Sony HD 500 - Ken Schrader Notes

Ken Schrader Notes, Quotes: Sony HD 500
‘Extra 100 miles is what we need’

Ken Schrader and the #49 Red Baron Frozen Pizza Dodge return this week to the two-mile California Speedway, located Fontana, Calif., for Sunday evening’s Sony HD 500, the 25th race of the 2005 NASCAR Nextel Cup season.

Driving a car emblazoned with the Red Baron frozen pizza colors this week, Schrader is a native of Fenton, Mo. The busiest driver in major league motorsports, Schrader has raced and continues to race on virtually every type of speedway in virtually every type of race car. In 2005, Schrader plans to once again race over 100 races and throughout his career has raced at over 310 different racetracks around the nation. Red Baron frozen pizza products are distributed under the Schwan's Consumer Brands North America banner, which also markets other leading frozen-food retail brands that include Tony's® and Freschetta® frozen pizzas, Pagoda® Asian specialties, and Larry's® potato side-dishes. Schwan's Consumer Brands is a division of The Schwan Food Company, whose Schwan's Home Service business unit sponsors Schrader and the #49 BAM Dodge throughout the remainder of the season

The team is owned by Beth Ann and Tony Morgenthau, investors from Coral Gables, Fla. Ms. Morgenthau, whose initials make up the name of the team – BAM Racing – is the only female car owner in motorsports to become involved without prior family connections. General manager Eddie Jones is a veteran of the NASCAR Nextel Cup wars, enjoying a championship career as a crew chief, mechanic and team leader. Crew chief David Hyder has over 20 years of racing experience both driving and as a chief mechanic.

The Schwan Food Company is a privately held manufacturer and marketer of fine frozen foods through its nationwide Schwan’s Home Service home-delivery service, its Schwan’s Consumer Brands North America retail grocery business, and its Schwan’s Food Service Group foodservice unit. Headquartered in Marshall, Minn., Schwan’s production and distribution activities in the United States and Europe employ 24,000 people. Among its well-known brands are Schwan’s®, Tony’s®, Red Baron®, Freschetta®, Pagoda®, Mrs. Smith’s®, and Edwards®.

The thoughts of Red Baron Frozen Pizza Dodge driver Ken Schrader heading into California:

“We’re looking forward to getting back to California. We were pretty good out there earlier in the year. In fact, if that race had been 500 miles (instead of 400) we might have come away with a top-10 finish. We were coming up through the field towards the end of the race and if we could have had about 50 more laps, it could have been a great finish for us. But, we had a fast race car. We tested out there earlier in the year, then ran well out there in February.

“It’s another Red Baron race for us and that’s always something special to me. They were one of my first sponsors ever in the Cup series and we’ve always had a great relationship. I tell this story all the time, since the day of my first ‘tour’ with Red Baron back in 1986, they have always kept my Mom’s freezer stocked with two Red Baron Frozen Pizzas... always! That’s really all you need to know about how I feel and what Red Baron has meant to me during my career.

“California is a great track for racing. We’ll appreciate that a little more this weekend after spending last week on a track that’s not too great for racing. Now, let me explain - Bristol is a great spectacle, but not a great track for racing. To race, you have to be able to pass, and that’s next to impossible at Bristol. But, at California, you can run two or three wide at almost every place on the race track. It’s multi-grooved, big, wide, and smooth. California is one of the smoothest tracks we race on, which makes it that much racier.

“It’d be a little easier if we could qualify better at these two-mile tracks, but at the same time, it’s not a great concern. Earlier this season we qualified 38th out there (California) and we ended up running in the top 15. I think the impound procedure has taken a little importance away from qualifying; basically because you have to qualify what you’re going to race. No longer can you spend your time worrying about turning one lap as fast as you can. Sure, you worry about it whenever you’re out there qualifying, but still, it’s about spending the weekend getting your car ready to race.

“Before, everyone could throw a big effort into getting that car set up to turn one or two laps as fast as possible. Then they had two more hours of practice to tweak the car to get ready to race. Well, now, when we have the impound procedure, we have two hours of practice, qualify, then, there’s no other practice. So, you better be ready to race whenever you roll out to qualify.

“California is as good a place as any for us to build some momentum. We were good out there earlier this season and realistically had a chance at a top ten. We just ran out of time. The Red Baron car always looks sporty and just feels fast. Every time we’ve run that paint scheme this season, we’ve been pretty fast. Hopefully, that will hold up this weekend. Maybe, that extra 100 miles is what need to end up in the top ten this weekend.”