburg, Ohio, stars representing NASCAR, NHRA, INDYCAR and the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series align in a big way with the Prelude To The Dream.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.(5-15-2012)

Pocono test will end early for Prelude to the Dream: #14-Tony Stewart's annual charity race, The Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, is scheduled for June 6. So is an afternoon of Sprint Cup testing at newly repaved Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. The two tracks are 480 miles apart, and many Cup drivers participate in Stewart's dirt late model race, won last year by #15-Clint Bowyer. To help with scheduling, NASCAR moved the start of the Pocono test session from 1 p.m. to noon ET. The test will conclude at 4 p.m. instead of 5 p.m., allowing drivers plenty of time to fly to Eldora before the start of the Prelude.(NASCAR Wire Service)(5-14-2012)

Info and Tickets: 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 42th Annual World 100 are available through the speedway box office (937) 338-3815 or online 24 hours a day at www.EldoraSpeedway.com.

2012 Prelude to the Dream TV and Sponsor: The 2012 Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream will be broadcast live on HBO Pay Per View on Wednesday, June 6th. The Prelude to the Dream is pleased to announce a partnership with Feed The Children in 2012. All net proceeds of the Pay Per View subscriptions will benefit Feed The Children.

Drivers Announced:
Round 1: Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan, Ron Capps.
Round 2: Jimmie Johnson, Bill Elliott, Ray Evernham, Cruz Pedregon, Justin Allgaier and David Gilliland.
Round 3: Danica Patrick, Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Ty Dillon and Aric Almirola.
Round 4: Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Kenny Schrader, Ricky Carmichael, Austin Dillon, Jason Leffler and J.J. Yeley

Final bact of drivers added: With seven names added this week, all with championship credits, the list of driver superstars for the Wednesday, June 6 running of the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway now stands at 25. Three-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart will be joined by Kyle Busch, Kenny Schrader, Ricky Carmichael, Austin Dillon, Jason Leffler and J.J. Yeley as drivers announced this week into the 8th annual charity-driven event on Eldora’s nationally-acclaimed .500-mile clay oval.
Three is a prevalent number for Stewart, who also owns Eldora, as it represents both the number of NASCAR Sprint Cup titles won and the number of Prelude victories to his credit – with wins in 2006, 2008 and 2009. And, as proof of his driving diversity, Stewart was the first driver to win three United States Auto Club (USAC) National Championships in one season when he captured titles in USAC’s touring Midget, Sprint Car and Silver Crown divisions in 1995.(www.EldoraSpeedway.com)(3-26-2012)

Danica to make dirt track debut in Prelude: Dirt racing’s grandest stage, Eldora Speedway, will set the scene for Danica Patrick’s long awaited dirt track debut. She joins Ryan Newman, Bobby Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Ty Dillon and Aric Almirola in the third installment of roster announcements for the Wednesday, June 6 running of the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream, bringing the total of announced superstar drivers to 18.
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.(Eldoria Speedway)(3-14-2012)

2nd batch of drivers announced for the Prelude to the Dream: A former winner, a return to their roots, a birthday celebration, a determined straight-line racer, and a reunion of sorts are all storylines surrounding the second round of nationally-known drivers announced today as contestants in the Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream. The eighth annual event takes place Wednesday, June 6 at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway.
Included on this week’s list of superstars is five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion and 2010 Prelude to the Dream winner Jimmie Johnson, 1988 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Bill Elliott, three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship crew chief Ray Evernham, two-time NHRA Full Throttle Series champion Cruz Pedregon, NASCAR Nationwide Series contender Justin Allgaier and 2007 Daytona 500 pole sitter David Gilliland as they all make a return to Eldora and the charity-driven event that celebrates a once-a-year gathering of headliners from NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA in Dirt Late Models at the famed high-banked .500-mile clay oval.
Johnson, whose racing roots trace back to the southern California off-road racing scene, adapted quickly to the lightning quick Eldora speed plant. His indoctrination to dirt oval racing at the 2008 Prelude produced a respectable 8th place finish and only two years later Johnson, the only NASCAR driver to win five consecutive Sprint Cup titles, stood in victory lane as the winner.
While Johnson made tracks off-road, the return to a dirt track brings back early career memories for the legendary Elliott, Gilliland and Allgaier.
As the elder statesman of the group, Elliott’s chase for checkered flags began in 1974 on dirt ovals around his hometown of Dawsonville, GA in a career that has produced 16 NASCAR Most Popular Driver awards. Gilliland’s foray into NASCAR racing was preceded by early career runs at Perris Speedway, outside of Los Angeles, CA, while Allgaier cut his stock car racing teeth on the tough Illinois dirt bullrings.
The return to dirt only seems fitting for Allgaier who will be seeking a Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream victory to celebrate his birthday, as he turns 26 years old on June 6.
Normally shooting down a 1000 foot dragway at speeds approaching 330 miles per hour, Pedregon came to the 2007 Prelude with only a passion for oval track racing. His 19th place finish that year got him hooked onto a new hobby – Dirt Late Model racing. He soon formed his own Late Model team and, when not behind the wheel of his NHRA Funny Car, he can be found racing on dirt ovals surrounding his home base of Brownsburg, IN.
For Evernham, who has worn multiple hats within the racing world, the Prelude serves as a reunion for himself and Elliott. With Evernham as the owner and Elliott the driver, the duo teamed up in 2001 to reintroduce Dodge to the NASCAR scene; an introduction that produced a pair of NASCAR Cup wins the following season. As a former standout pavement East Coast Modified racer, Evernham’s creditable roles also include leading Jeff Gordon and the #24 team to three NASCAR Sprint Cup Championships. The ESPN motorsports analyst is a partner in East Lincoln (NC) Speedway outside of Charlotte, NC. Evernham is married to Erin Crocker Evernham, the only woman to ever win a World of Outlaws A-Feature and who has multiple starts herself at Eldora.
These six drivers bring the total to twelve announced Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream participants as they join Clint Bowyer, Dave Blaney, Kurt Busch, Ron Capps, Kasey Kahne and Tony Kanaan in the mega line-up.(Eldoria Speedway)(3-9-2012)

Initial six Feed the Childreen Prelude to the Dream Drivers announced: Fresh off the green flag to the 2012 North American motorsports calendar, Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway is excited to announce the first round of drivers confirmed for the 8th Annual Feed The Children Prelude to the Dream. Defending champion Clint Bowyer leads superstars Kasey Kahne, Kurt Busch, Dave Blaney, Tony Kanaan and Ron Capps as the first six entrants into the charity-driven event.
The process of unveiling some of the world’s greatest known drivers from NASCAR, IndyCar and NHRA to the Wednesday, June 6 contest will span four weeks as drivers begin to prepare for their once-a-year encounter with the famed high-banked half-mile clay oval.
Defending Feed the Children Prelude to the Dream champion Clint Bowyer’s exciting run in last year’s Prelude cemented him as the most consistent driver in the seven-year history of the race. His initial Prelude appearance in 2007 resulted in a fifth place finish. He backed that up with a third place run the following year (2008), before registering a pair of runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010, and then stepped up the pace even more with last year’s victory. Bowyer is coming off an 11th place finish in this year’s Daytona 500.
Returning after a five-year absence, Busch will bring to the Darke (OH) County speed plant a hype that only Kurt Busch can create. Known for his prowess in many levels of NASCAR racing, his racing career remains rooted in grassroots racing, including on the dirt surface of the original Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Legends Cars where he began his career. His only previous Prelude appearance in 2006 netted him the 15th position in the main event.
Blaney and Kahne are no strangers to Eldora Speedway. Each of them return with impressive Eldora credentials and countless laps of competition in multiple forms of the sport, most notably the open wheel variety – both winged and non-winged. The move to the heavier Dirt Late Models has required little adapting for the pair. Both have competed in five previous Prelude events, with the versatile Blaney, a former World of Outlaws Champion and veteran of Super DIRT Week at Syracuse, having earned the highest finish of runner-up in 2006.
Of this elite group of six drivers, Capps is the senior member, with appearances in each of the previous seven Preludes. Ironically Capps is not an oval track racer. His vocation is focused on the straight-lined drag strips; with 33 career wins under his belt. He is no stranger to speed, as testified by his career-best run of 4.023 seconds in a quarter-mile run, with a top speed of 315.27 MPH. He attacks the clay oval with that same vengeance, including a Prelude best finish of 4th in 2006.
Kanaan enters the Prelude field as a representative of the IndyCar and international world. The Brazilian captured the 2004 IndyCar title and has set on the pole of the renown Indianapolis 500, but the transition to dirt grassroots racing has presented Kanaan with a new learning curve. With the last two years of Prelude racing on his resume (his only short track appearances), Kanaan has finished 24th and 27th. He looks at 2012 in anticipation of improving upon those marks.(Eldora Speedway)(3-2-2012)

Bowyer Wins Seventh Annual Prelude to the Dream: The box score says that Clint Bowyer led all 30 laps in Wednesday night’s Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt Late Model race at Eldora Speedway, but the native of Emporia, Kan., had to fend off strong charges from J.J. Yeley and Aric Almirola to finally capture a victory in the prestigious race that’s a who’s who of racing’s elite. After finishing second in the past two Prelude to the Dream events, Bowyer sealed his first Prelude triumph by .531 of a second over Yeley, a former USAC champion who has logged numerous laps at Eldora.
“It’s just so much fun to be able to come here and compete,” said Bowyer, whose victory was presented live to the entire nation on HBO Pay-Per-View, with the net proceeds from the telecast supporting four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals. “What an awesome racetrack. I’ve always loved this place and I’m very proud of Tony Stewart and everybody behind him that makes this event awesome. There’s a lot of hard work to put on something like this, and we are very lucky to have him put forth the effort.”
Stewart, owner of Eldora Speedway and a three-time Prelude victor, finished 20th in the race he created in 2005. “We had another first-time winner tonight. That’s what the fun part is,” said Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion. “Watching Marcos Ambrose win his heat race and Jason Leffler win his heat race in their first time being here – that’s the stuff that makes you smile, and it’s fun to watch all these guys have a good time.”

The race was a team event. There was still an individual race winner in Bowyer, but there was 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, Bowyer, Ken Schrader, David Gilliland, Leffler and Ron Capps.
· Team St. Louis: Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Justin Allgaier, Kenny Wallace, Ron Hornaday and Ricky Carmichael.
· Team Dallas: Tony Stewart, Tony Kanaan, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers, Ambrose, Almirola and Yeley.

Each hospital received a donation, with the payout breakdown as follows:
· Winning team received 30 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.
· Second-place team received 25 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.
· Third- and fourth-place teams each received 20 percent of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.

Results of the 2011 Prelude to the Dream:
Results Wednesday of the seventh annual Prelude to the Dream Dirt Late Model event June 8 at the half-mile Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (1) Clint Bowyer, 30
2. (4) J.J. Yeley, 30
3. (2) Aric Almirola, 30
4. (10) Kyle Busch, 30
5. (5) Justin Allgaier, 30
6. (6) Ricky Carmichael, 30
7. (8) Ken Schrader, 30
8. (13) Austin Dillon, 30
9. (12) Ryan Newman, 30
10. (11) Kasey Kahne, 30
11. (21) Denny Hamlin, 30
12. (17) David Reutimann, 30
13. (14) Matt Kenseth, 30
14. (18) Brian Vickers, 30
15. (9) Carl Edwards, 30
16. (27) Kenny Wallace, 30
17. (20) Ron Capps, 30
18. (28) Jimmie Johnson, 30
19. (16) Cruz Pedregon, 30
20. (26) Tony Stewart, 30
21. (19) David Gilliland, 30
22. (22) Bill Elliott, 30
23. (24) Bobby Labonte, 30
24. (3) Marcos Ambrose, 30
25. (25) Ray Evernham, 21, Mechanical
26. (23) Ron Hornaday, 20, Mechanical
27. (15) Tony Kanaan, 18, Lost Wheel
28. (7) Jason Leffler, 16, Accident
Race Statistics
Winner's average speed: 45.285 mph
Time of race: 19:52.459
Margin of victory: .531 of a second
Lead changes: None
Cautions: (Lap 10: Debris; Lap 13: Evernham, Hornaday Spin T3; Lap 19: Kanaan Lost Wheel; Lap 20 Labonte, Hornaday Spin T4) Leaders: Bowyer 1-30
Attendance: Approximately 20,000
Broadcast: HBO Pay-Per-View
(True Speed Communications)(6-9-2011)

Bowyer wins Prelude to the Dream: Clint Bowyer won the Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway, see results at eldoraspeedway.com. J.J. Yeley finished 2nd, followed by Aric Almirola, Kyle Busch and Justin Allgaier.(6-9-2011)

Prelude to the Dream in June: The seventh annual Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt Late Model race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio is slated for June 8, 2011 and just as last year’s event benefitted four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals, the 2011 edition will do the same. The Prelude to the Dream is a Dirt Late Model all-star race featuring over 2 dozen NASCAR stars. Tickets go on sale April 4th at eldoraspeedway.com or (937) 338-3815(3-21-2011)

Prelude to the Dream– FAST FACTS:
WHAT: Seventh Annual Prelude to the Dream
WHERE: Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (Half-mile dirt oval)
WHEN: 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT) on Wednesday, June 8, 2011
DISTANCE: Feature consists of 30 laps (preceded by qualifying and heat races)
CARS: Dirt Late Model stock cars
PASTWINNERS:
· 2010: Jimmie Johnson
· 2009: Tony Stewart
· 2008: Tony Stewart
· 2007: Carl Edwards
· 2006: Tony Stewart
· 2005: KennyWallace

THE TRACK: Half-mile dirt oval
· Banking: 24 degrees in the corners; 8 degrees on the straightaways
· Capacity: Reserved seating + suites + hillside seating = more than 20,000. · Eldora Speedway is a half-mile dirt racing facility located in western Ohio. The “Big E” is owned by two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. The Indiana native purchased Eldora from legendary promoter Earl Baltes in 2004. Baltes built Eldora in 1954 and had been the sole owner of the facility for 50 years. Eldora plays host to some of the largest dirt racing events in the country, including the Prelude to the Dream, The Dream, Kings Royal and World 100 – all of which attract more than 20,000 spectators on an annual basis.
PRELUDE TO THE DREAM RECORDS: · Most Victories:
3 – Tony Stewart (2006, 2008, 2009)
· Highest Percentage of Laps Led:
100 percent (Stewart led 30 of 30 laps in 2008 and Johnson led 30 of 30 laps in 2010)
· One-lap Qualifying Record:
15.405 seconds at 116.845 mph (Tony Stewart – 2009)
· Attendance:
Approximately 23,000 (2009)
TV: Pay-Per-View, 8 p.m. EDT (5 p.m. PDT), Wednesday, June 8, 2011
· Booth: Marty Reid, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds
· Host: Matt Yocum
· Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren and Steve Letarte (crew chief for Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series)
· Director: Artie Kempner
· Producer: Pam Miller

SCHEDULE (All times local – EDT; subject to change):
7:30 a.m.: Ticket office opens
8:00 a.m.: General admission markings may begin (chairs/blankets ONLY)
8:00 a.m.: All admission gates open
12:00 p.m. Pit gates open for teams
4:30 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.: Media availability session for ALL drivers (media tent)
5:25 p.m.: Qualifying draw (stage)
5:40 p.m. Driver’s meeting (media tent)
6:30 p.m. to 6:55 p.m.: Hot lap session No. 1
7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.: SPEED’s “RaceHub” airs with live interviews from Eldora
7:30 p.m.: Prelude driver introductions (stage)
7:45 p.m.: Prelude driver parade
8:00 p.m.: HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast begins
8:08 p.m.: Invocation and National Anthem
8:10 p.m.: Prelude qualifying (2 laps)
9:05 p.m.: Prelude to the Dream racing program begins (Heats / Feature)
11:00 p.m.: Post -race winner’s circle and introduction of charities

Tim Dugger To Sing National Anthem at Prelude to the Dream: CURB Recording artist Tim Dugger will sing the national anthem prior to the seventh annual Prelude to the Dream today at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The Alabama native’s recording credits include his debut album, “Country Music Man” as well as “What Country Means To Me” and “Country Rocks.”(6-8-2011)

UPDATE - Racing’s Elite To Engage In ‘Dirty Driving’ In Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway:
The last thing any racecar driver wants to be called is “dirty,” but they’ll make an exception to this rule on Wednesday, June 8 when the most celebrated dirt track in all of motorsports hosts the Prelude to the Dream. Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will once again be the site of 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, all of which will be 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:

· 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 [teams updated 6/7/2011]. 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, Jason Leffler, 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: Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Aric Almirola, Tony Kanaan and J.J. Yeley.

Each hospital will receive a donation, with the payout breakdown as follows:
· Winning team receives 30% of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.
· Second-place team receives 25% of net proceeds raised from the pay-per-view telecast.
· Third- and fourth-place teams each receive 20% 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, 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.

“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 11th and 12th 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.”

UPDATE: Tony Kanaan, the 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion and nine-time Indianapolis 500 starter, will compete in the Prelude to the Dream June 8 at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, which will be 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. Kanaan, who has 15 career Indy car victories, competed in last year’s Prelude to the Dream, where he was the first foreign-born driver to compete in the Prelude since Colombian-born Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007. “I’m thrilled to be back in the Prelude to the Dream,” said Kanaan, who hails from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. “It’s an amazing lineup of drivers and we’re all competing for such a good cause. It’s very rare for me to get a chance to drive something other than my GEICO/KV Racing Technology/Lotus and to not have to race with points in mind. I’m not saying I’m going to do anything crazy, because the goal is to help my team win, but I’m definitely going to have some fun.”(5-19-2011)

Taking Orders for Seventh Annual Prelude to the Dream: If you can’t make the drive to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Wednesday, June 8 to see the seventh annual Prelude to the Dream in person, don’t worry. Beginning Monday, June 6, race fans across the nation will have their first opportunity to order the charity all-star race on pay-per-view. 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.
HOW TO ORDER:
· The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 8:00pm/et.
· 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.
· 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.(True Speed Communication)(6-8-2011)

On Wednesday, June 9, the most celebrated dirt track in all of motorsports will host the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream. Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will once again be the site of 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, all of which will be 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
· Cincinnati Children’s
· Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C.
· St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn

The sixth annual event will be headlined by the Gillette Young Guns: Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Joey Loga#All will join Tony Stewart, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and owner of Eldora Speedway, and many others including fellow Sprint Cup champions Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. All will pilot 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out over 800 horsepower.

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.

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, 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, Marcos Ambrose and Pastrana.

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

Each hospital will receive a donation, with the payout breakdown as follows:
· Winning team receives 45% of net money raised.
· Second-place team receives 25% of net money raised.
· Third- and fourth-place teams each receive 15% 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.

“We wanted to shake things up a little bit this year,” said Stewart, who has won the Prelude to the Dream three times since its inception in 2005. “The team concept adds another level of excitement because there’s now a race within the race. 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 11th and 12th 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, we feel we can raise more money than ever before. We’ve always set a goal to raise $1 million. We haven’t been able to reach that goal yet, but with this year’s Prelude where we have a race within a race, I think we have our best shot yet to reach that magic number.”

The four charities – Riley Hospital for Children, Cincinnati Children’s, Levine Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital – all cater to the medical needs of children.

The five previous Prelude to the Dreams have collectively raised more than $2.5 million. With each year’s event gaining significant stature and mainstream interest, Stewart’s goal is to have the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream raise $1 million, with the proceeds impacting the four charities.

“It’s an ambitious goal, especially in this economy” admits Stewart. “But if we don’t shoot for a number that is a true difference-maker, we’re not ever going to reach it. 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.”

“We are pleased to return this season as the entitlement sponsor of this unique race,” said Michelle Potorski, associate marketing director, Gillette North America. “This year we are launching the new Gillette Fusion ProGlide and we and all the Gillette Young Guns look forward to doing our part to help raise funds and awareness for all the charities involved and making this year’s event a success.”

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.

“This is the fourth year in a row we’ve been able to bring live action from Eldora into living rooms across the country,” said Tammy Ross, vice president and general manager, HBO Pay-Per-View & Sports. “This year’s addition of drivers competing on teams brings a whole new dimension to the broadcast, with the big winners being the hospitals they’re representing and the fans at home.”

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 nearly 50 years ago.

Other interesting storylines include:
· Fifty Racing Titles Represented at the Prelude: A total of 50 major championships have been won by drivers in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream: Sprint Cup [12] – Elliott (1988), J. Gordon (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), Stewart (2002, 2005), Kenseth (2003), Johnson (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009); IROC [3] – Harvick (2002), Kenseth (2004), Stewart (2006); Nationwide Series [6] – Harvick (2001, 2006), Vickers (2003), Edwards (2007), Bowyer (2008), Busch (2009); IndyCar Series [1] – Stewart (1997); NHRA Funny Car [2] – Pedregon (1992, 2008); SCORE Off-Road [6] – R. Gordon (1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2009); AMA 125 National [3] – Carmichael (1997, 1998, 1999); AMA 125 East Coast SX [1] – Carmichael (1998); AMA 250 National [6] – Carmichael (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005); AMA 250 Supercross [5] – Carmichael (2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006); U.S. Open of Supercross [3] – Carmichael (200, 2001, 2005); WSXGP 250 Supercross [1] – Carmichael (2005); MXdN [1] – Carmichael (2005).

· Dirt Veterans vs. Dirt Neophytes: Stewart, J. Gordon, Kahne, Newman, Blaney, Bowyer, Elliott, Schrader and Wallace grew up on dirt tracks, while Vickers, Busch, Harvick, 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 14-year veteran of the NHRA and Pedregon is a 16-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.

Indy 500 Winner Dario Franchitti invited to run in Prelude to the Dream; Pastrana to run race: Dario Franchitti, winner of the 2010 Indianapolis 500 and a spot on the prestigious Borg-Warner trophy, can etch his name onto another coveted piece of hardware if he decides to compete in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream June 9 at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. The performance earned Franchitti a berth in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream, an 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 net proceeds from the telecast supporting four of the nation’s top children’s hospitals. “Congratulations to Dario Franchitti on winning the Indy 500,” said Tony Stewart, owner of Eldora Speedway and the 1997 IndyCar Series champion. “I’m sure life is pretty busy for Dario right now, but in a good way. I’d like to congratulate him in person at this year’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream. We’ve got a car and crew ready for him if he wants to run. It would be great to have him, and if he wants to get some practice time and instruction beforehand, we’ll find a way to make it happen. I’m sure there’s a little apprehension for Dario since he’s never been on dirt before. But Juan Pablo Montoya had never been on dirt before when he ran the Prelude back in 2007, and he took to it pretty quickly. There are a lot of guys who have been in his shoes, and plenty of guys who are still learning. We’re there to have fun and raise money for a good cause, and I’ll personally make sure that Dario has fun at the Prelude.” Franchitti has his choice of which team he would like to join.(6-2-2010)

AND His resume is legendary in the world of action sports. He’s the most successful competitor in the history of X Games freestyle motocross, a five-time United States amateur motocross champion, and winner of four consecutive championships in the Rally America Series. 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.”
“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.”

Tony Kanaan, the 2004 IZOD IndyCar Series champion and nine-time Indianapolis 500 starter, will compete in the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream June 9 at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Dario Franchitti, winner of the 2010 Indianapolis 500, is unable to participate in the event due to testing obligations at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. “I’m thrilled to have the chance to compete in the Prelude to the Dream,” said Kanaan, who hails from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. “It’s an amazing lineup of drivers and we’re all competing for such a good cause. It’s very rare for me to get a chance to drive something other than my Team 7-Eleven Indy car and to not have to race with points in mind. I’m not saying I’m going to do anything crazy, because the goal is to help my team win, but I’m definitely going to have some fun next week.”

TV SPEED is airing a one-hour live pre-race special -- Prelude to the Dream Countdown Show -- in support of NASCAR champion Tony Stewart’s annual all-star charity dirt Late Model race from his famed Eldora Speedway on June 9 at 6:00pm/et. HBO Pay-Per-View is televising Stewart’s sixth-annual Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream, with proceeds from the telecast supporting four of the nation's top children's hospitals: Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Cincinnati Children's, Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, N.C., and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Prelude to the Dream Countdown Show is hosted by Stewart and Matt Yocum with Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR crew chief, Steve Letarte, and Stewart’s crew chief Darian Grubb providing technical analysis and commentary during the Prelude practice sessions. SPEED personality and driver Kenny Wallace, a former winner of the Prelude to the Dream, will offer in-car commentary as he takes viewers for a spin around the half-mile clay oval. The SPEED and NASCAR on FOX broadcast team of Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry McReynolds will call the race action, with Dr. Dick Berggren and Letarte working the pits. The SPEED pre-race special will include:
Ø Behind-the-scenes access to driver arrivals and drivers meeting
Ø Practice session coverage
Ø A look at recent upgrades to Stewart’s Eldora Speedway
Ø Scouting reports on each team and the new team concept
Ø Features on event newcomers, including NASCAR Camping World Series driver and Supercross great Ricky Carmichael
For more information or to donate, please visit: www.preludetothedream.org

SIRIUS-XM and SPEED Get Fans Ready for Prelude to the Dream: Fans waiting for Wednesday night’s Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream at the legendary Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, can whet their collective appetites tonight when Tony Stewart host’s “Tony Stewart Live” at 7pm/et on SIRIUS-XM Radio. The broadcast will be available to listeners nationwide on SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, SIRIUS Channel 128 and XM Channel 128 with the “Best of SIRIUS” programming package. And in the lead-up to the live 7:00pm/et HBO Pay-Per-View telecast of the sixth annual Prelude to the Dream on Wednesday, SPEED is airing a one-hour live pre-race special – the Prelude to the Dream Countdown Show – at 6:00pm/et. Prelude drivers Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Ricky Carmichael, Tony Kanaan and Travis Pastrana will be guests on SIRIUS-XM’s “Tony Stewart Live,” which will be hosted by Stewart and FOX/TNT reporter Matt Yocum. More info about the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream on my Racing Charities page.(6-8-2010)

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.

Stewart Wins Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway: Tony Stewart won the fifth annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt late model race Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, marking the third time in four years Stewart has won the event. 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.”(True Speed Communication)(9-10-2009)

Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream Results:
Results Wednesday of the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream Dirt Late Model event September 9 at the half-mile Eldora Speedway, 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
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.

Television Coverage: HBO Pay-Per-View, 7 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009
· Announcers: Darrell Waltrip, Larry McReynolds and Mike Joy
· Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren and Matt Yocum
· Director: Artie Kempner
· Producer: Pam Miller

SCHEDULE (All times local – EDT; subject to change):
8:00 a.m.:General Admission markings may begin (Chairs/Blankets ONLY)
1:00 p.m.:Ticket Office Opens
3:30 p.m.:All Admission Gates Open
6:00 p.m.:Qualifying Draw (Stage)
6:10 p.m.:Warm up laps for support races
7:00 p.m.:HBO Pay-Per-View Broadcast begins
7:10 p.m.:Prelude Hot Laps
7:40 p.m.:Prelude Qualifying
8:25 p.m.:Prelude Driver Introductions with parade laps
8:40 p.m.:Invocation & National Anthem
8:45 p.m.:Prelude Racing Program to begin – Heats / Consolation / Feature
10:30 p.m.:Post Race Winner’s Circle

Driver Lineup: #44-AJ Allmendinger; #8-Aric Almirola; #47-Marcos Ambrose; #33-Clint Bowyer; #51-Kyle Busch; #28-Ron Capps; #98-Ray Evernham; #97F-Red Farmer; #7-Robby Gordon; #11-Denny Hamlin; #29-Kevin Harvick; #48-Jimmie Johnson; #9-Kasey Kahne; #17-Matt Kenseth; #20-Joey Logano; #07-Casey Mears; #39-Ryan Newman; #75-Cruz Pedregon; #00-David Reutimann; #9-Ken Schrader; #14-Tony Stewart; #83-Brian Vickers and #36-Kenny Wallace.
four drivers unable to participate:
Jeff Gordon due to a scheduling conflict.
Carl Edwards after sustaining a broken right foot on Wednesday, Sept. 2 following a game of Frisbee in his hometown of Columbia, Mo.
Bill Elliott after sustaining some fractured ribs on Wednesday, Sept. 2 in a dirt bike mishap.
Dave Blaney due to the passing of his aunt.(PR)(9-9-2009)

For those who want to see the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream in person, a handful of tickets are available online at www.EldoraSpeedway.com or by calling the track office (937) 338-3815.

More info at www.hbo.com and eldoraspeedway.com

Stewart wins Prelude to the Dream: the fourth annual Old Spice Prelude to the Dream at Eldora Speedway was won by Tony Stewart, just beating Robby Gordon. The rest of the results of the race held June 4th at Eldora Speedway: 3) Clint Bowyer, 4) Kenny Wallace, 5) Denny Hamlin, 6) Matt Kenseth, 7) Kevin Harvick, 8) Jimmie Johnson, 9) Ken Schrader, 10) Kyle Busch, 11) David Reutimann, 12) Ryan Newman, 13) Red Farmer, 14) Jeff Gordon, 15) Cruz Pedregon, 16) Ray Evernham, 17) Ron Capps, 18) Carl Edwards, 19) Aric Almirola, 20) Dave Blaney, 21) JJ Yeley, 22) Kasey Kahne, 23) Bobby Labonte, 24) Mark Martin [DNS], 25) Bill Elliott [DNS].
Winner's average speed: 32.494 mph
Time of race: 27:41.858
Margin of victory: 1.502 seconds
Cautions: 7 (Lap 2: Yeley spin T3; Lap 6: Yeley spin T3; Lap 8: Labonte spin T2; Lap 9: Yeley spin T4, Newman, Farmer contact T2; Lap 11: Blaney, Stalled T2: Lap 16: Almirola, Stalled Frontstretch; Lap 19: Evernham, Spin T2)
Lead changes: No Lead Changes
Lap leaders: Stewart 1-30
Attendance: More than 23,000
Broadcast: HBO Pay-Per-View
Following victory lane, Tony Stewart presented Kyle Petty with a check for $1,000,000 for the Victory Junction Gang Camp! Much more on the way in the coming hours at eldoraspeedway.com.(6-5-2008)
Prelude to the Dream Replays to air: For fans who missed Wednesday's live pay-per-view broadcast of the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream, and for those who must see again, by popular demand the event is now available to consumers for replay via Cable and Satellite. The pay-per-view replays are available now! The race, which drew more than 23,000 fans, was broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View with proceeds from the telecast going to support the soon-to-be constructed Victory Junction Gang Camp - Kansas City and the Tony Stewart Foundation.
Cable: Replays of the race will be widely available via on cable systems nationally. The Replay schedule varies by system, check your electronic guide for dates, times and specific channels.
Satellite: DirecTV & Dish Network customers should check their channel guides for replay information
The commercial-free broadcast will have replays throughout the week and the following weekend. HBO Pay-Per-View's racing telecast has a suggested retail price of $24.95.(6-5-2008)

Prelude to the Dream Raises $800,000 after Ground-Breaking Telecast on HBO Pay-Per-View: The third annual Nextel Prelude to the Dream presented by Old Spice, held June 6 and broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View, raised $800,000 for charity. The 30-lap dirt late model event at the famed Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, featured some of racing’s biggest stars, and in a thrilling race won by NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Carl Edwards, it allowed the Tony Stewart Foundation to make significant contributions to charity. The chief benefactor of the Nextel Prelude to the Dream presented by Old Spice was the Victory Junction Gang Camp. The Randleman, N.C.-based organization that serves as a year-round camp for children ages seven to 15 with an assortment of life-threatening illnesses will receive $600,000 from the Tony Stewart Foundation. Also receiving support from the proceeds generated by the Nextel Prelude to the Dream presented by Old Spice was the Autism Society of Delaware and Motor Racing Outreach, with each entity receiving $25,000. The remaining $150,000 stayed with the Tony Stewart Foundation, allowing the Foundation to continue its support of groups caring for chronically ill children, drivers injured in motorsports activities and charitable outfits specializing in the protection of various animal species. Charities actively supported by the Foundation include, but are not limited to, the Ronald McDonald House, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Indiana Special Olympics, Greyrescue (Greyhound Rescue Organization) and the Victory Junction Gang Camp.(True Speed Communication PR)(8-9-2007)