Ken Schrader Brickyard Preview

KEN SCHRADER INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

"Indianapolis Motor Speedway is one of those tracks where the tradition and prestige carry a lot of hype," said Schrader. "If you'd asked me 10 years ago if we would ever run Winston Cup cars at this track, I would've told you that you were crazy. I figured my only chances to race at Indy would be in an open-wheel car, not a stock car. I thought my chances were ruined when I wrecked the car that I was trying to qualify for the 1983 Indy 500. I guess things worked out since Winston Cup cars started racing there in 1994. It's just awesome to go back there and race every year." "Indy is basically a one groove track. If you get a run on somebody, you can get by them on the straight-aways. Other than that, it is pretty tough to pass."

"We tested two different cars during the GM test a couple of weeks ago," said Sam Johns, crew chief of the Skoal Racing Monte Carlo. "We brought a brand new car to the test that had a short track type chassis, but it wasn't the right combination at Indy. We also tested the same car we ran at the Winston Open in May. That car seems to be the better of the two, and we are planning on returning to Indy with that car."

Although the NASCAR Winston Cup regulars were off last weekend, Ken Schrader was busy behind the wheel. He competed in the NASCAR Busch Series event at Gateway International Raceway, where he started fifth and finished 12th. He also raced his late model dirt car at Eldora Speedway.

* The Skoal Racing transporter stopped at the U.S. Tobacco Company plant in Franklin Park, Ill., outside of Chicago on Wednesday. The employees were treated to a picnic lunch and an autograph session with Ken Schrader. The No. 33 Skoal Racing Monte Carlo on display, was the actual car that Schrader will race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.