Prelude focus has changed but racing is still the same

ROSSBURG, Ohio -- As the sun sets over the cornfields of central Ohio on Wednesday, 26 of the best drivers in the country will meet at Eldora Speedway for the fifth annual Prelude to the Dream.

There is no prize money, no points, no sponsor obligations -- just 26 drivers in dirt late model stock cars going for a trophy and bragging rights among their peers. All drivers want the trophy, but for 25 of them, if they can't win, they want to beat Eldora's owner, Tony Stewart -- a two time Prelude to the Dream winner.

1on1

Larry Kemp, general manager of Eldora Speedway, has promoted races and run tracks from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to Montgomery, Ala., to Rossburg, Ohio, and even some points in between. But he's never had a boss like Tony Stewart. ... Kemp took some time out to talk about his boss and a variety of other subjects.

• Complete story

• Watch the Prelude Preview

It's Stewart's house. He bought it in 2004 and has won at Eldora in about every type of car. So the 25 drivers he has invited, including Jeff Gordon, Ryan Newman, Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch, would like nothing more than to beat Stewart in his own backyard.

"You know, it's different for everybody," Gordon said. "Some guys maybe dreamed of racing on the dirt and never got the opportunity to, and so it is just fun and a cool new experience. For me, it is about getting back on dirt, something that I grew up with and got me to this level. It's an opportunity for me to go back and have a bunch of fun."

The all-star race, which will be broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View, puts the drivers in 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower.

And while more than 20,000 fans will jam Eldora Speedway to watch their racing heroes take part in the Prelude to the Dream, the real heroes -- the men and women who serve and protect the United States -- will benefit from the money raised.

After the first four events collectively raised more than $2 million in contributions to the Victory Junction Gang Camp, this year's Prelude will benefit four entities that cater to severely injured military personnel or fallen soldiers and their families. Stewart, the event's founder and winner of multiple racing championships, ambitiously wants to raise $1 million for the charities in this year's classic on dirt.

The night will directly benefit four charities:
• Wounded Warrior Project
• Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
• Operation Homefront
• Fisher House

Each has a mission that outlines assistance to the men and women who serve our country and need additional support, both during and after their time of service.

"The first four years, we've always worked with the Victory Junction Gang Camp and donated the proceeds to it," Stewart said. "This year, we just wanted to do something different and we kind of came up with the idea. Maybe next year, we will change it a little bit and pick a different charity each season. So, when the U.S. Army came on board with Ryan Newman's Cup car with Stewart-Haas Racing, it was a partner that you didn't look at as a sponsor, but you looked at as a partner. To realize how many millions of fans we gained because the U.S. Army is on one of our cars, it was like, how can we do something to give back and do something to support our military?

Prelude video

• For a new charity
• Prepping the track
• Late Model 101
• Most Improved
• Flashback: 2008
• Flashback: 2007

"When we sat down and tried to figure out who we would donate to this year, it was a no-brainer. We all picked the same thing on the list. It just made it a natural force. It just made a lot of sense. We've been in a run here where our military has been really active and very busy. I don't think people really realize how much support not necessarily our friends in the military, but their families, also need. It made it very worthwhile and made it make sense to us."

So where is Eldora Speedway? The answer is quite simple, really. Eldora is in Rossburg, Ohio, (population 224) a little east of North Star, Ohio, (population 209) and just south of New Weston, Ohio, (population 135). Combined population of the towns is 568 people -- or just slightly larger than the number of employees who work for a four-car Sprint Cup Series team.

How does one get to Eldora Speedway? As NASCAR.COM's Joe Menzer once wrote, "Go to the sticks and then go about seven more sticks."

Despite being in the middle of the central Ohio cornfields for more than 50 years, race fans from all parts of the globe, as well as some of the world's best drivers, have flocked to the high-banked dirt oval that Stewart bought from Earl Baltes in 2004. Baltes, 88, again will take in the Prelude to the Dream from his designated seat in the base of the press tower.

Since opening its doors in 1954, Baltes strived to make Eldora the front-runner in motorsports growth and stability. Baltes' progressive thinking and constant pursuit of uniqueness saw him host some of the most notable events in dirt track racing's history.

In 1971, he created the World 100 for the late model series, which at the time of its inception paid the winner a $4,000 purse. The event has grown into one of the biggest race of any late model racer's season and is one of the largest attended races of the year.

Baltes followed the success of the event up by creating the "Dirt Late Model Dream" in 1994, which also hosts the best late model drivers in the country. The event pays $100,000 to the winner each year.

HBO Pay-Per-View

When	7 p.m. EDT, June 3
Announcers	Larry McReynolds Marty Reid Darrell Waltrip
Pit Reporters	Dick Berggren Matt Yocum
Director	Artie Kempner
Producer	Pam Miller

In 2003, Baltes again entered uncharted territory. After months of consulting with race fans from all over the world, the then 82-year-old Baltes announced the Mopar Million Sprint at Eldora Speedway. Boasting a $1 million purse, the event would mark the first time that a corporate sponsor would back a marquee event at the facility. Featuring the non-winged sprint cars of USAC Racing, the event became an instant classic and provided Eldora Speedway with a path into a new era of racing.

After 50 years of ownership, Baltes and his wife, Berneice, made one of the most difficult decisions of their lives in late 2004. Running Eldora Speedway was all the couple had known for most of their lives, but with their advancing age and the daily demands of the facility growing in scope, they made the decision to sell the legendary half-mile track. In November 2004 it was announced that Stewart had purchased speedway.

The official changing of the guard came on Nov. 18, 2004, as Baltes turned over the reigns of his masterpiece to the next generation of history-makers. Stewart was a fan-favorite as the new owner, and he assured the Baltes family that he would continue to build on the track's longstanding history and traditions.

"You better believe I'm happy with the progress the event has made," Baltes said. "It makes me damn sure that I put the right guy in charge of this place. Tony has the passion to make Eldora strong for many years to come. With events like the Prelude and, of course, our traditional crown jewel races, the tradition of the track is sure to live on. I'm just glad that I'm still around to be able to witness some of the exciting things he's been doing."

For those going to Eldora Speedway for the first time, check out exactly where Eldora is -- at least in relation to other places: