Brooklyn Raceway!

This weekend I had a chance to travel with a fun group of race fans to see the figure 8 races at the Brooklyn Raceway in Brooklyn Iowa!

I want to thank P J Harrington from Checkers Tavern for setting up the trip for us to ride in the great Checkers Tavern "Got Beer" Miller Lite bus!

I also want to thank Archie Kuntz, owner of Brooklyn Speedway for being such a great host!

There was some very exciting racing on the small track! There where Front Wheel Drive, Pick Ups and 2 Person Cruisers on the oval track. There was also a Stock Class, a Pro Class and an Open Class on the figure 8 track.

If you have never seen figure 8 racing be sure you plan a trip to the Brooklyn Raceway soon!

Check out the Brooklyn Raceway website here:
http://www.brooklyniowaraceway.com

THE SHOW MUST GO ON - RACING RESUMES AT HAWKEYE DOWNS THIS FRIDAY!

After a two week hiatus due to the tragic flooding that has inundated several areas including Cedar Rapids, Hawkeye Downs Speedway will return to regular action on Friday night, June 27.

The Zimmerman Ford Mid-Season Championships featuring "double points' for the non-IMCA divisions are on tap with all classes in action.

The Miller Lite Late Models, Coors Light Modifieds, Budweiser Sportsmen, and Sunline Hornets will all earn double points while the Barron Motor Supply IMCA Stock Cars, Barron Motor Supply IMCA Hobby Stocks, and IMCA Sportmods will earn regular points per IMCA rules.

Grandstand Gates open at 6pm . Late Model qualifying gets underway at 6:15 and the first green flag waves shortly after 7pm.

KEITH FLECK MILLER 100 SET FOR JULY 18!

The 36th Annual Keith Fleck Miller 100 featuring the ASA Midwest Tour has been rescheduled for Friday, July 18. The race was originally scheduled for Friday, June 13 but was postponed due to the impact of flooding on the Cedar Rapids area.

A huge field of ASA Midwest Tour Super Late Models is expected as later in the weekend the tour is in Newton at the Iowa Speedway making for a racing double-header in the Hawkeye state.

More information will be available in the coming weeks.

Race to the Chase: Week 1, New Hampshire Motor Speedway

THE RACE: LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

WHEN: Sunday, June 29

TV: TNT

RADIO: MRN, Sirius Satellite Radio

CHASING THE CHASE: THIS WEEK'S TOP 20: Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Greg Biffle, Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, David Ragan, Brian Vickers, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Travis Kvapil, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jamie McMurray

DEFENDING LENOX INDUSTRIAL TOOLS 301 CHAMPION: Denny Hamlin

RACE TO THE CHASE FACTS:
• The 10 races preceding the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup
• The top 12 drivers in the series standings make the Chase.
• The 10 tracks represented in the Race to the Chase are some of the most unique and storied tracks on the circuit. The list includes three of the most famous tracks the sport offers: Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway. There are also tracks in two of the country's largest markets: Auto Club Speedway (Los Angeles) and Chicagoland Speedway.

THE SCHEDULE: Race to the Chase (track sizes in parentheses)
June 29—New Hampshire (1.058 miles); July 5—Daytona (2.5 mile); July 12—Chicagoland (1.5 miles);
July 27—Indianapolis (2.5 miles); Aug. 3—Pocono (2.5 miles); Aug. 10—Watkins Glen (2.45 mile); Aug. 17—Michigan (2 miles); Aug. 23—Bristol (.533 miles); Aug. 31—Auto Club Speedway (2 mile); Sept. 6—Richmond (.75 miles).

SOME STORYLINES:
• Only 10 races remain, which means different strategies for different drivers. Those comfortably inside the top 12 have one goal in mind: winning. Each win means 10 vital bonus points toward their Chase seeding. Those just inside the top 12 are hoping to stand their ground. Consistency is key. Then there are those drivers on the outside looking in. They need top fives, and a win or two wouldn't hurt. It's go time.
• Tony Stewart is one of those drivers just inside the top 12 looking for his first win of the 2008 season. If history is any lesson, that win will come over the next 10 races. Stewart, in 11th, has 18 career wins at the upcoming 10 tracks.
• Catch me if you can. With his win at Infineon Raceway, Kyle Busch added another 10 potential Chase bonus points to his tally. He now has 50 bonus points, which is 30 more than second-best Carl Edwards and Kasey Kahne. The battle isn't over, though. Both Edwards and Kahne have 2008 wins at the upcoming tracks: Edwards at Auto Club Speedway and Kahne at Pocono.

On The Bright Side Of The Floods!

These are 2 pictures I took in my sister Faith's house after the floods.
She had 7 feet of water on the first floor of her house & lost most
everything they own.

The sight of this on her kitchen wall struck us as funny.
Good to see some one has power over the floodwaters!

Look real close in the pictures to see the dark line of
where the water level stopped!

In This Time Of Need!

Members of my family & many friends have been affected by the flooding, as I know many others of you have also!

My heart goes out to everyone!

In this time of need I want to be sure our racing community is helping each other in any way possible!

Anyone in need of any sort of help... Please ask for help and anyone
that is able to help in any way please let others know!

Lets pull together and try to help each other through this terrible time of need!

KEITH FLECK MILLER 100 POSTPONED!

FleckSport and Hawkeye Downs regret to
announce the "36th annual Keith Fleck Miller 100" has been postponed due to
the ongoing and worsening impact of flooding and recent tornadoes in the
region and Cedar Rapids.


FleckSport and Hawkeye Downs are sympathetic to the plight of all those
affected by these disasters and given the number of closed roads, traffic
congestion, and personal hardship inflicted by these disasters as well as the
strain on city and emergency services they have elected to cancel the event
with hopes of rescheduling it.


Additionally, many of the highways used by ASA Midwest Tour race teams to
travel to Cedar Rapids have also been affected in various places in Iowa,
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and elsewhere with road closings increasing
each day, which may prevent some teams and fans from reaching Cedar Rapids
without substantial detours.



Officials are currently working with the ASA Midwest Tour to reschedule the
event Friday, July 18.

Keith Fleck Miller 100 Official Entry List

American Speed Association Keith Fleck Miller 100
Hawkeye Downs Speedway - Cedar Rapids, IA - June 13th, 2008

Entries as of 06.10.08 at 5:00PM - (35)

5 - Travis Sauter (TS) - Necedah, WI*
9c - Kyle Calmes - Freedom, WI*
9k - Mark Kraus - Stratford, WI*
12 - Nick Murgic (R) - Rosemount, MN*
19 - Jake Ryan - Farmington, MN*
21 - Tim Schendel - Sparta, WI*
22 - Russ Blakeley (TS) - Whitewater, WI*
25 - Jeff Storm - Waterford, WI
34 - Brandon Hill (TS) - Genoa City, WI
36 - Dan Fredrickson (TS) - Elko, MN*
39 - Andrew Morrisey (TS) - DeForest, WI*
41 - Donny Reuvers (TS) - Dundas, MN*
43 - Matt Kocourek (R) - Franklin, WI*
44 - Adam Hensel (R) - Barron, WI†
51 - Joey Johnson - Alexandria, MN
52 - Chris Wimmer (TS) - Wausau, WI†
64 - Griffin McGrath - Cedar Rapids, IA
66 - Steve Carlson - West Salem, WI*
74 - Dudley Fleck - Cedar Rapids, IA
77 - Jonathan Eilen (TS) - Hampton, MN†
77k - Kris Kelly (TS) - Norway, MI*
79 - Jon Olson - Hamel, MN
87 - Nathan Haseleu (TS) - Marshall, WI*
94 - Paul Paine - Mound, MN
97 - Jamie Iverson (TS) - Escanaba, MI*
99 - Frank Kreyer - Pardeeville, WI
100 - Brad Osborn - Janesville, IA*
104 - Thor Anderson - Bondurant, IA
114 - Jim Ross - Robins, IA
115 - Brad Dvorak - Lisbon, IA*
143 - Johnny Sauter - Necedah, WI
175 - Blake Horstman (TS) - Bangor, WI*
177 - Chris Sevey - Waterloo, IA
199 - Bryan Roach - Minneapolis, MN*
511- Joey Gase - Cedar Rapids, IA

What A Dream Weekend!

We made the trip to Eldora Speedway again this year for the Dirt Late Model Dream 100. The bad part was the 8 hour drive each way but that was the only part of the weekend that was bad!

There was some rain in the mix but that didn't end up messing things up too bad. Friday a small storm rolled in & caused qualifying to be started over & shortened to only one round, but that was not a big deal.

Saturday had a lot of rain that caused us to find other entertainment. We took a turn off State Route 118 on to Hwy 55 - McFeely-Petry Rd in search of the 1 mile dirt track started by Earl Baltes in the 70's. 1/2 mile down the road we spotted a strange looking hill running in a circular motion. With umbrellas in hand Jeff Selfride and I ran through the waist high rain soaked switch grass up the embankment to see what was over the other side. Sure enough, when we reached the top of the hill we could see the track cut into the feild. What a site to see! (Not to start any rumors but there was fresh earth mover tracks under the switch grass!)

After the hour we spent in a Greenville laundromat drying our clothes and shoes, we headed back to the motel for some cornhole beanbag toss in the hallway. This was a great way to kill time waiting to see if the races would start on time. Even with all the rain, the track was ready to race only about 1/2 hour late!

The racing was the best I seen in a while! The field was filled with the best of the best as well as some new comers in the mix to try their hands at the Dream. Scott Bloomquist came out on top for his 5th Dream 100 win. For complete results check www.RacingInIowa.com.

Tony Stewart presented a bronze statue of Earl & Bernice Baltes that will be forever on display right inside the entrance to the grandstand. He also announced that there will be a new race held annually at the track called the Baltes Classic. Should be a great event as it sounds!

The best part of the weekend came after the cars where parked and most all the fans had piled out of the grandstands. I spotted Larry Kemp sitting in the VIP booth with the likes of Ms. Eldora speedway and Many of the Baltes family who came to see the statue presentation.

As I tapped the glass to get his attention, Larry waved me to the window and slid open the screen. After some time of reminiscing I asked what would be the chance of him getting Earl to sign his book that I purchased in vendor row. Larry told me to come around back to the door and come in so I could get it myself. Once inside there he was upturned hat bill and a huge smile on his face. I introduced myself and asked for the autograph. The whole time he was going on about how much Tony must have paid for the bronze statue. He said he couldn't believe anyone would spend that kind of money to make a likeness of him!

Earl thanked me for being a fan and said how greatfull he was for all of the fans that keep this Dream alive. I thanked him for making it all possible and shook his hand telling him I couldn't wait until next year when I could see the statue out front!

That was the perfect ending to a perfect racing weekend!

Stewart takes early lead, wins 30-lap Prelude to the Dream race

Tony Stewart won his own charity dirt-track race Wednesday, leading nearly the entire way.

Robby Gordon was second in the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream, followed by Clint Bowyer.

Stewart grabbed the lead from Kevin Harvick on the first lap at Eldora Speedway and led the rest of the way in the 30-lap race.

Gordon moved into second by the 20th lap, but couldn't close.

After the victory, Stewart raised his arms to the cheers of the crowd and then climbed to the top on the chain-link fence that separated the fans from the track.

"This is a new car, a little different design than what we've had in the past," Stewart said. "This thing was just easy to drive. It didn't take skill on my part. The car was just that good. It made it easy."

Stewart applauded Gordon's effort.

"I told him for years I thought he would be great in a dirt car," Stewart said. "I think he's one of the most naturally talented drivers that races every week in the Sprint Cup series. I'm proud of it [Gordon's performance] because it makes me look like a genius."

Coming so close to winning the race last year is one thing that brought Kyle Busch back for another try.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader finished second in the 2007 Prelude to the Dream, edged out by winner Carl Edwards -- by 0.3 seconds -- and finishing just ahead of Jeff Gordon.

He was among the 25 drivers who competed in the contest Wednesday evening.

"We're back for more," Busch said. "Finishing second and being so close -- that was obviously the first thing, to try to come back and win. Not only that but just the fun."

Busch ended up finishing 10th.

Organizers weren't counting on the 3 inches of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning that turned the track into a sea of mud. But sunny afternoon skies and some soil-packing tractor work made the track raceworthy.

"It's probably going to be pretty tacky once it gets wore in, and it's going to be pretty fast," Busch said. "I don't presume it drying out that much and laying any rubber down and getting dusty and all."

Edwards said he was told this year's car is better than the one he had last year.

"I think that's going to be necessary," he said. "I don't think it's going to be an easy race to win."

Edwards said the race is an opportunity to escape the pressures of the NASCAR circuit and for fellow racers to do something together in raising money for a charity instead of strictly competing against each other.

"The truth is, they're my mortal enemies on Sunday," he said.

And Edwards acknowledged that it's difficult to keep competitive juices from flowing.

"The only bad thing about coming back this year is that unless I win, it's going to be a huge letdown for me and all the people who came with me," he said with a laugh. "Everybody wants to win this thing just so you can say: 'Hey, I won the dirt race against all the guys.' "

Edwards had to leave the race when his engine overheated. He finished 18th.

The race on Eldora's half-mile, high-banked oval track that seats nearly 18,000 featured 25 drivers, including Edwards, Stewart, Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin and Harvick. The 54-year-old track, carved out of farmland, was purchased by Stewart in 2004.

Proceeds from the race will go to support the Tony Stewart Foundation and the construction of a second Victory Junction Gang Camp, in Kansas City, for children with life-threatening health issues.

"The Prelude has taken on a life of its own when guys are building their own cars to come run for one night, and that's because they're having so much fun doing it that they want to have their own equipment," Stewart said.

In dirt-track racing, drivers have to steer right for the car to go left. Going through turns, the front left tire comes off the track and the left rear tire provides traction.

The cars weigh about 2,300 pounds, supply 800-plus horsepower and, at Eldora, reach top speeds of about 150 mph. The vehicles have two-speed transmissions and no windshields -- only short plastic shields to protect drivers from rocks.

"There's a lot going on when you're out there, flipping it sideways and tossing it around and trying to get a good lap and not trying to hit anybody," Busch said.

The fans seemed to be having as much fun as the drivers.

Russ Scheler, 57, and his wife drove 10 hours from their home in Douglasville, Pa., to see the race after hearing about it from fellow church members. Scheler said he prefers dirt-track racing to the asphalt NASCAR variety.

"There's more action," he said.

Chris Hall brought his wife, Leah, to the race as a birthday present to her. The couple, from Medina in northeast Ohio, saw the race for the first time last year.

"I fell in love instantly," she said. "It's total excitement on every lap."

She said the race has a "hometowny feel."

"We're out in the parking lot talking to total strangers," she said.

Eldora Speedway Weather Forcast!

Preperation For The Prelude To The Dream!

With more than 20,000 people in the grandstands and countless others tuning into the HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast of the fourth annual Old Spice Prelude to the Dream at 7 p.m. EDT on Wednesday,June 4, there will be plenty of attention paid to the cars and stars as they lap the half-mile dirt oval that is Eldora Speedway.

But long before such world-renown drivers as Tony Stewart Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch descend upon Eldora and the tiny hamlet of Rossburg, Ohio, the unsung heroes of the historic
dirt track set the stage for what has become a must-see racing event.
While other premiere sporting events such as The Masters, Super Bowl and World Series have scores of people that work to get the respective playing surfaces ready for the big events, Eldora also has a staff – albeit much smaller – that has been working long hours each day to keep the track in the best racing shape possible for the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream.

“What people don’t see is that at a dirt track, it’s not a matter of just putting dirt on it the day of the race,” said Stewart, the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion who also doubles as owner of Eldora Speedway. “It’s Larry Kemp and Larry Boos, and Earl Baltes’ grandson Chad, who do the majority of the work during the week. It’s a seven-day-aweek job taking care of a dirt track. You want to get moisture in it early in the week to where, no matter what the conditions are on race day, you’re able to adjust how much water you put on it on race day, so when nighttime comes, that moisture keeps coming out.”

Even though it takes plenty of preparation to get Eldora Speedway ready for any of its weekly events, which includes
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series and United States Auto Club (USAC) races, Stewart’s staff prepares the track a bit differently for the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream.

With a field that has various levels of experience competing in 2,300-pound dirt late model stock cars capable of putting out over 800 horsepower, Stewart and his staff put down less water than usual over the track’s clay surface.

Typically, the Eldora Speedway staff would prepare the track with plenty of water to be soft and tacky, which helps produce fast lap times. But some of the drivers in this year’s Old Spice Prelude to the Dream having little to no dirt track experience. The less water laid down on the track, the slower the speeds, thereby leveling the playing field and ensuring a better show for the fans in the grandstands and watching on HBO Pay-Per-View.

“Last year we dried the track out a little bit, so it was hard and slick from the top to the bottom and the pace was slower so the guys weren’t holding their breath and it was a lot easier for them to drive,” said Stewart of the 2007 Old Spice Prelude to the Dream, which was won by Edwards. “Especially for the guys that are new to the dirt track scene, it’s a little easier for them to get used to since the pace isn’t so fast. It makes all the guys driving those cars feel a lot more comfortable.

And for what we’re doing with the television aspect, it’s a lot easier to leave it slow with a lot less dust.” Last year, the hard work put in by the Eldora Speedway staff prior to the event paid off for two dirt newbies – Juan Pablo Montoya and Busch. Both showed remarkable skills despite limited experience racing on dirt. Busch even challenged for the win late in the race with dirt veteran Edwards before eventually settling for a runner-up finish. The strong runs by
both drivers really impressed dirt track veteran and Sprint Cup driver J.J. Yeley, who doesn’t mind the Eldora staff slowing the track down to make the show better for the fans and for the television audience.

“I was really impressed with guys like Juan Pablo and Kyle, who hadn’t been in that type of car on dirt before but really adapted to it quickly,” Yeley said. “You want to make sure it’s nice and slick where the speeds will be a little bit slower. I’m sure all the car owners who will have the Cup drivers in their cars will be happy to know that. When the track is hard and slick, it makes the cars a little bit easier to driver, and I think it will make the racing even better for the fans.” Yeley also knows a thing or two about what makes up the surface of various dirt tracks, as the winner of multiple USAC championships has seen plenty of them throughout his career.

“The biggest thing is that you have to start with a good product,” Yeley said. “Eldora Speedway has been around for so long that they have really good clay. You try to explain to people the difference between dirt tracks – red clay, black clay – and there’s a lot of differences in the consistencies. Clay just wears out over time to where it just doesn’t hold the moisture. The biggest thing is to keep just a little bit of water on the race track and keep the dust down.”

Not only does Stewart appreciate all the hard work put in by his staffers, but also the efforts of dirt track owners across the country. He hopes the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream shines a positive light on grassroots dirt racing across the country.

“Guys that take care of dirt tracks across the country are really unsung heroes of the sport,” Stewart said. “There’s so much science about how much clay content you have in the dirt, and that’s what makes every dirt track unique. You could have two guys that owned two different race tracks, but they have to prepare them differently for the conditions where the races are as good as possible. What we do at Eldora isn’t necessarily the same thing that someone else does 30 miles down the road that has the same dirt as us. These promoters and track operators that take care of these race tracks and do a lot of work should be proud of what they do.”

The live, commercial-free broadcast of the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream will begin at 7 p.m. EDT (4 p.m. PDT), with
an immediate replay and subsequent replays throughout the week and the following weekend. HBO Pay-Per-View’s racing telecast has a suggested retail price of $24.95 and is available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per- View is the leading supplier of event programming in the pay-per-view industry. Ordering information and up-to-the minute racing information is available at www.hbo.com. Prospective viewers can order the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream on Tuesday and right up until race time on Wednesday.

With no points and no pressure, the Old Spice Prelude to the Dream is a throwback race, allowing drivers to step back in time and compete for the reasons they all went racing in the first place – pride and a trophy. And they’ll do it on the same surface that Indianapolis 500 legends like A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Bobby Unser, Al Unser Jr., and Parnelli Jones have competed on throughout the last 54 years. Gordon, Johnson, Kahne, Busch and defending Old Spice Prelude to the Dream winner Edwards will join Stewart, Yeley, Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Mark Martin, Denny Hamlin, Bobby Labonte, Clint Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Bill Elliott, Dave Blaney, David Reutimann, Robby Gordon, Aric Almirola, Ron Capps, Cruz Pedregon, Ray Evernham, Red Farmer, Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace in this year’s edition of the all-star dirt late model race.

Almost Dream Time!

Well it is finally Dream 100 week at Eldora Speedway!

That means Wednesday brings the Prelude To The Dream race on pay-per view!
This is a big event around my house. Lots of food, cold beverages & friends.

We will head out a little late this year to get to the track. The rest of the group we our going with will be leaving at 5am Friday for the 8 hour drive. My wife & I will not be able to leave until around 11. Thank you to a few snow days at school this year my daughters 8th grade graduation ceremony has been moved to June 6th instead of June 3rd this year. That is not an event that I would miss! We will only miss some qualifying Friday night by being a little late.

This year we are not traveling in a motor home like years past. Thanks in part to gas prices! But with what we will save on gas for the motor home, we are able to pay for our motel rooms for the 2 nights! The big thing that we will miss will be the convenience of all riding up all together and most importantly..... the restroom without pulling over!

I will try to do live updates on this blog as I do on the RacingInIowa.com message board each year.

More on this as the week goes on!

Their focus is on Dover, but all eyes are on Eldora track!

Carl Edwards has won 10 times on NASCAR's premier circuit, including lucrative events at Texas and Las Vegas. He's won on the iconic short track at Bristol. He's won one championship in what's now the Nationwide Series, another in a smaller stock-car association, and a pair of track titles at Capital Speedway outside of Jefferson City, Mo. And ranking right up there with all those accomplishments is a victory in an exhibition dirt race in an Ohio town with a population of just 224.

But that's what the Prelude to the Dream, an exhibition organized by two-time NASCAR champion and Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart means to so many of the Sprint Cup stars who have taken part in it. They may be at Dover International Speedway for Sunday's Best Buy 400, but they can't wait to get to Eldora for Wednesday night's all-star dirt race benefiting the Victory Junction Gang Camp's new Kansas City wing, the Tony Stewart Foundation, and other charities.

"Eldora, to any dirt racer, that's the same as Daytona or Indianapolis," Edwards said. "That's an amazing racetrack, so to be able to go there and race was huge. To win that race was great because it's Eldora and I got to race against Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch. That was huge. The true thing that makes that so special and the reason all of us go do it is because it's benefiting Victory Junction Gang Camp. I think that just puts the icing on the whole deal. It's fun because we race and then it's really fun to realize that we're raising almost a $1 million for such a great cause. So, for me, that ranks very, very high on my list of accomplishments in my life."

Last year's event in tiny Rossburg, Ohio, attracted 20,000 fans and raised $800,000 for charity. But for the Sprint Cup drivers, many of whom started on dirt and see Eldora as a mecca of the discipline, it also presents a welcome diversion from the regular grind. Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Denny Hamlin, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne are among the drivers who for one night will forego their Cup cars for snub-nosed, 800-horsepower, dirt-churning machines.

"I had a blast last year," Gordon said. "Just getting back on to the dirt, sliding sideways. I think there's just no pressure, it's a fun event. I think that the way the teams prepare the cars and the way that Tony prepares the track, and the fans, it just takes you kind of back to the roots that you started with. A lot of us started on dirt tracks. When you come here there's so much on you, there's so much pressure on everybody. It's a business. You've got sponsors that you have to try to make happy. You've got timing and scoring, you're trying to move up and go faster all the time. It's just you don't have that pressure when you go there. You go there, you're sliding sideways, you're having fun and it doesn't matter if you win or lose or where you finish, you just had a good time by being there."

How big has it become? Consider that Johnson, appearing in the event for the first time this year, last drove on dirt in 2000, hot-lapping a dirt car at Texas Motor Speedway. Prior to that, hadn't raced on the surface since 1997. But he'll be there Wednesday night. Eldora has that kind of allure.

"It's a track that, regardless of what type of surface you race on or what kind of car you drive, you know it's Eldora. And in a dirt world, it's Daytona. So it means a lot," he said. "The only thing I would say that would mean more to Carl from winning that last year, is if all the dirt late model guys were there. When you're running in someone else's cars, the guys that do it week in and week out are better than any professional coming in and running that car. Carl runs a lot of dirt races and he's won plenty of them. So I would really take the sincerity in winning that event and what that means. It means a lot."

Who's building Johnson's car? That would be Bowyer, an ace dirt racer in his day, and someone with a strong appreciation for both the surface and the venue. He's not taking it lightly. "We're going to have a car for Jimmie Johnson to run, and I made sure it's a car capable of winning. I'm more nervous about Jimmie running than I am. I've got a two-time champ in my seat. As a car owner you don't get that opportunity very often, so I better make sure I take full advantage of it and give him a good ride," he said.

The event, which will be televised on a pay-per-view basis, has presented some drivers with new challenges. Harvick said he's focused on trying to get better as a dirt racer, because nobody wants to go to Eldora and look bad. Hamlin actually tested a dirt car at North Georgia Speedway. Gordon had never driven a dirt late model until last year's race. They all seem to relish the newness of the experience.

"To me it was neat to see guys that have never done that before," said Bowyer, himself no stranger to dirt. "These are the best drivers in the world, I feel like. It was neat to be able to see how quick they adapted and how well they were. I know a lot of the [regular dirt racers] were like, we'll see how they do, they've never done that before, they're gonna suck. My argument was, he isn't running in the Cup Series for nothing. You watch, he'll impress you. Look at Jeff Gordon, he hadn't been in a dirt car in probably 20 years or something and almost won that thing and it didn't surprise me one bit to be honest with you."

Of course, not everyone is headed to Eldora on Wednesday. For some drivers, Sundays are enough. "I like the day off," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.