SCHRADER 13TH AT KANSAS;

29TH IN POINT STANDINGS

The driver held his foot off the gas, and the crew held its breath, and the Motorcraft Genuine Parts Ford Fusion finished 13th at Kansas Sunday afternoon in the Banquet 400.

 

While many of the leaders stopped for fuel, or limped to the pits on fumes, Ken Schrader just motored on around the 1.5-mile oval – slowly - conserving every drop of fuel possible. 

 

After the race Schrader said, "We just tightened up like we knew we would.  We were pretty good.  We tightened up and were looking at a 20th and then I slowed up. Fatback said to save fuel and we'd make it.  So I started saving up with about 40 to go on that run and we made it.  It was a good day for the points and it was another teenth - a low teenth."

 

With co-owner Len Wood and engineer Hoyt Overbaugh in agreement, crew chief Michael “Fatback” McSwain decided to leave his car on the track and enlist the driver’s help in conserving fuel at the end of the race.  McSwain knew many of the leaders would have to pit one more time and decided the play the odds.  And it worked.

 

Following Schrader’s final stop on lap 196 the car went tight in the center and off the turns.  Ken could maintain 19th place, but couldn’t coax the car to move up any further.  With about 40 laps to go, he asked about the possibility of short pitting.  That is when he found out if the race went green the rest of the way the team did not plan on any more stops.

 

The race remained under the green flag until the white and checkered flags were displayed.

 

With 26 laps remaining, the Motorcraft Fusion lost a lap to then leader Jimmie Johnson.  McSwain radioed that Johnson would definitely have to make a stop for fuel so not to worry about it. 

 

And, as the laps wound down Schrader started to move up the leader board.  He finished back on the lead lap crossing the finish line ahead of race winner Tony Stewart.  Casey Mears was second and Mark Martin was third.

 

“Our crew is really getting the job done,” stated Schrader.  “The pit crew has been consistently good, and it sure would be hard to fault the race calls.  This team is just really solid.”

 

Jeff Burton held on to his point lead over new second and third place holders Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin.  Ken stayed 29th, but is now only 20 points out of 28th and 156 out of 25th with seven races left on the 2006 schedule.

 

Next week the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series goes to Talladega Superspeedway for the UAW-Ford 500.  NBC will provide live television coverage of the event on Sunday, October 8, beginning at 1:30 p.m. EDT.  The 188-lap race on the 2.66-mile Talladega high banks will also be carried live by the Motor Racing Network over its network of radio affiliates.

 

Note:  When Ken left the track on his Suzuki Boulevard Sunday evening there was a Little Debbie Cherry Pie tucked in between the handle bar and the windshield.

 

Kansas Results

1. Tony Stewart
2. Casey Mears
3. Mark Martin
4. Dale Jarrett
5. Jeff Burton
6. Carl Edwards
7. Kyle Busch
8. Brian Vickers
9. Clint Bowyer
10. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

   13. Ken Schrader   

 

Points after Kansas

1. Jeff Burton                  5511
2. Denny Hamlin                         5442
3. Mark Martin                           5441
4. Matt Kenseth                         5427
5. Kevin Harvick                        5415
6. Jeff Gordon                            5391
7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.    5388
8. Jimmie Johnson                       5346
9. Kyle Busch                 5278
10. Kasey Kahne                         5238

29.         Ken Schrader                       2583