Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet Silverado for Richard Childress Racing, will make a stop in Ohio next week before heading to the Camping World Truck Series event in Texas. For the first time in his career, Dillon is scheduled to compete in the 2011 “Prelude to the Dream” Dirt Late Model race at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Wednesday, June 8. The 21-year-old NCWTS driver joins Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Bill Eliott, David Reutimann, Ray Evernham and Cruz Pedregon as part of Team Levine, with the team’s race proceeds benefitting Levine’s Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, N.C. Dillon will pilot a 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock car capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower in the invitation-only race, which can be viewed live at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time on HBO Pay-Per-View. [For more information, visit the Jayski Charities “Prelude to the Dream” page.](Richard Childress Racing PR)(6-1-2011)
UPDATE: Four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday, 2009 Truck Series most popular driver Ricky Carmichael and 2010 Truck Series rookie of the year Austin Dillon are ready to trade their pickup trucks for 2,300-pound, 800-horsepower dirt Late Model stock cars as they race in the Prelude to the Dream, which 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. Hornaday will also be making his first start; Carmichael returns to Eldora’s half-mile dirt oval for a second go at the Prelude. Hornaday and Carmichael join Busch, Kasey Kahne, Bobby Labonte, Justin Allgaier, Kenny Wallace as parat of Team St. Louis benefiting St. Louis Children’s Hospital. 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 92 million pay-per-view homes.(True Speed Communications PR)(6-3-2011)
