Ken Schrader
No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Ram Race Recap
The Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200
The Milwaukee Mile

The combination of scheduled green flag pit stops and an untimely caution cost Ken Schrader and the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge two laps in the final segment of The Toyota Tundra 200. He qualified 24th for the 11th race of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season. Schrader battled his truck being loose off and tight in the center most of the night. Leader Johnny Benson smoked the field lapping trucks running in the top 15, Schrader lost one lap while running 13th. Then the team pitted under green flag conditions before the Dodge ran out of fuel. Unfortunately, one lap later the caution waved for an accident in turn four. The leader had not made his way to pit road before the caution waved and put Schrader another lap down. He finished 18th.

The No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Milwaukee Race Recap

Schrader qualified the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge in the 24th starting position on Friday afternoon.
Schrader steadily worked his way through the field. He radioed in on lap 44, “I’m a little tight off,” said Schrader while running in the 18th position.

The second of six cautions waved on lap 68 for debris. “Now, I am a little free off and tight in the center (of the corner),” said Schrader while coming down pit road to the attention of the Fastenal Racing team. They went right to work changing all four tires, added fuel, went up two rounds on the track bar and made an air pressure adjustment. He restarted in 15th position on lap 72.

A series of back-to-back cautions hindered Schrader from being able to tell if the changes helped. Finally, on lap 122 still running 15th, he radioed in the adjustments had helped.

Leader Benson was gaining ground on Schrader as the laps winded down in the race. On lap 143 Schrader radioed, “I’m loose off and tight in the center,” he said while running 14th. “Keep me posted on the leader and where he is at.”

While running 13th on lap 154 Schrader went one lap down to Benson. One lap later Schrader made his way to pit road for a scheduled green flag pit stop under green flag conditions. The Fastenal Racing Team changed all four tires, added fuel, made another track bar and air pressure adjustment.

Unfortunately, one lap later the caution waved for an accident in turn four. The leader had not made his way to pit road before the caution waved and put Schrader another lap down. He restarted in the 19th position two laps down to the leader on lap 164.

Schrader was able to gain one position in the final laps of the event. He finished the event in 18th position.

Johnny Benson won the The Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200 before an estimated crowd of 28,000. Ron Hornaday Jr., Todd Bodine, Mike Skinner and Rick Crawford rounded out the top five finishers. The next event for the NCTS will be at Memphis Motorsports Park on June 30th, 2007 with Ken Schrader behind the wheel.