Prelude to the Dream

Prelude to the Dream TONIGHT:
If you can't make the drive to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, on Wednesday, Sept. 9 to see the fifth annual Gillette Young Guns Prelude to the Dream in person, don't worry. Beginning Monday, Sept. 7, race fans across the nation will have their first opportunity to order the charity all-star race on pay-per-view. Drivers from all types of disciplines, some with lots of dirt track experience and others with hardly any, will participate in hot laps, qualifying, heat races and the 30-lap feature on the half-mile clay oval, all of which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Headlining the driver lineup is the majority of the Gillette Young Guns: Ryan Newman, Kasey Kahne, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano. All will join Tony Stewart, the two-time Sprint Cup champion and current point leader, and some of the world's biggest auto racing stars as they duke it out for bragging rights on the dirt in 2,300-pound dirt Late Model stock cars capable of putting out more than 800 horsepower. After the first four events collectively raised more than $2 million in charitable contributions, this year's Prelude will benefit four entities that cater to severely injured military personnel or fallen soldiers and their families  Wounded Warrior Project, Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Operation Homefront and Fisher House. Each has a mission that outlines assistance to the courageous men and women who serve their country and need additional support both during and after their time of service.

The live, commercial-free broadcast will begin at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT), followed by an immediate replay. 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.

Driver Lineup:
#44-AJ Allmendinger; #8-Aric Almirola; #47-Marcos Ambrose; #33-Clint Bowyer; #51-Kyle Busch; #28-Ron Capps; #98-Ray Evernham; #97F-Red Farmer; #7-Robby Gordon; #11-Denny Hamlin; #29-Kevin Harvick; #48-Jimmie Johnson; #9-Kasey Kahne; #17-Matt Kenseth; #20-Joey Logano; #07-Casey Mears; #39-Ryan Newman; #75-Cruz Pedregon; #00-David Reutimann; #9-Ken Schrader; #14-Tony Stewart; #83-Brian Vickers and #36-Kenny Wallace.

Four drivers unable to participate:
Jeff Gordon due to a scheduling conflict.
Carl Edwards after sustaining a broken right foot on Wednesday, Sept. 2 following a game of Frisbee in his hometown of Columbia, Mo.
Bill Elliott after sustaining some fractured ribs on Wednesday, Sept. 2 in a dirt bike mishap.
Dave Blaney due to the passing of his aunt.