SCHRADER LOOKS TO GET BACK ON TRACK AT DARLINGTON RACEWAY

The last two weeks have been anything but easy for veteran Ken Schrader and the Wood Brothers/JTG Nextel Cup team. Having missed out on Talladega’s event after posting the 29th fastest time, the next week the team missed the Richmond race by 3/100th of a second. The team is now pulling out almost all of the stops to find the speed they need to qualify each week on time. This week finds the team both at a mandatory NASCAR test at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway and an offsite test at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham.

Ken Schrader has 42 starts at the track dubbed, “Too Tough to Tame”. He’s logged five top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes along the way. Perhaps more importantly for this week, he’s scored the Bud Pole Position on three separate occasions. His best finish at the 1.33-mile speedway is 3rd, coming in the 1991 season and he’s led 204 laps at Darlington Raceway.

The team has decided to bring COT Chassis C-2 to the Dodge Avenger 500 event this weekend. C-2 has not previously raced; it has only been to a couple of test sessions. It was one of the four original COT cars built by the Wood Brothers/JTG Race Shop.

The team will once again be sponsored by Motorcraft as they head down to the Pee Dee Region of South Carolina for the pre-Mother’s Day Shootout on Saturday night.

WHAT THE TEAM HAS TO SAY
Ken Schrader, driver of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford:
“We’ve got a game plan now, and another game plan if the first game plan isn’t working in practice. We were fortunate enough to get some testing done midweek that should help us get through the short practice sessions on Friday

We’ve got to throw everything we have at this car and keep our fingers crossed for a good enough lap on Friday afternoon. And we’re going to stay positive and work as hard as we can in the meantime.”

Ernie Cope, Crew Chief of the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford:
“We’ve had our guys pretty worn out this week with the Lowe’s test and then Rockingham. We just have to have the extra time to try things and get back on track as soon as we can. We should be in a lot better shape this week.”

FAST & FUN FACTS:
-Ken Schrader will drive the No. 21 Motorcraft Ford in the Dodge Avenger 500 event at Darlington Raceway Saturday night.
-Ken Schrader has 42 starts under his belt at Darlington Raceway. He’s led 204 laps of competition at the 1.33-mile track, with five top-fives and 13 top-10 finishes.
-The Wood Brothers/JTG team is taking Chassis C-2 to this weekend’s event. It has previously only been on the track for two test sessions.

RACE INFORMATION:
What – Dodge Avenger 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race
When – Saturday, May 12th, 2007; 7:00 p.m. EDT
Where – Darlington Raceway; 367 laps; 500 miles
Network – FOX Television Network; MRN Radio Network