In the Pits- KSR

The stars ready to shine at I-55, PIR

Nextel Cup veteran Ken Schrader is well known for his willingness to race just about anything with four wheels at any time on any track. In August, the driver of the No. 21 Wood Brothers car on NASCAR’s premier circuit will bring a bunch of his Nextel Cup friends with him when he makes yet an-other foray to his Mid-western dirt-track roots.

Schrader, as the co-owner of the I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO and the Paducah International Raceway in Paducah, KY, will play host to a pair of “NASCAR Night of Stars” at the two tracks. The I-55 event is set for Aug. 2; the PIR event is scheduled for Aug. 24.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex, Rusty Wallace, Kenny Wallace and several others to be announced are expected to join Schrader at the I-55 event. The PIR Night of Stars is scheduled to include Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kenny Wallace and many more.

Last November, Schrader and longtime Midwestern racing promoter Bob Sargent teamed up with Dale Earnhardt Jr. to purchase Paducah International Raceway, a 3/8 dirt track located just off I-24. The track is located just three hours from Schrader's I-55 Speedway near St. Louis.

In announcing the deal to purchase PIR, Schrader and Earnhardt Jr. said they looked forward to combining the fan-friendly, grassroots racing excitement of dirt racing with the entertaining atmosphere of NASCAR into a unique experience for racing fans. NASCAR Night is clearly an integral part of their plans.

Earlier this year, another NASCAR Night drew nearly 8,000 fans to PIR, a record for the facility. Schrader and friends look for another huge crowd in August.

Some of the proceeds from NASCAR Night in Paducah will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to terminally ill children.

The Law offices of Bryant & Kautz will be the title sponsor for the Paducah event, while M&Ms® will serve as the title sponsor of the I-55 Night of Stars. For more information on PIR and “NASCAR Night III: a Night of Stars,” call the PIR hotline at (270) 448-4PIR. For more information on the I-55 Speedway and its Night of Stars, call the track phone at (636) 479-3219, the business phone at 573-756-2593 or visit their Web at www.I55raceway.com.