ROSSBURG, Ohio (Sept. 9, 2009) – Tony Stewart won the fifth annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream all-star dirt late model race Wednesday night at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, marking the third time in four years Stewart has won the event.

Stewart passed Kenny Wallace on lap 13 of the 30-lap event and led the final 18 laps en route to victory.

“This was probably the best I’ve run in the Prelude,” said Stewart, who bought Eldora in 2004. “We won last year, I think we led the whole thing, but this was one I had to work for. We weren’t exactly perfect, and we weren’t perfect because I hit the wall on the first two starts right off the bat.”

Clint Bowyer finished 3.358 seconds behind Stewart in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-five. Drag Racing standout Cruz Pedregon, David Reutimann, Aric Almirola, Kasey Kahne and Jimmie Johnson comprised the top-10.

There were four caution periods during the event, although the laps conducted under caution did not count.

Continue reading “Race Recap: Tony Stewart's Prelude to the Dream”

Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream

ROSSBURG, Ohio – Results Wednesday of the Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream Dirt Late Model event September 9 at the half-mile Eldora Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, laps completed and reason out (if any):
1. (6) Tony Stewart, 30
2. (1) Clint Bowyer, 30
3. (3) Kyle Busch, 30
4. (4) Ryan Newman, 30
5. (11) Matt Kenseth, 30
6. (15) Cruz Pedregon, 30
7. (18) David Reutimann, 30
8. (9) Aric Almirola, 30
9. (8) Kasey Kahne, 30
10. (10) Jimmie Johnson, 30
Continue reading “Prelude to the Dream Results: Tony Stewart Wins”

Tony Stewart, driver/owner at Stewart-Haas Racing, pictured in center in his BURGER KING® fire suit, shares some laughs with actor, Erik Estrada (left) and comedian/actor, Carrot Top (right), during a break behind the scenes of Burger King Corp.’s ad shoot, “The Tony Stewart School of Endorsements.” The latest ad campaign for BURGER KING® restaurants includes a series of four ads showcasing Stewart with his favorite menu item, the famous WHOPPER® sandwich, and begins airing on Sept. 7, 2009. Visit http://www.bkracing.com for more information on Burger King Corp.’s national promotion with Stewart-Haas Racing.

Continue reading “Tony Stewart hangs with Ponch and Carrot Top”

The Silence Is Deafening: Wallace Humbled By 800th NASCAR start

It’s not often Kenny Wallace is at a loss for words. But he’s admitted as much heading into Friday night’s race where he’ll make the 800th start of his NASCAR national series career, placing him 17th on the all-time list.

Wallace became only the third driver to surpass 400 starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series last year. His national series start totals: 444 NASCAR Nationwide, 344 NASCAR Sprint Cup and 11 NASCAR Camping World Truck.

His accomplishments in the NASCAR Nationwide Series are more than solid with nine wins, 64 top fives, 159 top 10s and 10 poles. He’s finished in the top 10 in the standings in eight of the 11 seasons he’s competed full time and has been named the series’ Most Popular Driver a record three times.

Race No. 26, the final race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series “regular season,” is an anticipated event for every single driver in the series.

But it’s something else entirely for Denny Hamlin.

“Anticipation” fails to capture Hamlin’s emotions come race time at Richmond International Raceway.

Hamlin grew up in the .75-mile track’s shadows, and as such, pines for a victory at his very local short track. Literally, a NASCAR Sprint Cup win at Richmond is at the top of his wish list.

He has come close a number of times, but has yet to break through to Victory Lane.

Oddly, his best Richmond performance ended his worst Richmond finish.

In last season’s May Richmond race, Hamlin had the dominant car – by far. He led an astounding 381 of 400 laps. But a late-race tire problem killed his day, ended the dream and resulted in a 24th-place finish. Still, he finished up that race with a number of race-best statistics, including a Driver Rating of 129.1.

Continue reading “Numbers say Hamlin loves Richmond, but still no wins”