Former ‘Prelude’ champion Wallace back for more with JEGS.com

DELAWARE, Ohio (May 20) — NASCAR driver and SPEED TV commentator Kenny Wallace has set his sights on another Prelude to the Dream title, June 3, when 25 of the top drivers in American motorsports put it all on the line at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, for the benefit of four worthy charities.

As in previous years, Wallace will wheel the JEGS.com Super Late Model racecar around the famous half-mile clay oval. Normally when he races on dirt in between his NASCAR activities, Wallace drives his own JEGS-branded Modified car. For the Prelude, he’ll borrow Ed Petroff’s hot rod, regularly driven by rising star Brian Shirley.

“We need a little bit different car for the Prelude so once again Ed has stepped up and offered his car,” Wallace said. “They always put together a great racecar for me and every year we’ve been really competitive in this event.

“I won this thing the first year out. Then Carl Edward won the second one. Ever since then ol’ Tony (Stewart) has been whipping us. He’s won the last two. The guy’s a driving machine. He’s not human. He’s like Jeg Coughlin over there in Pro Stock. But I think it’s time for me to win another one and catch up in the win column.”

With NASCAR drivers like Stewart, Edwards, Ryan Newman, Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin, and Clint Bowyer, along with Funny Car professionals Ron Capps and Cruz Pedregon already committed to the event, Wallace knows he’ll have his hands full.

“Last year there were a bunch of cautions, which really didn’t favor us,” Wallace said. “But I had such a great car I still ended up in fourth place. I thought that was pretty good but the win is what we’re after.

“The guys racing in this deal all stand around joking before it starts like they don’t care who wins but when the green flag drops, watch out. They’d run their mommas off the track to win. We’re gonna be right there fighting it out. We’ll be easy to find. Just look for that #36 yellow-and-black JEGS.com car.”

The event will be broadcast live beginning at 7 p.m. ET on HBO, and will be rebroadcast several times in the following days. The cost is $24.95. Check www.hbo.com for more details.

All proceeds from this year’s Prelude will be split between the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, Wounded Warrior Project, Fisher House, and Operation Homefront.

“We’ve raised a bunch of money in the past for the Victory Junction Gang but I like the idea of helping out the brave men and women in our military that have put it all on the line for this country,” Wallace said. “Man, I think that’s really special. I can only image what it’s like to lose a loved one in a war. If we can ease these people’s burdens just a little bit it’s all worthwhile.”

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