Ken Schrader Spends Week Off at Indiana Speedweek

CHARLOTTE, NC - Ken Schrader, driver of the No. 33 Skoal Racing Monte Carlo, is no stranger around the state of Indiana. He has competed on 18 different active tracks. The tracks range from the C-mile semi-banked, clay oval of Evans Kokomo Speedway to the 2.5-mile semi-banked, paved oval of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Schrader has won on 12 of those 20 tracks. At the conclusion of the 1999 Brickyard 400, Schrader looks to add Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the list of tracks where he has visited victory lane.

"I've spent most of my life racing around the state of Indiana, mostly on the short tracks in open-wheel cars," said Schrader. "I can remember going to a lot of tracks with my daddy. I'd go with him and watch him race. He was always a good racer."

In 1980, Schrader got his start in the USAC Sprint Car series at Terre-Haute (Ind.) Action Track. "My first time ever in a Silver Crown car was at Terre-Haute. I wrecked my car in practice, so I asked Gary Bettenhausen if I could borrow his back-up car. He was running for the championship and I just wanted a chance to race. Hot laps were over, which meant I didn't get a chance to get in his car before I went out to qualify. I went out to qualify, sat on the pole and finished third. Gary went on to win the championship." That was the beginning of a very successful open-wheel career for Schrader. In fact, Schrader almost followed his hero, A.J. Foyt, to open-wheel greatness. He went to Indianapolis Motor Speedway in May of 1983 to attempt to qualify for the Indianapolis 500. Had he not failed to qualify, he may have chosen open-wheel racing over NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. "I was headed in the direction of racing Indy cars, but I wrecked the car ," said Schrader. "That was the best wreck I ever had." Don't be surprised if you see Schrader racing his late model stock car around Indiana at some short tracks like Terre-Haute, but look for him this weekend in his No. 33 Skoal Racing Monte Carlo a Indianapolis Motor Speedway.