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Wapakoneta Daily News Online

By MIKE BURKHOLDER

Assistant Managing Editor

NEW WESTON — Nostalgia and a supportive fan base are two reasons NASCAR’s Tony Stewart enjoys coming back and racing at Eldora Speedway, the track’s owner says.

“I really do enjoy this,” Stewart said in the pits prior to Wednesday night’s Old Spice Summer Sizzler. “I’ve run sprint cars for a long time, and this is a night that is a lot of fun.”

Stewart, along with NASCAR drivers Kasey Kahne, Dave Blaney, Kenny Wallace and Ken Schrader, made the trek to this west-central Ohio town to compete on the dirt track. Stewart said he logged a lot of miles on dirt tracks in his youth and it showed with his pace setting time during qualifying.

“I was happy with the time,” Stewart said. “I have a great group of guys and good babysitters. It’s a lot of fun to be able to race sprints.”

While the race is for the fans, Stewart admitted there is a little bit of friendly competition among the drivers. However Stewart said the real thrill is being able to get back to his roots and pilot a sprint car on a dirt oval.

“It’s a very competitive race,” Stewart said. “But the guys also look for any excuse to get into a sprint car.”

Stewart also spoke of the upcoming Nextel Chase for the Cup, NASCAR’s version of a postseason playoff. Stewart, who sits seventh in the standings, said he believes his crew will perform well at the GFS Marketplace 400 at the Michigan International Speedway.

“I’m excited because Michigan is a good track for us,” Stewart said. “It’s going to be a stressful weekend because there are only four races left and we are in a tight points race so we can’t make any mistakes, and we have to take care of ourselves.”

Stewart also revealed he is ironing out the final detail for the makeup date for the Prelude to a Dream event to be held Sept. 6. While the final roster is not finished, Stewart confirmed his appearance as well as another NASCAR superstar’s for the event.

“We are going to check this weekend,” Stewart said. “I know Kevin Harvick canceled his appearance to be there, but I will be here Sept. 6. I’m excited about that.”

Stewart’s NASCAR competitor Kahne —12th in the points chase — was unable to race during the event due to mechanical problems with his car. While the thousands of fans gasped when Kahne made his announcement, they cheered when the driver said he would make it up to them.

“We had a problem with the car and it’s not getting better so you won’t see me tonight,” Kahne said. “I’ll sing some autographs though.”

Like Stewart, Kahne spent a majority of his pre-NASCAR days on dirt tracks like Eldora. Kahne said any chance he gets, he like to come back to the track and put on a show for the fans.

“I enjoy getting into sprint cars,” Kahne said. “I raced in two races in Washington during our off week and it’s been fun. It’s always fun to race at Eldora.”

Wallace and Schrader both donned suits and raced in the modified event Wednesday night. Wallace said he enjoys getting inside a modified car and racing in front of crowds like the ones at Eldora during off days.

“Tony Stewart and those guys are the greatest dirt track guys to ever live,” Wallace said prior to the event. “I think it’s good to see Tony get in these cars and be competitive — it’s a lot of fun.”

Schrader, who raced the dirt track circuit back in the 1980s, said he raced at Eldora several dozen times during his day. Despite wrecking during one race, Schrader said he has found memories of the Darke County raceway.

“I remember hitting really hard over there,” Schrader said as he pointed to the wall. “I had a lot of fun here and thought it was neat to have Tony take it over. This is just one of those places that has so much history.”