Stewart's 'Prelude' Becoming Racing's Best Bang for Your Buck

Tony Stewart likens it to Tiger Woods taking his buddies out to the local putt-putt golf course or Michael Jordan playing a pick-up game at the neighborhood park.

As the two-time NASCAR champ Stewart hosts the fifth rendition of his "Prelude to the Dream" exhibition race on Wednesday, it's very evident that what may have started as a favor to help Stewart's charitable foundation is now also one of the hottest invites in all of racing.

Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Robby Gordon, Joey Logano, Ron Capps and Ray Evernham lead a 26-driver lineup that will have about a dozen laps of practice on the finicky half-mile Eldora Speedway dirt track before the green flag falls and they try to dethrone the two-time Prelude winner Stewart, who takes no mercy on his guests.

"Everyone is there, knowing that they're participating in something bigger than any one of us and that's cool," said Busch, Stewart's former teammate and a Cup Series best three-time winner this year.

Cool, seems to be the recurring theme.



I'd argue this one-night show in rural Rossburg, Ohio pitting drivers of different racing disciplines -- including eight of the top-12 drivers in the Cup Series championship -- in mostly untested and unfamiliar dirt late model equipment has made for one of the best racing shows of the season. Of any season.

"Dude, it was serious," Busch recalled of his first trip to Eldora Speedway two years ago.

"When I pulled in the first time, I was like, 'Man, what are these people doing here?' There really is no place to stay at around there. You are just out in a bunch of corn fields. So the cool part about it is that the fans camp out and they don't care if it's raining, pouring, snowing, sleeting, whatever. .. They are going to be there to watch some dirt late model racing.

"It sort of takes us back to our roots."

And that's true on several levels, including the fact these five-star racers are paying their own way and donating their time all in the name of competition and charity. No points, no paycheck, no press, but plenty of pride on the line.

Jeff Gordon, for example, has won four Cup titles, is ranked second in Sprint Cup points but wants nothing more than to out-race his former championship crew chief Ray Evernham at Eldora. Ron Capps, the NHRA Funny Car championship leader, enjoys the chance to mix it up with the best stock car drivers in the country and properly represent drag racing.

Mostly though, these guys want to beat Stewart, who literally owns the track.

"It would be like Tony racing me down my street coming home to my house," said Cup driver Robby Gordon, whose first love is off-road truck racing. "I think I could drive that route blind."

Which is why Gordon offers a simple, solo compelling reason for fans to purchase the HBO pay-per-view Wednesday night.

"We are going for Tony.''

And Stewart wouldn't want it any other way.

"To me, that is the biggest compliment, that they are willing to take a day out of their schedule,'' said Stewart, who this week became the first owner-driver to the lead the Sprint Cup Series championship in 17 years.

"For these guys to all do this once a year and come out to our facility and race at a place I am very passionate about is something that is very humbling. But at the same time it shows their passion and compassion for charities and the fact that they work very hard to give back to communities."

For all the grief Stewart has taken over the years for his temperament and candor, he is one of the most generous and philanthropic athletes in all of sports. His race -- thanks largely to the addition of HBO's PPV -- has raised more than $2 million for children's charities in its brief four-year existence.

This year in a nod to the Stewart-Haas Racing sponsor, the U.S. Army, Stewart is donating all the proceeds from Wednesday's PPV plus the grandstand gate to four U.S. military-themed organizations.

"I think there are so many reasons why you want to watch this event, whether you are there or at home," said Jeff Gordon. "You see drivers in a totally different, relaxed atmosphere. They are having fun, yet are still competitive. You see them throwing around an awesome car on the most incredible dirt track in the country at Eldora and it's all going to benefit these fallen heroes and different charities.

"You just can't have more fun and more excitement and have a better race and do it for a great cause than the Prelude.

"It's the ultimate."

The pay-per-view event begins at 7 PM ET Wednesday. The broadcast is currently available for purchase through your cable company if you have a digital box and is being offered by DISH Network and DirecTV.