May 24, 2008
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600
September 14, 2007
Kenneth Schrader (born May 29, 1955 in Fenton,
Missouri) is a second-generation race car driver. He
currently drives the #49 Qtrax Dodge Charger for BAM
Racing in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. He appears
as a television analyst on Inside Nextel Cup on the
Speed Channel. He is also the owner of Ken Schrader
Racing, which fields entries for himself in the
Craftsman Truck Series and the Dodge Weekly Series
for Chris Bristol.
Despite having a full-time NASCAR ride for over
twenty years, Schrader frequently races at local
tracks between NASCAR races. 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 Craftsman Truck Series and ARCA
series cars, are sponsored by Federated Auto Parts.
He owns I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Missouri.
Schrader is married to Ann Schrader and they have
two children, Dorothy and Sheldon. The family
currently resides in Concord, North Carolina.
Schrader began his racing career in Missouri in
go-karts, before moving up to sprint cars in 1971,
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. He returned
to USAC's Stock Car division in 1981, finishing
third in points. In the early 1980s, Schrader 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 in
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 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
nineteenth 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 Ford for Junie Donlavey
full-time. He had three tenth-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-tens, including a best finish of seventh twice,
and finished sixteenth 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-five. He had nine other top-tens and finished
tenth in the final standings. He also made his Busch
Series debut at North Carolina Speedway, finishing
fifth in his own #45 Red Baron Ford at North
Carolina Speedway.
