December 1st - December 5th, 2008
Monday: It's Driver Review Week here on the Frontstretch! In honor of the upcoming banquet in New York City, we have some festivities of our own, giving season report cards on the years of 10th place point finisher Kyle Busch and 9th place Tony Stewart. Be sure to read and vote for the grade YOU would give your favorite driver!
Tuesday: 8th place Denny Hamlin and 7th place Jeff Gordon are profiled as driver reviews continue.
Wednesday: 6th place Jeff Burton and 5th place Clint Bowyer get graded as our profiles keep rollin' on.
Thursday: 4th place Kevin Harvick and 3rd place Greg Biffle get their report cards as the season-ending banquet gets ever closer.
Friday: Just before they go up on the big stage, runner-up Carl Edwards and 2008 Sprint Cup Champion Jimmie Johnson get their season-ending reviews.
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Ken Schrader -- DLP HDTV / Hall of Fame Racing -- TUMS QuikPak 500 Advance And Team Report
Wednesday October 15, 2008
KEN SCHRADER
Like the Hot Dogs, Martinsville Not Easy On the Mind or Body
CORNELIUS, N.C. (Oct. 15, 2008) – Anyone who has experienced a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway has no doubt enjoyed a hot dog or two.
Wrapped in wax paper, the bright-red Jesse Jones ’dog (a steal at $2, by the way) comes in a soggy bun topped with chili, mustard, onions and ’slaw. While they’re pretty darn good, they aren’t exactly easy on the mind or body, if you’ve had a few throughout the day.
Interestingly, the same can be said for racing at the very track where the ’dogs are sold. Martinsville Speedway is the smallest track on the NASCAR championship trail at .526 of a mile. It’s shaped like a paper clip with long straightaways, tight corners and a groove about as wide as a Martinsville hot dog.
Racing in such tight, close quarters usually means quite a bit of beating and banging. As a result, several drivers are likely to get mad and lose their temper – thus, the effect on the mind and body.
Ken Schrader, driver of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry for Hall of Fame Racing, will look to make his 47th Sprint Cup Series start at Martinsville in Sunday’s TUMS QuikPak 500. The Fenton, Mo., native has run well there in the past and has qualified 10th or better in each of his last three races at the half-mile track in southern Virginia.
With that in mind, Schrader and the DLP team are hoping to not only enjoy a couple of hot dogs, but perhaps a solid finish on the side.
KEN SCHRADER, driver of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry:
What are your overall thoughts heading into Martinsville?
“Martinsville is neat. It’s fun to go to. It is very aggravating, too, sometimes. You can’t just move up and pass someone like you can at some of the other tracks. Some of our best finishes have been at Richmond, Bristol and Martinsville the past couple of years. Any place that you can run good and are capable of running in the top-10, you’ve got a chance to make it real good day. It has been a real good place for us in the past, so we are definitely looking forward to going there.”
What does it take to be successful at Martinsville?
“Track position is very important because it’s so narrow and such a tough place to pass. That really starts on Friday during qualifying. You need to qualify well to start up front, but also to get a good pit stall because pit road and the pit stalls are so tight there. Other than that, it’s just staying out of trouble and staying up front.”
STEVE BOYER, crew chief of the No. 96 DLP HDTV Toyota Camry:
Overall thoughts heading into Martinsville?
“Track position is really, really important there. Qualifying day is always really important to us – just trying to get in the field – but it’s even more important at Martinsville because of pit selection. Pit road is very tight, so getting a good pit stall is very important. It can make a huge difference in how the race plays out. In terms of setting up the car, it’s challenging from a driver’s standpoint because it’s really easy to be too aggressive getting into the corner and hurting the rest of the corner. And it’s really easy to not be aggressive enough and not carry enough speed through the corner. Qualifying is a big challenge for the drivers because there is a real fine line there between carrying too much speed into the corner and not carrying enough.”
What kind of challenge does the transition from concrete in the turns to the asphalt on the straightaways play?
“It’s not as big as it used to be since it was repaved a few years ago. You still tend to spin the rear tires when you make the transition. That’s something that the drivers and the crew chiefs have to work on together to fix. A lot of it depends on driving style. You want to have the car turn through the corner well enough, but also have good forward bite coming off the corner so you don’t spin the tires out. That’s typically the trade-off we go through. ”
KEN SCHRADER DLP®HDTV Racing Team Report Round 32 of 36 – Tums QuikPak 500 – MartinsvilleCar No.: 96 – Hall of Fame Racing DLP® HDTV Toyota Camry Primary Team Members:Driver: Ken Schrader Crew Chief: Steve Boyer Car Chief: Todd Brewer Engine Builder: Mark Cronquist (Gibbs) Engine Specialist: Kevin Grubb (Gibbs)Spotter: Terry Wooten Over-The-Wall Crew Members:Gas Man: Jason Rogers Front Tire Changer: Steve Poniatowski Catch Can: Andy Morgan Front Tire Carrier: Alex Smith Windshield: Don Tarantino Rear Tire Changer: Daniel MondragonJackman: Kevin Wing Rear Tire Carrier: Ben Surface Other Crew Members:Truck Drivers: Gary “Turtle” Clem and Bryant “Easy Money” Noggle Tire Specialist: Jim DavisShock Specialist: Steve Rasmussen Engineer: Rick MacGowan Front End Mechanic: Don Tarantino Interior Mechanic: Chris MeyersChassis No. 020Chassis No. 020 was used for the first time by former Hall of Fame Racing (HoFR) driver Tony Raines in April 2007 at Phoenix International Raceway, where he started 23rdand finished 14th. Raines also drove the car at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, where he started 32ndand finished 39thafter engine problems allowed him to complete only 310 of the 367 laps. The car did not race again until September 2007 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, where Raines started 24thand finished 21st. On Oct. 9, 2007 the DLP team tested Chassis No. 020 at Caraway Speedway in Asheboro, N.C., in preparation for the Oct. 21, 2007 race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. Raines started 10thand finished 14thin that event. The last time chassis No. 020 was used was March 30, 2008, when former HoFR driver J.J. Yeley started 23rdand finished 27thin the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville.Notes of Interest:•Schrader will attempt to make his 729thcareer NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start, his 47that Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and his seventh for Hall of Fame Racing in the TUMS QuikPak 500. •Schrader started seventh and finished 21stin his first career start for Hall of Fame Racing Aug. 23 in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Schrader’s seventh-place qualifying effort was the best for Hall of Fame Racing since the team’s inception in 2006.Its previous best came via Tony Raines, who qualified eighth in November 2007 at Phoenix International Raceway. •Schrader has 18 top-10 Sprint Cup finishes at Martinsville, including a fourth-place finish in September 1988. •In 728 Sprint Cup starts, Schrader has four victories, 184 top-10 finishes and 23 pole positions. •Schrader has 12 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts at Martinsville with two top-10 finishes. •The No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing entry is 39thin the series’ owner standings with 2,045 points, 342 markers behind the 35th-placeNo. 84 team of Red Bull Racing.Ken Schrader Sprint Cup Series Victories:Year Date Event Start Finish Status/Laps Led Earnings 1988 7/31 Talladega DieHard 500 (Talladega, Ala.) 7 1 Running, 188/188 8 $67,920 1989 10/8 All Pro Auto Parts 500 (Charlotte, N.C.) 2 1 Running, 334/334 40 $91,700 1991 3/18 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 (Atlanta) 5 1 Running, 328/328 59 $69,250 1991 6/3 Budweiser 500 (Dover, Del.) 19 1 Running, 500/500 89 $64,800 Ken Schrader Martinsville (Va.) Speedway Performance Profile:Year Date Event Start Finish Status/Laps Led Earnings 1985 4/28 Sovran Bank 500 (NSCS) 22 16 Running, 492/500 0 $4,845 9/22 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 16 26 Engine, 171/500 0 $2,665 1986 4/27 Sovran Bank 500 (NSCS) 20 7 Running, 493/500 0 $7,830 9/21 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 20 7 Running, 498/500 0 $7,830 1987 4/26 Sovran Bank 500 (NSCS) 20 7 Running, 498/500 0 $8,280 9/27 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 11 12 Running, 491/500 0 $5,230 1988 4/24 Pannill Sweatshirts 500 (NSCS) 7 10 Running, 494/500 0 $10,650 9/25 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 19 4 Running, 499/500 1 $13,500 1989 4/23 Pannill Sweatshirts 500 (NSCS) 5 7 Running, 498/500 0 $10,700 9/24 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 21 10 Running, 497/500 0 $11,700 1990 4/29 Hanes Activewear 500 (NSCS) 6 6 Running, 498/500 0 $12,875 9/23 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 4 27 Accident, 289/500 71 $10,150 1991 4/28 Hanes 500 (NSCS) 3 23 Running, 444/500 0 $6,525 9/22 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 9 9 Running, 500/500 0 $10,700 1992 4/26 Hanes 500 (NSCS) 18 7 Running, 498/500 0 $17,100 9/28 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 28 13 Running, 498/500 0 $14,240 1993 4/25 Hanes 500 (NSCS) 13 18 Transmission 489/5000 $11,530 9/26 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 12 13 Running, 497/500 0 $12,125 1994 4/24 Hanes 500 (NSCS) 17 31 Running, 438/500 0 $10,575 9/25 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 14 6 Running, 500/500 0 $18,775 1995 4/23 *Hanes 500 (NSCS) 13 6 Running, 356/356 0 $27,295 9/24 Goody’s 500 (NSCS) 15 32 Running, 386/500 0 $11,450 1996 4/21 Goody’s Headache Powder 500 (NSCS)6 7 Running, 498/500 0 $26,295 9/22 Hanes 500 (NSCS) 16 30 Running, 477/500 0 $16,050 1997 4/20 Goody’s Headache Powder 500 (NSCS)26 10 Running, 500/500 0 $30,945 9/28 Hanes 500 (NSCS) 9 9 Running, 500/500 0 $25,345 1998 4/20 Goody’s Headache Powder 500 (NSCS)6 10 Running, 499/500 0 $41,700 9/27 NAPA Autocare 500 (NSCS) 18 13 Running, 499/500 0 $32,650 1999 4/18 Goody’s Body Pain 500 (NSCS) 6 9 Running, 500/500 0 $40,650 10/3 NAPA Autocare 500 (NSCS) 21 21 Running, 496/500 0 $34,400 2000 4/9 Goody’s Body Pain 500 (NSCS) 12 13 Running, 500/500 23 $31,650 10/1 NAPA Autocare 500 (NSCS) 39 16 Running, 499/500 0 $34,125 2001 4/8 Virginia 500 (NSCS) 32 25 Running, 497/500 0 $44,450 10/15 Old Dominion 500 (NSCS) 20 11 Running, 500/500 0 $54,930 2002 4/14 Virginia 500 (NSCS) 40 36 Running, 442/500 0 $46,950 10/20 Old Dominion 500 (NSCS) 25 26 Running, 499/500 0 $48,225 2003 4/13 Virginia 500 (NSCS) 4 10 Running, 500/500 0 $54,050 10/19 Subway 500 (NSCS) 18 22 Running, 499/500 0 $48,075 2004 4/18 Advance Auto Parts 500 (NSCS) 26 40 Brakes, 118/500 0 $54,365 10/24 Subway 500 (NSCS) 20 31 Running, 484/500 0 $54,275 2005 4/10 Advance Auto Parts 500 (NSCS) 11 24 Running, 496/500 0 $69,200 10/23 Subway 500 (NSCS) 24 13 Running, 500/500 17 $71,525 2006 4/2 DirecTV 500 (NSCS) 19 40 Overheating, 164/500 0 $92,279 10/22 Subway 500 (NSCS) 10 41 Accident, 331/500 0 $91,529 2007 4/1 Goody’s Cool Orange 500 (NSCS) 4 19 Running, 500/500 0 $95,239 2008 3/30 Goody’s Cool Orange 500 (NSCS) 7 37 Running, 467/500 0 $79,758 * Race cut short due to weather. –DLP®HDTV–
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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Kim DeHaven.
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