Prelude Versus CMT - Decisions, Decisions

Typically, a love of NASCAR and a love of country music go together like biscuits and gravy. But tonight, these complementary tastes created a bit of a Catch 22.

Lots of fans who ponied up the money to watch NASCAR drivers get dirty during the pay-per-view broadcast of the Prelude to the Dream were faced with a viewing dilemma. Namely, that the CMT Music Awards were on at the same time.

Tony Stewart's annual Prelude to the Dream charity race is one of the highlights of the season. It's a commercial-free, feel-good event that showcases the dirt track prowess of the hottest NASCAR stars. This year's Prelude also included a new team format and some faces not often found in NASCAR circles (like Indycar champ Tony Kanaan, for instance). And the best part, is that it's all for charity.

Meanwhile, the CMT Music Awards featured a special NASCAR guest of its own. Before the main race at Eldora, I clicked over to CMT to find Richard Petty introducing the Zac Brown Band - a favorite group among the NASCAR faithful. Although Petty wasn't too adept at reading the teleprompter, his laid-back style and megawatt smile made it memorable. And I would have missed it, had I been exclusively tuned to the Prelude.

It's TV nights like these that could lead to carpal tunnel syndrome.