Ken Schrader
No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Ram Race Recap
The NCTS Ohio 250  
Mansfield Motorsports Park

Ken Schrader knew Mansfield Motorsports Park was his type of race track the moment he laid eyes on it Friday morning.  He consistently proved that during the rain drenched weekend. Schrader unloaded as the fastest truck in practice and qualified the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge in the 14th position.  Once the race began he didn't stay there long. By lap 79 of the Ohio 250 lap the short track guru cracked the top 10 and never looked back. After two red flags for thunderstorms, 13 caution flags and 250 laps of bumper to bumper action Schrader drove the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge home in third place. It was the team's best finish of the season. The top-five finish moved the team up four spots into 13th place in the NCTS Owner Points.

No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Mansfield Motorsports Park

Race Recap

• Schrader paced the field in the first practice on Friday morning proving he had a sporty piece under him. A rain shower shortened the second practice, but the sun popped out just in time for qualifying. Schrader qualified 14th for the seventh race of the season. 
• On lap 10 the first of 13 cautions waved for a spin in turn two. "It started out tighter that I expected," said Schrader under the caution. "But it is getting better."
• The first of several rain showers moved into the area just as the field was restarting on lap 15. NASCAR was forced to red flag the event due to rain three laps later.
• After an extended rain delay NASCAR attempted restart the field once again. Crew Chief Jeff White made the call to bring the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge down pit road right before taking the green flag. The Fastenal Racing team topped off the fuel cell and made a quick track bar adjustment.  On lap 37 Schrader restarted in the 27th position.
• It took Schrader only 35 laps to work is way into the top 10, but the signs of another storm were brewing. By lap 100 a severe thunderstorm blew into the area and forced all the teams out of the infield and fans out of the stands for safety.
• Finally, after a four hour delay Schrader climbed back behind the wheel of the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge and the race restarted.
• It did not take long for the cautions to start waving again. On lap 125 the sixth caution came out for a spin in turn four. Schrader had worked his way into the seventh position. "It is really good," said Schrader. "We will see how it plays out."
• Schrader continued to display his savvy short track skills as the laps on the board ticked away. Consistently he gained another position every 10 laps. By lap 215 he had moved into the top five.
• The final caution came out with only eight laps remaining in the race, setting up for a short track shoot out to the end. Schrader, while running fifth, once again showed off his driving ability by bolting into third place with two laps to go.
• Schrader brought the Fastenal Dodge home in the third place. It was the team's best finish of the season and the best finish of a BHR entry in over a year.

"This is a team building day," said Schrader after the event. "We have been getting better and better each week. We have been getting better each week and this week it really paid off for us. This was big for this team. They really needed a boost of confidence and I think today we did that. I love driving this truck and I am really looking forward to what is a head for all of us."

Dennis Setzer won the The Ohio 250 before an estimated crowd of 15,000. Jack Sprague, Schrader, Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson rounded out the top five finishers. The next event for the NCTS will be at Dover International Speedway on June 1, 2007 with Schrader driving the Fastenal Dodge.