Rossburg,OH — Fifth Annual Prelude to the Dream – FAST FACTS
WHAT: Fifth Annual Prelude to the Dream
WHERE: Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio (Half-mile dirt oval)
WHEN: 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 3, 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
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View, 7 p.m. EDT, June 3, 2009
Announcers: Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Kyle Petty
Pit Reporters: Dick Berggren, Matt Yocum
Director: Artie Kempner
Producer: Pam Miller
HOW TO ORDER:
The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. PDT), with an immediate replay at midnight EDT (9 p.m. PDT).
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 Prelude to the Dream beginning June 1.
The following are step-by-step instructions to help place your order for the Fifth Annual 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. Once you know you have a digital cable box, scroll through the Pay-Per-View channels on your electronic program guide for Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. EDT and look for “Auto Racing: Prelude/Dream Stewart & Gordon.” 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 them that you are looking to order “Auto Racing: Prelude/Dream Stewart & Gordon.” 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 123 in Standard-Definition. Go to the programming guide for those channels for Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. EDT, and look for “Auto Racing: Prelude/Dream Stewart & Gordon.” 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 Channels 455/472 in Standard-Definition. Scroll through the programming guide for those channels for Wednesday, June 3 at 7 p.m. EDT, and look for “Auto Racing: Prelude/Dream Stewart & Gordon.” Once you see the entry, click the event and follow the on-screen instructions to order.
If you have any problems ordering, contact a Customer Service Representative anytime on Wednesday, June 3 to make sure your order is processed and you get to see the race. Once you’ve ordered, sit back, grab a cold one and enjoy the ride.
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, Dream, Kings Royal, and World 100 – all of which attract more than 20,000 spectators on an annual basis.
DRIVERS:
Brian Vickers
Carl Edwards
Jeff Gordon
Jimmie Johnson
Kasey Kahne
Kenny Wallace
Kevin Harvick
Kyle Busch
Robby Gordon
Ryan Newman
Tony Stewart
Aric Almirola
Bill Elliott
Clint Bowyer
Dave Blaney
David Reutimann
Denny Hamlin
Kenny Schrader
Matt Kenseth
Cruz Pedregon
Ray Evernham
Ron Capps
Joey Logano
Casey Mears
David Stremme
Red Farmer
PRELUDE TO THE DREAM RECORDS:
Most Victories:
2 – Tony Stewart (2006, 2008)
Highest Percentage of Laps Led:
100 percent (Stewart led 30 of 30 laps – 2008)
One-lap Qualifying Record:
15.436 seconds at 116.611 mph (Dave Blaney – 2008)
Attendance:
More than 23,000 (2008)
RACE NOTES:
Five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions are scheduled to participate in the Fifth Annual Prelude to the Dream: Bill Elliott (1988), Jeff Gordon (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), Tony Stewart (2002, 2005), Matt Kenseth (2003) and Jimmie Johnson (2006-2008).
Six Daytona 500 winners are scheduled to participate in the Fifth Annual Prelude to the Dream, including the last five winners of the ‘Great American Race:’ Elliott (1985), Gordon (1997, 1999, 2005), Johnson (2006), Kevin Harvick (2007), Ryan Newman (2008) and Kenseth (2009).
Drag racing standouts Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon will compete in the Fifth Annual Prelude to the Dream. Capps has 28 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 victories.
The elite group of drivers in the Fifth Annual Prelude to the Dream has combined for a staggering 590 victories in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, IndyCar, NHRA, ARCA and IROC competition. (Sprint Cup – 300; Nationwide Series – 165; Camping World Truck – 29; IndyCar – 5; NHRA – 58; ARCA – 20; IROC – 29).
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 22 major championships have been won by drivers in the Fifth Annual Prelude to the Dream: Sprint Cup [11] – Elliott (1988), Gordon (1995, 1997, 1998, 2001), Stewart (2002, 2005), Kenseth (2003), Johnson (2006-2008); IROC [3] – Kevin Harvick (2002), Kenseth (2004), Stewart (2006); Nationwide Series [5] – Harvick (2001, 2006), Brian Vickers (2003); Carl Edwards (2007); Clint Bowyer (2008) IndyCar Series [1] – Stewart (1997); NHRA Funny Car [2] – C. Pedregon (1992, 2008).
