What’s Happening?
Former NASCAR driver Matt Tifft wants to bring back a long-lost fan favorite dirt race to the former NASCAR track he recently purchased.
Hey #NASCAR drivers.. crazy idea. What if we brought the prelude to the dream back, at @Mansfieldspdwy, midweek before the big show at Eldora. Any of you interested in making this happen?
— Matt Tifft (@matt_tifft) July 18, 2025
The Prelude to the Dream was once an annual tradition that drew racing stars from multiple disciplines to compete in dirt late models at Eldora Speedway.
Though the event has not happened since 2012, race fans, and NASCAR fans in particular, have frequently pleaded for the return of this legendary race.
Though fans have pitched several ways of reviving the event throughout the years, late Thursday evening, Matt Tifft, a former NASCAR Cup Series driver and team owner, posted on X, asking his former peers if they would be interested in bringing back the late charity race.
As part of his proposal, Tifft, who recently purchased the abandoned Mansfield Speedway, a former NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series track, proposed hosting at the soon-to-be revived track. The track, which has not hosted NASCAR since 2008 and dirt races in 2019, has a long way to go, though Tifft is documenting the transformation on his social media.
Tifft’s post seemingly had a positive reaction from the NASCAR community, with some responses from NASCAR drivers, such as Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who responded, “In.” Xfinity Series team owner and driver Jeremy Clements also responded to Tifft, saying, “Yessir would be bad ass.”
Throughout the Prelude to the Dream’s history, the annual pay-per-view race was a routine watch for NASCAR fans. From 2005 to 2012, those tuning in saw NASCAR greats going up against dirt ringers, with legends like Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, and Kyle Busch scoring wins on the dirt.
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