Eldora Speedway
Prelude 'teams' will race for children's hospitals
Kyle Busch answers questions at Tuesday's press conference. (Getty Images)
NASCAR drivers and other auto racing stars will climb into Dirt Late Models again this year for the sixth annual Prelude to the Dream, Eldora Speedway's June 9 all-star race that will benefit four children's hospitals.
The charity event at the Tony Stewart-owned dirt oval in Rossburg, Ohio, is sponsored by Gillette Fusion ProGlide and will again be available on HBO Pay-Per-View to race fans around the country. Stewart, a three-time winner of the race, will be joined by fellow NASCAR Sprint Cup champions Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth along with stock car stars Clint Bowyer, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano and more.
In a twist for this year's race, the more than 25 drivers will be split among four teams, each representing one of the benefitting hospitals — Riley Hospital for Children, Cincinnati Children’s, Levine Children’s Hospital and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital — that cater to the medical needs of children.
While the individual race winner will be in victory lane, the team compiling the best combined finish among its top five finishers will earn the largest donation for its hospital with the winning team earning 45 percent of the money raised in an event that has raised more than $2.5 million for charities over the previous five seasons. The second-place team gets 25 percent of the money raised with the third- and fourth-place teams earning 15 percent apiece for their hospitals.
“We wanted to shake things up a little bit this year,” said Stewart, who bought Eldora Speedway from track founder Earl Baltes in 2004. "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."
With the event gaining stature and mainstream interest, Stewart’s goal is to have the Gillette Fusion ProGlide Prelude to the Dream raise $1 million for the children's hospitals.
“It’s an ambitious goal, especially in this economy” Stewart said in a Tuesday press conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “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 (HBO Pay-Per-View telecast), enjoy all the action going on at Eldora, and know that their dollars are going to a very worthy cause.”
Besides the already invited cast of NASCAR stars, Stewart will invite Memorial Day's Indianapolis 500 winner to join the Prelude field, said Stewart, who has three top-10 finishes in five Indy 500 starts.
“We’ll have a car waiting for him or her, and we’d love to have whoever puts their name on the Borg-Warner Trophy at Indianapolis come about two hours east and compete in a Dirt Late Model to raise money for charity," he said.
If the Indy 500 winner accepts, he or she would join one of the Prelude teams representing the children's hospitals:
Team Riley: Clint Bowyer (captain), Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon, Brian Vickers, A.J. Allmendinger, Kenny Wallace and Ron Capps.
Team Cincinnati: Kasey Kahne (captain), Joey Logano, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Bill Elliott and Cruz Pedregon.
Team Levine: Kyle Busch (captain), Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, David Reutimann, Dave Blaney and Marcos Ambrose.
Team St. Jude: Denny Hamlin (captain), Carl Edwards, Robby Gordon, Ken Schrader, Aric Almirola, Ricky Carmichael and Ray Evernham.
For fans 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. For those viewing at home, the live, commercial-free broadcast beings at 7 p.m. EDT 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. Ordering information is available at either www.preludetothedream.org or www.hbo.com.
The Prelude is held the Wednesday preceding the June 11-12 Dream at Eldora, the nation's most lucrative Dirt Late Model event which pays $100,000 to the winner.
