Prelude to the Dream pre-event notes, schedule

FAST FACTS

WHAT: Fifth Annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream
WHERE: Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (Half-mile dirt oval)
WHEN: 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2009
DISTANCE: Feature consists of 30 laps (preceded by hot laps, qualifying and heat races)
CARS: Dirt late model stock cars

PAST WINNERS:

* 2008: Tony Stewart
* 2007: Carl Edwards
* 2006: Tony Stewart
* 2005: Kenny Wallace

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:
O 2 -- Tony Stewart (2006, 2008)

* Highest Percentage of Laps Led:
O 100 percent (Stewart led 30 of 30 laps -- 2008)

* One-lap Qualifying Record:
O 15.436 seconds at 116.611 mph (Dave Blaney -- 2008)

* Attendance:
O More than 23,000 (2008)

TV: 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

HOW TO ORDER:

* The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT), with an immediate replay following.

* All that is necessary to order the event is a digital cable box on one's TV or satellite service. A subscription to HBO is not required.

* The suggested retail price is $24.95 and available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at www.hbo.com.

* Depending on whether one has cable TV or satellite service, prospective viewers can order the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream beginning Sept. 7.

* The following are step-by-step instructions to help place an order for the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream on HBO Pay-Per-View:

Cable 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, Sept. 9 at 7 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 PPV events. The more specific you are with the customer service representative, the easier it will be to place your order.

DirecTV Customers: All DirecTV customers can order. You can find the event on Channel 121 in Standard-Definition. Go to the programming guide for those channels for Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. ET, and look for "Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream." Once you see the entry, click the event and follow the on-screen instructions to order.

DISH Network Customers: All DISH Network customers can order. You can find the event on Channel 455 in Standard-Definition. Scroll through the programming guide for those channels for Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 7 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.

* If any problems are encountered during ordering, contact a customer service representative anytime on Wednesday, Sept. 9, to make sure the order is processed and the race can be viewed. Once it is ordered, sit back and enjoy the ride.

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

***

Drivers
Car No.
Car Owner
Notes

AJ Allmendinger
44
Mark Beaver

2003 Toyota Atlantic champion and five-time Champ Car race winner is now making a successful turn in stock cars, but Prelude will mark his first stint on dirt.

***

Aric Almirola
8
Mike Hubbard

Promising NASCAR driver whose only experience on dirt has come in the last two Prelude to the Dream events

***

Marcos Ambrose
47
Bob Strait

Two-time Australian V8 Supercar champion (2003 and 2004) is now making a name for himself in the United States thanks to back-to-back Nationwide Series wins at Watkins Glen in 2008 and 2009. Prelude will be his first race on dirt.

***

Clint Bowyer
33
Clint Bowyer

Grew up on dirt and won the 2002 track title on dirt at Kansas' Lakeside Speedway.

***

Kyle Busch
51
Scott Bloomquist

Dominates on asphalt in the NASCAR world, but adapted quickly to dirt, as he finished second in 2007 Prelude.

***

Ron Capps
28
Chuck Sanning

NHRA star will have to get used to turning left -- and doing it on dirt, but experience from past Prelude events should pay dividends.

***

Ray Evernham
98
Randle Chupp

Former NASCAR Modified Tour driver, turned crew chief, turned car owner, turned track owner returns to Eldora for another Prelude.

***

Red Farmer
97F
Steve Landrum

A legend that at more than 75 years of age is still unafraid to mix it up on dirt with drivers half his age.

***

Robby Gordon
7
Scott Bloomquist

Raised eyebrows with a solid second-place finish in 2008 Prelude. Dirt legend Scott Bloomquist will provide a car for the second straight year.

***

Denny Hamlin
11
Billy Moyer

Not a lot of dirt experience, but plenty of late model experience from running asphalt bullrings in home state of Virginia.

***

Kevin Harvick
29
Shane McDowell

Made his dirt-track debut three years ago at the Prelude and finished a career-best seventh in 2008.

***

Jimmie Johnson
48
Clint Bowyer

Finished eighth in his first Prelude last year and the three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion will look for his first win on a dirt surface since he won running off-road and stadium trucks early in his career.

***

Kasey Kahne
9
Eric Jacobsen

Cut his teeth on dirt in USAC competition and maintains his dirt track ties by owning World of Outlaws team with drivers Joey Saldana and Craig Dollansky.

***

Matt Kenseth
17
Ernie Davis

2003 Sprint Cup and 2009 Daytona 500 champ continues to develop as a dirt track driver by running non-asphalt races when his schedule permits.

***

Joey Logano
20
Chris Wall

Has won in every type of car on his quick trip to the Sprint Cup Series, but has little dirt experience and will make his first Prelude start.

***

Casey Mears
07
Jimmy Mars

2007 Coca-Cola 600 winner will make his first Prelude to the Dream start. Began career in Indy cars and is the nephew of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears.

***

Ryan Newman
39
Steve Francis

Like his Sprint Cup teammate Stewart, cut his teeth on dirt in USAC competition and has become a threat when competing in dirt late models.

***

Cruz Pedregon
75
Cruz Pedregon

Like Capps, this NHRA star will have to get used to turning left -- and doing it on dirt, but he also has experience from past Preludes.

***

David Reutimann
00
Shane Holcomb

Third-generation driver began racing dirt Modifieds throughout home state of Florida before breaking into NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series in 1997.

***

Ken Schrader
9
Ken Schrader

Could be the favorite as he will race anywhere, anytime -- especially on dirt, and has proven victorious at Eldora in USAC competition.

***

Tony Stewart
14
Mark Richards

Liked Eldora so much he bought it in 2004, and in first full season of ownership, debuted the Prelude in 2005, which he has won twice.

***

Brian Vickers
83
Kevin Rumley

2003 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion has no dirt experience as he heads to first Prelude.

***

Kenny Wallace
36
Ed Petroff

2005 Prelude winner grew up on dirt, and after two decades in NASCAR, has again made dirt late model racing a staple of his routine.

***

* Jeff Gordon is unable to participate in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream due to a scheduling conflict.

** Carl Edwards is also unable to participate in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream after sustaining a broken right foot on Wednesday, Sept. 2 following a game of Frisbee in his hometown of Columbia, Mo.

*** Bill Elliott is also unable to participate in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream after sustaining some fractured ribs on Wednesday, Sept. 2 in a dirt bike mishap.

**** Dave Blaney is also unable to attend the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream due to the passing of his aunt.

RACE NOTES:

* Three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions are scheduled to participate in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream: Tony Stewart (2002, 2005), Matt Kenseth (2003) and Jimmie Johnson (2006-2008).

* Four Daytona 500 winners are scheduled to participate in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream, including the last four winners of the "Great American Race": Johnson (2006), Kevin Harvick (2007), Ryan Newman (2008) and Kenseth (2009).

* Drag racing standouts Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon will compete in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream. Capps has 30 career NHRA victories and has finished second in Funny Car points three times (1998, 2000 & 2005). Pedregon won the 1992 and 2008 NHRA Funny Car title and has 30 career NHRA victories.

* The elite group of drivers in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream has combined for a staggering 513 victories in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, NASCAR Camping World Series East-West, IndyCar/Champ Car, NHRA, ARCA, IROC, World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series competition and Australian V8 Supercar: (Sprint Cup -- 167; Nationwide Series -- 150; Camping World Truck -- 25; Camping World Series East-West -- 27; IndyCar/Champ Car -- 10; NHRA -- 60; ARCA -- 30; IROC -- 29; Australian V8 Supercar -- 15.

* Red Farmer has more wins than anyone can count and despite finding box scores chiseled in stone with Red as the winner, Prelude officials could not obtain an accurate number of wins. Basically, Red's seen victory lane more than a few times.

* A total of 20 major championships have been won by drivers in the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream: Sprint Cup [6] -- Stewart (2002, 2005), Kenseth (2003), Johnson (2006-2008); IROC [3] -- Harvick (2002), Kenseth (2004), Stewart (2006); Nationwide Series [4] -- Harvick (2001, 2006), Brian Vickers (2003), Clint Bowyer (2008); Camping World Series East [1] -- Joey Logano (2007); IndyCar Series [1] -- Stewart (1997); Toyota Atlantic Series [1] -- AJ Allmendinger (2003); NHRA Funny Car [2] -- C. Pedregon (1992, 2008); Australian V8 Supercar [2] -- Marcos Ambrose (2003-2004).

-credit: tsc/tsr