Ken Schrader

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Ken Schrader
KenSchraderTexas2007.jpg
Schrader in 2007
Nationality American
Born (1955-05-29) May 29, 1955 (age 69)
Fenton, Missouri, U.S.
ARCA Racing Series career
Debut season 1981
Current team Ken Schrader Racing
Car no. 52
Starts 74
Wins 17
Poles 20
Best finish 22nd in 2009
Previous series
1984–2008, 2010–2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Championship titles
1982
1983
USAC Silver Crown Series
USAC Sprint Car Series
Awards
1980
1985

2009
USAC Stock Car Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year
National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame Sportsman Award
Achievements 1989, 1990 Busch Clash Winner
1988, 1989, 1990 Daytona 500 pole winner
NASCAR Cup Series career
763 races run over 29 years
2013 position 39th
Best finish 4th (1994)
First race 1984 Pepsi 420 (Nashville)
Last race 2013 Ford EcoBoost 400 (Homestead)
First win 1988 Talladega DieHard 500 (Talladega)
Last win 1991 Budweiser 500 (Dover)
Wins Top tens Poles
4 184 23
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
116 races run over 17 years
Best finish 29th (1992)
First race 1987 AC-Delco 200 (Rockingham)
Last race 2010 Subway Jalapeño 250 (Daytona)
First win 1989 Ames/Peak 200 (Dover)
Last win 1994 Fram Filter 500K (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
2 39 5
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career
103 races run over 17 years
Truck no., team No. 52 (Ken Schrader Racing)
2015 position 58th
Best finish 19th (2007)
First race 1995 Skoal Bandit Copper World Classic (Phoenix)
Last race 2015 Mudsummer Classic (Eldora)
First win 1995 Scott Irvin Chevrolet/Craftsman 200 (Saugus)
Wins Top tens Poles
1 37 2
NASCAR Pinty's Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Best finish 67th (2002)
First race 2002 Canada Day Shootout (Hamilton)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 1 0
Statistics current as of July 22, 2015.

Kenneth "Ken" Schrader (born May 29, 1955) is an American race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the ARCA Racing Series, as well as the Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway in the Camping World Truck Series. He raced in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 1981 to 2013. He is a first cousin once removed of fellow NASCAR driver Carl Edwards.

He races in many racing divisions, and has been successful in any division he has stepped into. He owns a dirt late model and dirt open wheel modified car. Both of these cars, along with his Camping World Truck Series and ARCA series cars, are sponsored by Federated Auto Parts. He owns I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri, and is co-owner of Macon Speedway, near Macon, Illinois, along with Kenny Wallace, Tony Stewart, and local Promoter Bob Sargent.[1]

During the 1990s and the early part of the 2000s, Schrader was running as many as 100 races among many types of racing, including NASCAR's national and regional touring series, ARCA, short track, and dirt track.

Career

Beginnings

Schrader was born in Fenton, Missouri.[2] In 1971, he was the sportsmens champ at Lake Hill Speedway in Valley Park. That same year, He then moved up to sprint cars, racing in various locations across the Midwest. In 1980, he started racing in USAC's stock car division, and was the series Rookie of the Year.[3] He returned to USAC's Stock Car division one year later, finishing third in points.[3] Early in the decade, he moved to the USAC series, competing in its various sprint car competitions. Schrader attempted to qualify for the 1983 Indianapolis 500 but wrecked his car during practice. In the USAC series, he won four USAC sprint car races, six Silver Crown races, 21 in USAC midgets, and 24 midget races in other divisions.

Schrader's 1985 Cup car

Schrader made his NASCAR debut in 1984 in the Cup series, leasing out the #64 Ford normally owned/driven by Elmo Langley. He ran his first race at Nashville, qualifying 27th and finishing 19th in a 30-car field. He ran four more races in the 64 that season, his best finish a seventeenth at North Wilkesboro Speedway. In 1985, he signed to drive the #90 Ultra Seal-sponsored Ford for Junie Donlavey full-time. He had three 10th-place finishes and finished 16th in points, winning Rookie of the Year honors. In 1986, Red Baron Frozen Pizza became the team's new primary sponsor, and Schrader had four Top 10's, including a best finish of seventh twice, and finished 16th in the standings in points for the second consecutive season. In 1987, Schrader won his first career pole at the TranSouth 500, where he led 19 laps and finished fifth, his first Top 5. He had nine other Top 10's and finished 10th in the final standings. He also made his Busch Series debut at North Carolina Speedway, finishing fifth in his own #45 Red Baron-sponsored Ford at North Carolina Speedway.

1988–1996

In 1988, Schrader moved over to the #25 Folgers-sponsored Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. In his first race, he won the pole for the Daytona 500, beginning a three-year streak in which he won the pole for that race. After failing to qualify for the following race and purchasing a racecar from Buddy Arrington, Schrader won his first career race at the Talladega DieHard 500, and finished fifth in the final standings. He won his second career Cup race the following season at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and finished fifth in the standings again. He also earned his first career Busch Series win at the Ames/Peak 200.

Kodiak became Schrader's sponsor in 1990. Although he failed to win, he collected three poles, and seven Top 5's, dropping to 10th in points. In 1991, he got his third win at the Motorcraft Quality Parts 500, and his final win to date at Dover International Speedway. He had nine total Top 5 finishes and finished ninth in the final points standings. In 1992, he dropped to 17th in the standings after posting eleven Top 10's. The following season, Schrader returned to ninth in the points and won a career-high six poles. He had his career-best points finish in 1994, when he finished fourth. He also won his most recent Busch race at Talladega.

In 1995, Budweiser became Schrader's primary sponsor. He won his final pole with Hendrick at Pocono Raceway and dropped back to 17th. He survived a horrifying crash in the DieHard 500 at Talladega Superspeedway. After he improved only to 12th in the standings in 1996, Schrader left Hendrick Motorsports after a nine-year association with the team.

1997–2005

In 1997, Schrader was hired to drive the #33 Skoal Bandit-sponsored Chevrolet Monte Carlo for Andy Petree Racing. He had eight Top 10's and won two poles, finishing 10th in the standings, his most recent Top 10 points finish. The following season, he posted three fourth-place finishes and won two poles over the last five races of the season. He won his final Cup pole at Talladega in 1999, but despite a 15th-place points run, Schrader failed to finish in the Top 5 all year long, and departed Petree.

He signed to drive the #36 M&M's-sponsored Pontiac Grand Prix for MB2 Motorsports. In his first year of competition, Schrader had two Top 10's and finished 18th in the standings. He posted five Top 10's in 2001, but dropped to 19th in the standings. While competing in the Daytona 500, he was involved in the final-lap crash where Dale Earnhardt crashed into the wall and died. The image of Schrader peering into Earnhardt's car, only to jump back and frantically signal for assistance, is etched into the minds of many racing fans; his interview with Jeanne Zelasko during Fox Sports' post-race show was the first sign to many that something was terribly wrong with the seven-time Winston Cup champion, as he appeared visibly shaken and upon being asked if Earnhardt was okay, he said "I don't really know. I'm not a doctor. I got the heck out of the way as soon as they got there." In 2002, Schrader did not finish in the Top 10 in a single race, the first time since 1984. Following that season, he departed MB2.

Despite an original lack of sponsorship, Schrader was announced as the driver of the #49 BAM Racing Dodge Intrepid for 2003. Soon, 1-800-Call-ATT became the team's primary sponsor. One memorable moment from the season was early in a race at Pocono Raceway, when he spun around in turn 1 and smacked the wall hard with the rear end of his car, flipped once, then came to rest on the apron of the track in flames. He was unhurt. At the Brickyard 400, Schrader's qualifying time was too slow (and the team was out of provisionals) to make the field, the first time since 1984 that Schrader had missed a Cup race. He DNQ-d three more times that season and fell to 36th in points. In 2004, Schrader's previous sponsor Schwan Food Company became BAM's new sponsor, and Schrader responded with a sixth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. He had three more Top 10's the following season and matched his previous year's run of 31st in points.

2006–2007

Schrader's 2006 Motorcraft paint scheme (left)

In 2006, Schrader drove the #21 Little Debbie/Motorcraft/United States Air Force-sponsored Ford for Wood Brothers Racing. In 2007, he ran a part-time schedule with the Wood Brothers, sharing the ride with rookie Jon Wood. After the team fell out of the Top 35 in owner's points, Bill Elliott became their new driver until the team returned to the Top 35. Schrader returned to BAM Racing at Indianapolis, and later regained his spot with the Wood Brothers beginning at Loudon, before being replaced again by Elliott late in the year. Schrader also drove seventeen races in the Craftsman Truck Series for Bobby Hamilton Racing in the #18 Fastenal-sponsored Dodge Ram, earning two Top 5 finishes.

2008–present

2008 BAM racing racecar

Schrader returned to BAM Racing in 2008. However, after making only two of the first five races, BAM Racing switched to Toyota. After the sixth race of the season at Martinsville, VA where Kenny qualified the new Microsoft Toyota in seventh place and finishing 37th, BAM Racing decided they needed to sit the next two races out in order to complete a fleet of the new Toyota cars. After the two weeks, it was announced that a primary sponsor had backed out of its deal, leaving BAM Racing and Kenny with no other option but to temporarily suspend operations. NASCAR.com reported on April 15, 2008 that the team may not return to racing until the fall. Schrader ran the race in a one-off at Talladega, AL on April 27, 2008 in the #70 Haas/CNC Chevy, sponsored by Hunt Brothers Pizza, qualifying a strong third, but finishing 42nd due to motor problems.

Schrader qualified a fourth Richard Childress Racing entry into the Coca Cola 600 on May 25. He qualified the #33 Camping World sponsored Chevy in the 33rd position, and finished 33rd. Schrader signed a multi race deal in August that would allow him to share a seat with Joey Logano for Jeff Moorad (Hall of Fame Racing) in the #96 DLP HDTV Toyota in various races through the end of the year. It was later announced that he would split the 2009 Cup schedule with Phoenix Racing's #09 car alongside Brad Keselowski, Sterling Marlin, and Mike Bliss,[4] but never ran. He made two starts in the Truck Series for himself, and seven starts in the ARCA series with six top-tens in 2009.

Schrader started 14th and finished 14th in the Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway on February 6, 2010 driving the #82 Red Bull Racing Toyota.[5] That same year, he qualified for Martinsville marking his first Cup points race since the November 2008 event at Phoenix International Raceway. Schrader finished 18th after starting 38th and leading seven laps for Latitude 43 Motorsports.

In 2011, Schrader ran a part-time Cup schedule for FAS Lane Racing. With 7 starts, Schrader posted a season best finish of 21st at Martinsville during the fall race. He ran thirteen races for the team in the Sprint Cup Series in 2012.[6] Schrader has also inked a deal to run at least nine races in 2013 for FAS Lane Racing with Federated Auto Parts as the sponsor. Schrader ran in the Truck Series at the inaugural Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway.[7] In qualifying at Eldora, Schrader had a lap speed of 91.329 miles per hour (146.980 km/h), a track record, and clinched the pole, becoming the oldest pole winner in any NASCAR series at age 58.[8] He eventually finished 14th.[9]

Schrader racing in his Ken Schrader Racing ARCA car at Elko Speedway in 2013

On May 21, 2013, he became the oldest ARCA race winner.[10]

On October 27, 2013, Schrader announced that he would retire from NASCAR after the 2013 season;[11] he described it as "not retirement", but that there were "just no plans to come back"; he planned to continue competing in ARCA and dirt modified events.[12]

Despite his retirement, Schrader said he would drive an entry in the 2014 truck race at Eldora. While he was originally entered in Haas Racing's #00 truck, he instead drove his own #52 Federated Auto Parts truck. Schrader finished fourth; his best NASCAR finish in several years.[citation needed] Schrader plans on running in the 2015 Mudsummer Classic. Schrader finished 11th after starting 3rd.

Personal life

Schrader resides in Concord, North Carolina. He is married, to Ann,[13] and they have two children.

Motorsports career results

NASCAR

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Sprint Cup Series

Nationwide Series

Camping World Truck Series

ARCA Racing Series

(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

* Season still in progress
1 Ineligible for series points

International Race of Champions

(key) (Bold – Pole position. * – Most laps led.)

References

  1. Macon Speedway Under New Ownersh
  2. Ken Schrader Career Statistics
  3. 3.0 3.1 "USAC Stock Car Championship History", ultimateracinghistory.com. Retrieved September 7, 2007.
  4. 96 Team page at Jayski.com retrieved Aug-28-08.
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  10. http://espn.go.com/racing/story/_/id/9293226/ken-schrader-becomes-oldest-arca-series-winner
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External links

Awards
Preceded by Busch Clash Winner
1989, 1990
Succeeded by
Dale Earnhardt
Achievements
Preceded by NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year
1985
Succeeded by
Alan Kulwicki