It's No Lie, Stewart Won the Prelude

It's No Lie, Stewart Won The Prelude

Joey listens to Tony as they talk about the track. Vickers also is getting some helpful tips.

Tony talks cars with Leonard Woods. Casey trying to pick Smoke's brain.

With all of the talk about the two little words "You lie", that were spoken during the President's address last night to Congress, one could forget that there was a charity race in Eldora. That is if you were not a fan of dirt racing, NHRA or NASCAR.

With the stars making their trek to Rossburg, Ohio to run the dirt on the famous Eldora Speedway, it was easy to miss the President's speech. And from the fireworks that both Eldora and the speech has created it is ashame that one had to be forgotten. But since I did forget about the speech, and I prefer racing anyway. Thought I would bring you some of the highlights from last nights race, in case you watch the speech instead of the race.

During qualifying a new track record for the Prelude was set by none other but the track owner, Tony Stewart at 15.405. Here is the run down for qualifying. Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Kenny Wallace, Clint Bowyer, Robby Gordon, Kasey Kahne, Aric Almirola, Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Kenny Schrader, Cruz Pedregon, A.J. Allmendinger, Kevin Harvick, David Reutimann, Brian Vickers, Marcos Ambrose, Casey Mears, Ray Evernham, Red Farmer, Ron Capps.

But of course this means nothing because of the inversion rule. And that is just to complicated to explain here. lol I will try to explain using Mike Joy's explaination from the telecast: Using Clint Bowyer as an example. Bowyer qualified 6th. Which means he will start outside pole in the 3rd heat. You have to be one of the first 4 finishers in your heat race to transfer to the A main toward the front. But then there will be an invert.

Darrell Waltrip got to be a part of the festivities. He got behind the wheel of a "Ripsaw MS2". Which is an automated military vehicle that can be used to go ahead of the troops to clear out landmines that were put there by the enemy. The vehicle has 700 horsepowers and it has a gun on top of it. It weighs 8000 lbs. And DW says it drives like a computer game. There has only been three people who have ever driven this vehicle and DW is one of them.

Darrell Waltrip truly had alot more fun driving this vehicle than he did the water truck he drove at Eldora a couple years ago. You should have seen ole DW doing donuts in this vehicle.

Next we had driver introductions: A.J. Allmendinger, Aric Almirola, Marcos Ambrose, Clint Bowyer, Rowdy Busch, Ron Capps, Ray Evernham, Charles "Red" Farmer, Robby Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Joey Logano, Casey Mears, Ryan Newman, Cruz Pendrogen, David Reutimann, Kenny Schrader, Brian Vickers, Kenny Wallace, and Tony Stewart.

Next there was a picture taken of the Gillette Young Guns: Ryan Newman, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer and Kasey Kahne. Before the picture was taken, Denny Hamlin had alittle fun with Smoke by messing with Smoke's head. All of the drivers were clean shaven, even Smoke was clean shaven. A joke was made in the booth, that they better take the picture fast or Smoke would need to shave again. Saying Smoke calls himself, a "Chia pet".

The drivers were driven around the track not in the back of pickup trucks, but in the back of military humvees.

The national anthem was played on saxophone Jerry Depizo from the rock band OAR. And let me tell you, I love to hear the national anthem played on a sax. But this guy did not do it service. It started out pretty good. But then he started jazzing it up. And it was just not pretty. As long as he did not jazz it up. It was really good. But let's face it, the national anthem should be played correctly or not played at all. It is a truly beautiful song.

Now on to the heat races. The first heat race drivers were: Johnson, Gordon, Busch, Stewart, Schrader, Harvick, Ambrose, Farmer. Ambrose, hit the wall on lap 3 tearing the right wheel off. With Johnson winning it. Leading all of the 10 laps. Stewart finished second. Gordon, Busch, Schrader, Harvick, Farmer, Ambrose.

2nd heat race: Kenseth, Kahne, Wallace, Hamlin, Pedregon, Reutimann, Capps, Mears. Kasey Kahne won this heat race after leading all 10 laps. 2nd Kenseth, Hamlin, Wallace, Pedregon, Capps, Reutimann, Mears.

3rd heat race: Logano, Almirola, Bowyer, Newman, Allmendinger, Vickers, Evernham. On lap 4 Joey Logano tapped the wall and knocked his spoiler off. And then he wound up backing the car into the car damaging the car beyond repair. But lucky for Logano, Smoke had one of his cars there and Logan got to drive Smoke's car in the heat race. Almirola lead all of the laps in this race as well. Bowyer, Newman, Vickers, Evernham, Logano, Allmendinger.

Now on to the A Main event. Bowyer on pole, Wallace, Busch, Newman, Stewart, Gordon, Kahne, Almirola, Johnson, Kenseth, Bickers, Logano, Schrader, Pedregon, Allmendinger, Harvick, Reutimann, Ambrose, Mears, Evernham, Farmer, Capps. Hamlin was not able to compete because of engine problems. A lifter broke and there were pieces all inside of the engine.

The track was very fast. Even though Stewart and his crew worked hard to make the track slow and tacky. It just didn't work.

Joey Logano was given a couple laps in Smoke's extra car before the A main began.

Bowyer, took the lead. Kahne and Johnson both hit the wall during the first lap. As well as Allmendinger. Allmendinger caused the first caution, because his did alot of damage to his car.

Wallace got the jump on the restart. On lap 3, the caution came out again for Evernham for a broken front wheel. Someone got into Ron Capps but he was able to continue.

On the restart Wallace got the jump. Bowyer was hot on his bumper. Busch got around Stewart. Vickers spins, but no caution, he keeps it going.

Lap 6 Wallace, Bowyer, Busch and Stewart.

Stewart's car is the fastest on the track.

Lap 10 Wallace taps the wall. But keeps the lead. On lap 10 Bowyer goes for the lead on the bottom. Wallace stays high and keeps the lead. Bowyer moves high, Wallace moves low. Busch is behind Bowyer, Stewart moves to the low side and gets around both Bowyer and Busch. But Stewart lifts to avoid having a wreck. Bowyer and Busch gets back around him.

Wallace leads. Bowyer moves high. Busch and Stewart go low.

On lap 12 Bowyer chops down in front of Busch. And Stewart takes the lead away from Wallace. Stewart begins to pull away. But on lap 14 there is a five car wreck: Schrader, Logano, Ambrose, Mears, and Gordon. Gordon cut down a tire. Schrader and Harvick get together trying to avoid Gordon. Logano tried to go between Gordon and the wall, and didn't make it. And Mears got into it at the end. Ambrose just spun and he was able to continue.

The race is red flagged at this time to clean up the track.

On the restart on lap 14 Stewart took off and pulled ahead of the field. Wallace is in 2nd. Bowyer and Newman are fighting for 3rd.

Lap 21 Mears spins in turn 2 bringing out the caution. He lost it just as Stewart lapped him.

Restart on Lap 21 Stewart gets a good jump. Bowyer cuts down Wallace's right rear tire, taking Wallace out of 2nd and out of the race.

Lap 23 Bowyer bounces off of the wall, Busch closes in on him. 5th place Kenseth is being challenged by Pedregon.

Smoke is riding the cushion and stretching his lead on Bowyer and Busch.

Smoke clears the lapped cars of Farmer and Mears.

Smoke wins the Prelude for the third time in four years.

Stewart, Bowyer, Busch, Newman, Kenseth, Pedregon, Reutimann, Almirola, Kahne, Johnson, Harvick, Vickers, Capps, Ambrose, Mears, Farmer, Wallace, Gordon, Schrader, Logano, Evernham, Allmendinger, Hamlin.

All of the photos are from www.motorsport.com and Getty Images.