Calls Mount for Tony Stewart to Bring Back $50,000 American Crown Jewel After NASCAR Exit
NASCAR Cup Series drivers might be associated with stock car racing and the best machines and racing environments. However, this off-season there’s a growing trend in the Cup garage with drivers trying their hands at different racing disciplines. Few drivers like Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson have dominated races in disciplines other than NASCAR. The duo have both dabbled in IndyCar Racing with Stewart attempting ‘the double’ (Coca Cola 600 and Indy500 on the same day) twice and Larson making his first attempt last year. However, they also have a dirt racing passion.
Larson is a Chili Bowl Nationals champion and Tony Stewart has a dirt racing video game under his name called ‘ Tony Stewart’s Dirt Racing’. It’s not that drivers didn’t race in different events and series before the trend of dirt racing caught up. There was a time when Cup Series drivers used to compete in late-model cars at the famed Eldora Speedway. Tony Stewart purchased the Big-E in 2004, and the next year he started organizing an event where NASCAR drivers participated. The Wednesday night feature was known as “Prelude to the Dream.”
Not only NASCAR stars but drivers from IndyCar, NHRA, and World of Outlaws also took part in this prestigious event. The half-mile clay dirt oval is indeed a historic racetrack that has hosted iconic events, and Prelude to the Dream was one of them. Unlike other events, this race was special as the profits from the TV broadcast were donated to charities. From 2005 to 2011, a total of $3.5 million was donated to charities thanks to this event.
However, after Kyle Busch won this race in 2012, Stewart and the race organizers haven’t been able to breathe new life into it. While the Chili Bowl Nationals is seen as a popular choice among the current drivers, fans were hoping that Prelude should get similar recognition. And that is only possible if track owner and three-time winner of the race Tony Stewart devises a plan to bring it back on track.
Can Tony Stewart revive Prelude to the Dream?
As the name suggests, this was a precursor to the main event, the World 100 at the Eldora Speedway. Despite the proceeds of the race going to charity, it attracted superstar drivers and many of them even won the event. Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, and Jeff Gordon are some of the greats to have graced this race with Johnson and Edwards winning in 2010 and 2007 respectively. In a time when NASCAR is in search of new avenues to bring new fans to the sport, such events and dirt racing have taken a back seat. “Talk about nostalgia. I wish someone would bring this back. It was awesome to watch and raised a lot of money for charities.”
Well, Stewart certainly had a lot on his shoulders with the ownership of Stewart Haas Racing. But, with just NHRA racing now on his schedule, he can focus on bringing the racetrack back to life with this event. Not to forget, there was a time when the track hosted the Eldora Million, and it was the richest sprint car race of the year. After 2003, the iconic event was held for two years in 2022 and 2023 but has taken a sabbatical again.
Perhaps Stewart could do with the help of a fellow NASCAR driver, maybe a partner who could help set up the event. This is where fans feel that Dale Earnhardt Jr., with his expertise and resources, can bring the short oval back to its former glory. “This has always been my favorite extracurricular type of event ever done. If we can’t get this back maybe Jr. can get a big crew to start running a cars tour match race of some sort at Martinsville or Bristol.” In January 2023 Dale Jr. and Kevin Harvick purchased the CARS Tour which is a stock car short track racing series. This fan is hoping someone like Dale Jr. can give Stewart that extra financial push to bring this event back.
Interestingly, Eldora Speedway was the only track that hosted a national series race on dirt. The Craftsman Truck Series visited the short oval from 2013 to 2019, and the event was named the Eldora Dirt Derby. But, ever since then, the venue hasn’t hosted a mega event that would catch the attention of the race fans. Remembering the good old days before the Truck Series race at this racetrack, a fan added, “I believe they ended it after Eldora got the truck race. I miss it as well.” The last winner of that race was Chase Briscoe and he would be stoked if this speedway returned. The new Joe Gibbs Racing driver recently got the green light from Coach Gibbs to participate in dirt races. This race would be a fitting comeback.
However, a race fan argued that the Prelude lost its charm when the format was changed, and instead of single entries, the field was divided into four teams. Each race team represented the children’s hospital that would benefit from the race event. For those of you who do not know, it was a pay-per-view event, but this format system might have pushed fans away from it. “Wish the nascar guys still did this. For a couple years they had it just right and then they even screwed up that format with the team stuff they did.” NASCAR fans complaining about another format change. Anything new?
Now it is hard to host this event on a pay-per-view basis, but hopefully, the Eldora Speedway will return with the iconic race events that it was once known for.
