Picking up the phone, my poor buddy Russ must've thought I'd lost my marbles. On a steamy July afternoon more than 20 years ago, I unexpectedly called him from a banged-up pay phone attached to an outbuilding at St. Francois Raceway in Farmington, Mo., excitedly trying explain why in the world I was there — and how I'd just discovered the coolest dirt racing series ever.

"Where? St. Fran-what?" Russ must've been saying on the other end of the line.

The transcript of the phone call is lost, but MORE

ROSSBURG, Ohio (June 11) — Oftentimes at Eldora Speedway's biggest events, the starting fields are filled with the usual suspects. With Dream XVII bringing a record-low car count and a dozen drivers making their debuts at the historic half-mile, this year initially promised some fresh faces.

Will that hold true? Even with fewer cars, drivers who haven't made big-race Eldora lineups like Andrew Reaume, Jacob Hawkins, Kent Robinson and Chris Brown will have their work cut out for them against MORE