Ken Schrader
No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Ram Race Recap
The O’Reilly 200
Memphis Motorsports Park

An extremely tight race truck plagued the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge for most of the O’Reilly 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. In an event that was dedicated to the Memory of Bobby Hamilton Sr. Fastenal Driver Ken Schrader worked extremely hard to overcome a poor starting position and the tight condition. The spring adjustments made on the final pit stop proved to help and Schrader was able to gain four spots in the final 20 laps to finish 18th.

The No. 18 Fastenal Dodge Memphis Race Recap

Schrader qualified the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge in the 29th starting position on Saturday afternoon.

After the pre-race festivities honoring Bobby Hamilton Sr. were completed the O’Reilly 200 was started. Schrader didn’t stay in the 29th spot for long. He was running 25th when the first caution waved on lap eight for a wreck in turn two.

“It’s tight off,” said Schrader under the caution. He restarted in the 25th position on lap 18.

By lap 70 he had worked his way into the 21st position, but was still battling a tight race truck. “It will not rotate in the center,” said Schrader. Thankfully, a caution waved two laps later for debris.

Crew Chief Jeff White made the call for Schrader to come down pit road. The Fastenal Racing Team cranked out a lighting fast pit stop changing all four tires, added fuel and went down two rounds on the right rear spring to help with the tight condition. The fast pit stop gained Schrader two positions. He restarted in the 19th spot.

The tight condition continued and Schrader fell back to the 24th position. The third of four cautions waved on lap 114 for an accident on the backstretch. “What we did on that last stop didn’t work,” said Schrader as soon as the caution waved. “Let’s take that back out.” White agreed and the Fastenal Racing Team went to work. They changed all four tires, added fuel and took out two rounds in the right rear and then put two round in the left rear spring. Even with all the adjustments the Fastenal Racing Team gained two positions on pit road. Schrader restarted in the 22nd position.

Still battling the tight condition on lap 160 Schrader went one lap down to the leader. Fortunately, ten laps later the adjustments made on the previous pit stop began to make a difference.

Schrader gained four positions in the final twenty laps of the event to finish in the 18th position, the highest finishing truck one lap down.

Travis Kvapil won the O’Reilly 200 before an estimated crowd of 27,500. Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday Jr., Mike Skinner and Aaron Fike rounded out the top five finishers. The next event for the NCTS will be at Kentucky Speedway on July 14th, 2007.