Full Throttle

It’s hard to write anything positive about a rained out race date. And when that date is Eldora Speedway’s second annual Nextel Prelude to the Dream event the task is that much harder.

Maybe it was the presence of so many NASCAR stars, or the possiblity Jerry Bronkowski dipped too deep into a keg of Buckeye Beer, whatever the case Jerry has a long story to tell for en event that turned into a “non-event.” Here are a couple choice selections:

• When Stewart was called to the stage for prerace introductions, he half-hesitated. His reason: “I stole Matt Kenseth’s phone to look at photos of his wife,” he said. What KIND of photos, Tony? Care to chime in on that, Matt? Hmmmm.
• You’ll never see this at a Nextel Cup race: Just like an Average Joe, Ryan Newman, dressed in T-shirt and jeans, walked to an infield concession stand with his wife to buy a hot dog, water and coffee, and no one bothered him for an autograph or picture.
• Sight seen, part 1: It’s not every day that the mother of the defending Nextel Cup champion rolls up her sleeves and helps out. But that’s what Stewart’s mom did, helping fold up banners and overseeing the feeding of several hundred invited guests and media.
• Now here’s an irony: Two of the nine “big prizes” given away to ticket buyers were Super Soaker squirt guns. The P.A. announcer chimed in right after one of the evening’s two torrential downpours: “