SCHRADER 33RD AT NEW HAMPSHIRE;

STAYS 29TH IN THE POINTS  

Qualifying at New Hampshire International Raceway was the high point this weekend for Ken Schrader and his #21 Motorcraft Genuine Parts crew.  Unfortunately, when the tape was removed so were the handling characteristics of the team’s Fusion.

 

Schrader ended up 10th in Friday’s qualifying round for the Sylvania 300 even though his two laps came early in the session, well before the day’s temperatures started to cool.

 

When it came time to practice on Saturday, the car had changed dramatically.  Ken’s time in the first session was only good enough for 40th on the speed chart, and in Happy Hour he moved up one spot to 39th.

 

Solutions to the problems evaded crew chief Michael “Fatback” McSwain - a rare occurrence for the savvy veteran.  At the very beginning of the race Schrader radioed to his crew that his Fusion was loose everywhere.  He added that he thought it would get better so he did not pit during the first caution that came out on lap three.

 

However on every opportunity that followed, and there were nine cautions after that, Ken brought his car down pit road for adjustments.  Before the second caution and first pit stop Schrader said the car had tightened up a little, but that it was still loose everywhere.  Air pressure and track bar adjustments were made on that stop.  The on lap 71 Ken lost his first lap to the leaders.  Seven laps later the caution flew again, and the problems were still there and then some.  The Motorcraft Fusion was now bottoming out in addition to being loose.

 

While Fatback tried to solve the puzzle with adjustments, Schrader drove to stay out of trouble on the track.   In the end Ken was 33rd on the results sheet, five laps down.

 

“I don’t know what happened,” said Schrader.  “I do know that Fatback and the guys really worked hard to get the car right during the race, but for some reason it just didn’t happen.  You have days like that in this sport.  Maybe they’ll find out what was wrong when they get back to the shop and can take the car apart.  One thing about this team, it never gives up.  We get to go to Dover next week and do this all over again so we’ll look forward to that.”

 

Qualifying on Friday was a real positive for the Motorcraft team coming off its best finish so far this season – seventh at Richmond last week.  When Ken got out the car on pit road he said, “That’s quicker than we had run by a couple tenths.  It’s gonna be solid, but I don’t want to be solid.  I want to be better than solid.”  DO YOU FEEL YOUR TEAM HAS FOUND A GROOVE OF LATE?  “Oh yeah, most definitely.  The last handful of races or more have been quite a bit better.  We’ve been running in the teens and then last weekend was even better, and the pit stops have been great.  The guys have been whipping us in and out, so we’ve got momentum.  There’s momentum on all different levels.  We were trying to have momentum before to not be worrying about 36th in points and now we’ve dug ourselves away from that a little bit, but the nature of this business is that no matter what you’re doing, you want more.  Matt came into the chase leading in points, but he wants more.  We want more, too.”

 

Staying 29th in the point standings will keep the momentum going.

 

Kevin Harvick sat on the pole for Sunday’s race and won it handily over Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon.

 

Harvick also is the new leader of the 10-race Chase for the NEXTEL Cup.  And, Tony Stewart leads the “best of the rest” in 11th place this week.

 

The Chase now goes to Dover, Delaware for the Dover 400.  The event will be telecast live on TNT with coverage starting at 12:30 p.m. EDT this coming Sunday, September 24.  The Motor Racing Network will also broadcast the 400-mile race on its network of radio affiliates.  Nine races remain in the 2006 season.

 

New Hampshire results

1. Kevin Harvick
2. Tony Stewart
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Brian Vickers
6. Elliott Sadler
7. Jeff Burton
8. J.J. Yeley
9. Dave Blaney
10. Matt Kenseth

   33.  Ken Schrader

 

Point Standings

1. Kevin Harvick                        5,230
2. Denny Hamlin                         5,195
3. Matt Kenseth                         5,189
4. Jeff Gordon                            5,180
5. Jeff Burton                             5,166
6. Mark Martin                           5,155
7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.               5,149
8. Kasey Kahne                         5,120
9. Jimmie Johnson                    5,091
10. Kyle Busch                             5,084
11. Tony Stewart                          3,473

29.         Ken Schrader                       2,353