Coke 600 Advance
KEN SCHRADER: "The track looks like it is going to have a second groove …”
Ken Schrader, driver of the #21 U.S. Air Force Ford Fusion answers fans questions this week regarding the new surface at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, short track safety measures, his family and at-track experiences.
Ken, your test was great at Lowe’s. Is this a place where qualifying potentially could go a long way in determining your finishing position with limited groove racing? “The test a Lowe’s was great. Qualifying is always important, but I don’t think it’s going to be any more important this year. The track looks like it is going to have a second groove, and with all the pit stops, holy heck, with the small fuel cells.
Do you wear a HANS device when racing the dirt tracks? As far as safety goes what do the Nextel cars have that you would like to see a late model have? “I wear a HANS device when I run my late model. I’ve got most of the stuff that is in my NEXTEL car in my dirt late-model cars. It’s available for everybody to put in.”
How often does your family travel with you to races (cup/dirt)? You said Sheldon didn't want to race but what about your daughter? She's old enough to drive at I-55. “They don’t go as much as they used to, but they still go quite a bit. They don’t go to many of my dirt races. My daughter is old enough to drive at I-55, but she hasn’t expressed any interest in anything like that.”
Will you run a retro paint scheme this season? “I don’t know if we are going to run a retro paint scheme. I’m not in on that part (of the operation).”
When there is a wreck such as "the big one" and all cars involved are determined out of the race without completing another lap how is their finishing order determined? “By the way they finished the lap before because that is the way they finished that lap and never made it back around to finish the next lap.”
When you are at the larger tracks where spectators camp in the infield - do partying fans ever keep you awake at night? Do you try to go to bed earlier than normal on the night before the race or just go to bed at the normal time? “I go to be about the same time. There are a lot of times you would hear some stuff, but you would hear stuff at the motel too. Any place you’ve got 100,000 to 200,000 extra people, you usually hear a little bit more noise.”
On race day, what time in the morning do you get up and what do you do that day to prepare for the race? Do you eat a big breakfast for energy - or not since you will be in a race car for 4 hours? Do you have or have you had a nutritionist that tells you what to eat to make you feel good and have lots of energy for the race? “I try to hydrate up the day before. I try to drink a lot of water. I usually eat a little bit of breakfast, but I don’t eat much race day before the race. And, I don’t have a nutritionist.”
Ken Schrader Career |
Starts
679
|
Poles
23 |
Wins
4 |
Top 5's
64 |
Top 10's
183 |
Wood Brothers Career |
Starts
1246 |
Poles
119 |
Wins
97 |
Top 5's
336 |
Top 10's
515 |
Schrader
at Charlotte
|
Starts
44
|
Poles
2 |
Wins
1 |
Top 5's
6 |
Top 10's
13 |
Wood Brothers at Charlotte
|
Starts
90 |
Poles
20 |
Wins
6 |
Top 5's
25 |
Top 10's
40 |
