Ken Schrader
No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Ram Race Recap
Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers Ram Tough 200
Gateway International Raceway

St. Louis native Ken Schrader gave the command from his No. 18 Fastenal Dodge for the 36 truck field to start their engines on Saturday afternoon for the running of the Ram Tough 200. During the event, Schrader battled a loose race truck in the opening laps but was working his way through traffic when something broke on the connector for the power steering on the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge. Schrader managed the problem for the remainder of the race and came home in the 17th position.

The No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Gateway Race Recap

After giving the command to start the engines at his hometown track Schrader rolled off the grid in 18th position.

By lap six he had fallen back to 22nd position. “I’m way too loose,” he called into Crew Chief Jeff White.

The first caution waved 10 laps later for an accident in turn three. “It is still too early to pit,” said White. “We will get you fixed up on the next pit stop.” Schrader restarted in the 18th position.

“You are running some great lap times,” White coached Schrader on lap 26. “Hang with it and we will fix it on the next pit stop.”  Schrader, while running 20th, radioed in on lap 45, “It is not getting any tighter.”

The second caution came on lap 58 for debris and Schrader hit pit road. The Fastenal Racing Team cranked out a lighting fast pit stop changing all four Goodyear tires, adding Sunoco fuel, going down two rounds on the track bar and making an air pressure adjustment before sending the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge on its way. Schrader restarted in the 13th position.

Despite all the adjustments on the pit stop the loose condition was still present. By lap 75 Schrader had fallen back to the 17th position.  Five laps later Schrader radioed in, “I have no power steering at all.”

Over the next few laps Schrader, White and crew did their best to diagnose the problem over the radio.

Schrader went one lap down to the leader on lap 102. Thankfully, the third caution waved three laps later allowing Schrader to receive the lucky dog pass to be back on the lead lap. This also gave the team the opportunity they wanted to come down pit road and diagnose the power steering problem.
The Fastenal Racing team changed all four tires and took a look underneath the hood at the power steering problem, but in the limited amount of time could not find the problem without losing several laps. Schrader restarted in the 20th position.

Another caution waved on lap 120 for a stalled truck on the track. Schrader hit pit road again. The Fastenal Racing Team went back underneath the hood and found the fitting brace on the power steering pump was broken and allowing all the fluid to leak out. Schrader restarted in the 20th position on lap 122 telling his team, “We will just make the best of it.”

The fifth caution waved on lap 126 when teammate Mike Bliss was involved in a multi-truck crash in turn three. NASCAR threw the red flag several laps later due to excessive debris. The race restarted several minutes later on lap 132.

The sixth and final caution of the day waved on the last lap of the race for an accident in turn one. Despite the power steering problems Schrader was able to pull off a 17th finishing position.

Johnny Benson won the Ram Tough 200 before an estimated crowd of 20,000. Ron Hornaday Jr., Ted Musgrave, Todd Bodine and Regan Smith rounded out the top five finishers. The next event for the NCTS will be at New Hampshire International Raceway.