Ken Schrader No. 21 Air Force

Bud Shootout Race Recap

Ken Schrader drove the No. 21 Air Force Ford Fusion to an 11th place finish in the 29th running of the Bud Shootout Saturday night at Daytona International Speedway. Although the team just missed out on their first top-10 finish of the year, Schrader gave them plenty to smile about during the event.

After rolling off the starting grid from the 7th position based on Thursday night’s random draw, Schrader lined up low and tucked in tight in the draft. He didn’t stay low for long and on the second lap was shuffled out of the draft, dropping back to 14th place by lap eight. Schrader clawed his way back into contention and the No. 21 Air Force Ford Fusion responded time and time again. By lap 11, he was right back in the top-10 running order. His steady climb continued until he reached fifth place on lap 16, just four laps shy of the 20-lap mandatory 10-minute caution break.

By that break, Schrader was running seventh and his only complaint was that the car was slightly tight off the corners. The team utilized their lengthy stop to take a half a round of wedge and place a spring rubber in the right rear suspension. As the cars began rolling again, many teams contemplated returning to pit road on the pace lap in order to top off their fuel tanks—as fuel mileage would be close with 50 remaining laps. The Wood Brothers/JTG Team elected to stay out and gamble on making it without a stop if necessary.

Schrader inherited the fifth spot on the restart and all 21 cars roared back to full song. On lap 22, Schrader made his boldest move of the night, shifting down to the low side and taking the other cars by surprise. When he crossed the line for lap 23, he was running a solid second place behind then-leader Kurt Busch. He was receiving a push from fellow Ford driver Greg Biffle until he was shuffled out of the draft again, this time falling back to 13th place on lap 26. The car had now picked up a loose condition.

Schrader dropped back over the next 15 or so laps and attempted to save as much fuel as possible. On lap 46, the No. 21 Air Force Ford Fusion began yet another march to the front. Schrader picked up the 11th spot on lap 49. The second caution flag waved on lap 52 for debris on the frontstretch. Now it was no mystery that all cars would pit for tires and the necessary fuel to finish the event. The over-the-wall pit crew knocked out a 14.92-second stop and gained two positions to ninth place on the lap 57 restart.

One lap later, Schrader was hung out to dry and drifted back into the teens. Meanwhile up front, the two lead cars made contact handing the lead to Tony Stewart who hung on for the victory. As the cars came off turn four to take the checkered flag, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. caused a mild melee that took out several cars just in front of Ken Schrader. Schrader made it through the mess, kept the car in one piece and took home a decent 11th place finish.

WHAT THE TEAM HAS TO SAY
Ken Schrader, driver of the No. 21 Air Force Ford Fusion:
“We started out and weren’t bad and then we over-adjusted and got it way too loose, but 31 hit us and knocked us up a lane. That got us messed up and then by the time we got back in the lane we were at the back. But then we kept running and were coming back when they had the yellow. On the restart is where we need more speed. Jimmie got underneath us and we went to the back and finished 11th.”

“I feel good because we made the car go both ways – tight to loose. I’m really happy with the way the car adjusted up and it’s too good a race car to be sitting in the trailer next week as a back up.”

RACE NEWS
-Tony Stewart won the 29th running of the Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway
-Ken Schrader was the second highest finishing Ford out of four entries in the Bud Shootout
-The top-five finishing order included Stewart, David Gilliland, Kurt Busch, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounding out the group.