In the Pits- KSR

Schrader starts season with win

Ken Schrader Racing and owner-driver Ken Schrader launched the 2006 season by taking another checkered flag at Phoenix Inter-national Raceway. In late January, Schrader drove his No. 99 Chevrolet to victory in the United Rentals 125, NASCAR Grand Nat-ional Division, Auto-Zone West Series Race.

It was the 16th time Schrader has won at PIR, an all-time track record, breaking the mark he shared with Richard Petty.

After winning the featured race, Schrader just missed adding to his record total of wins at PIR when he finished second in the Phoenixraceway.com 100, NASCAR AutoZone Elite, South-west Series Race held the same weekend as part of the Copper World Classic in Phoenix. The race was the inaugural event of the 2006 NASCAR season.

Over-the-road professionals can meet Schrader in person at the upcoming Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville, KY. For the seventh straight year, Schrader will greet fans and sign autographs at the Over the Road/Pro Trucker booth from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, March 23. The OTR/PT booth is located at the main entrance of the Recruitment Center in the West Wing of the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center.

Schrader, of course, is best known for his long career on NASCAR’s premier circuit, the Nextel Cup. Schrader will turn 51 on May 29, but he’s not thinking about retiring. If anything, joining the Wood Brothers team and getting the Nextel Cup ride in the No. 21 has reinvigorated the veteran driver.

“You just have to want to do it,” Schrader said during a media day visit to the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team’s shop in Harrisburg, NC. “This was an unbelievable call to get at age 50.

“When the day comes that one of these kids bumps me out of the seat, I’ll run the next best thing. It will end when I can’t climb in the car any more and my buddies aren’t strong enough to lift me in.”

When asked about his thoughts on his new team and the 2006 Cup season, Schrader said, “Everybody in this sport has the same stuff. It’s being able to put the people together to get the most out of the equipment you’ve got. But being over here and having Roush-Yates engines is huge for me. It’s real neat because the first time Roush ever had an engine on this track I drove that car."