By J.D. Hellman

You know you've hit on something really big when someone forces legal action to change your course.

That is what happened last year at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway -- the Eldora Dirt Derby, which returns for its fifth annual edition on Wednesday.

One of the most prestigious and popular dirt tracks in motorsports, the half-mile Tony Stewart-owned facility in Rossburg, Ohio, continued to build in success, popularity, and attention in its first three seasons of NASCAR's return to dirt for the first time since 1970.

That notoriety caught the eye of Major League Baseball -- and things went south from there.

What does MLB have to do with NASCAR and racing on dirt? It's all in a name, that's what.

The annual race at Eldora had adopted a unique and popular nickname of the "Mudsummer Classic," an obvious reference to Eldora's clay surface.

MLB decided that "Mudsummer Classic" was too close to "Mid-Summer Classic," one of the key references to the hardball game's annual MLB All-Star Game.

I know, I don't see the connection, either.

But MLB was apparently concerned that non-racing fans might mistakenly want to come to Eldora -- or tune into the TV telecast on FS1 -- thinking that they were heading to the All-Star Game.

You know the old story: You went to a race and a baseball game broke out.

So, while Mudsummer Classic may be gone, it's in name only. Wednesday's race will still be affectionately referred to as the Mudummer Classic by fans in the stands or in front of the TV -- regardless of what the MLB says.

Let's look at five of the top storylines for this year's fifth edition of NASCAR at Eldora:

A gamble that paid off handsomely: NASCAR admittedly took a gamble by bringing the Trucks to Eldora in 2013. After more than four decades without a dirt race on the schedule (Cup, Xfinity, or Truck), the Truck Series came to Eldora. It succeeded eight previous years of the Prelude To The Dream -- an all-star race that saw drivers from a number of series, including NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, and World Of Outlaws, race together in late models at Eldora. The Dream is one of the biggest late model car races on the calendar, and the Prelude proved to be a great opening act. Stewart wanted to bring NASCAR to his track, and the Trucks seemed to be the perfect avenue. While NASCAR gambled, Stewart was confident the Trucks-on-dirt race would be a success -- and indeed it has become one. It also has become one of the most popular races in the series for fans and TV viewers, not to mention one that teams in the series look forward to all season.

Ken Schrader is back: At 61 years old, an age when most drivers have likely been retired for years, Schrader continues racing across the country. Schrader is the only driver to have competed in all eight Prelude To The Dream episodes, as well as the first four Truck races at Eldora. His streak appeared as if it may have come to an end until he announced last week that Bolen Motorsports -- a fledgling Truck Series operation -- would field a truck for him in Wednesday's race. Make it 13 races in row now, and counting. Schrader's best finish in the four Truck races was fourth in 2014. He also won three of his four heat races (and added one runner-up) between 2013 and 2016. Can he take the checkered flag finally on Wednesday?

Another first-time winner or first repeat winner?: There has been no shirk in any of the four previous winners of the Dirt Derby. Austin Dillon won the inaugural event in 2013, followed by Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. in 2014, Christopher Bell in 2015, and Kyle Larson in 2016. Will the trend of yet another first-time winner continue Wednesday night, or will someone like Bell take his second Truck title there? Bell already has three Truck wins this season, one win with the Outlaws in the Knight Before the Kings Royal, and a second-place finish in the Kings Royal after starting 20th.

Rain, rain go away, come again some other day: Weather is always a concern at Eldora, which sits virtually out in the middle of nowhere, with miles and miles of farmland all around. Several episodes of the Prelude and at least two of the first four Truck races were impacted by rain in one form or fashion, and Wednesday could add yet another rain-impacted event if a storm front that passes through Central Indiana continues to head eastward toward Eldora. While lots of fans and drivers like racing in the mud -- the muddier the merrier, you might say -- it's hard to run a race without fans or with many of them clustered under the grandstands while the racing and the rain both continue.

Not only is Ken Schrader back, but Rico Abreu also returns: Another driver to keep an eye on in Wednesday's race is Abreu, who will be making his first Truck Series race of the season. Abreu lost his ride last season due to lack of sponsorship. But a strong finish Wednesday -- especially if he can somehow pull off the upset win -- might go a long way toward getting Abreu back behind the wheel once again. And one other thing to remember: Abreu is a whiz on dirt. He won the 2015 and 2016 Chili Bowl races in Tulsa. He finished third in last year's "Dirt Derby." He may enter as a dark horse, but he certainly has the talent to reach Victory Lane. Now all he needs is a truck that will equal his talent.

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