Long Island Motorsports News - NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Notebook

February 7, Boyertown, PA---Kenny Schrader is a veteran in the NASCAR field. He is a well-accomplished racer and family man. He is one of my youngest son’s favorite drivers, even though a few years ago, Kenny made him cry. Schrader was signing autographs at the Area Auto Racing show, which at that time was still in Fort Washington, PA, and my boys and 2 of their friends wanted to meet the driver of the M & M’s car. We stood in line and when we made it to the front of the line, my youngest was first up, and Kenny was having fun teasing with the little ones waiting to meet him. Kenny would sign a card and he looked like he was going to handed to Adam, but instead he gave it to one of the other little ones with me. He continued to do this to Adam, when he gave each of the other remaining two children a photo card. At this point, Adam started to cry and say, “He doesn’t like me.” Kenny immediately went to Adam’s level and handed him a signed postcard and gave him a hug. Then all 4 of them posed for a picture and Adam was the happiest kid in the world. To this day, both my boys remember that weekend, and they still have those signed post cards and Kenny added our family to his loyal fans list.

I had the honor to interview him in Atlantic City and it was so enjoyable. He was extremely busy at the show side of the weekend, so instead we met up at the Gambler’s Classic, where he invited me into his trailer and we had a seat on the wheel well. Once again I had the chance to interview someone that made me feel so welcomed and relaxed. I enjoyed talking to him and watching him race, here are his answers to my questions.

“Going to the races with my daddy when I was really little, I couldn’t even get out of the truck. I guess it was the early 60’s the USAC Midgets were coming to town and they let me go into the infield (in my daddy’s truck) as long as I stayed in the truck as he’d push them off.”

“I actually hope it hasn’t happened yet.” He has won a race in every division he has ever competed in, which is pretty amazing. He also has two USAC Midget Championships and his best Cup points finish is 4^th place. He also has four Cup series wins and 23 pole awards.

“Go to the shop” was his first response. He then said or “when our whole family sits down and eats at the same time.”

“I appreciate everything they do. I’ve had some pretty loyal fans for a long time. Short track stuff’s been going good and we just appreciate them, we can’t do this stuff with out them.”

“I don’t think there is one best advice, you just got to pick and choose from what people tell you.”

“Probably doing the same stuff we’re doing, except for the Sunday stuff.” Kenny is always on the go; he competes in nearly 90 events a year. He is also a co-promoter I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo, which is one of the tracks he grew up at as a kid.

He said he had to get back to me on that. He continued with “but it’s coming up.” He said, “everybody is always saying if you weren’t racing, what would you be?” He continued to say he tells them “screwed, cause that is what I would be.”

“I am afraid of a lot of stuff, nothing I am deadly afraid of. I’m not big on heights or spiders or any of that kind of stuff.”

“You would have to ask my wife on that, she works it out somehow.” His wife Ann has had to balance racing and family life for him, and their two children, Dorothy and Sheldon.

His answer was to “All just pile up in the motor home and just shove off and not know where we are going, because there is a lot of neat stuff to see in this country.”

“The fastest cars are always going to win, it doesn’t make any difference how you keep score, and they’re going to win.”

Where you nervous before your first race and do you ever get nervous now before you go out to race?

“I get more nervous on a smaller race, like tonight then when I line up at Daytona. You have more pressure to good.” Kenny said, “You want to do good all the time.” When he is at a smaller venue, the people are there to see him compete, just as they packed the stands to see him that Friday night. That evening he went out of his qualifying race after he flipped down the front stretch and landed on the roof, but he had a great run up until that point. He was uninjured in the accident, but the car was too badly damaged to continue on.

“Keep making a living and keep having fun.” Kenny views racing as being his job, and as being his hobby.

“I don’t think I gave them that much trouble, I moved out pretty quick, my dad was always aggravated with me because we retired at the same time and he was 55 and I was 20. I mean I figured racing was retired at that point.”

“There are too many people to list. A lot of good friends, and just certain days that were key in your career opened up a lot of doors and better cars, just a lot of people. I have most of everybody’s numbers in my cell phone and I talk to them all the time.”

So which do you like better, coming and doing the short track and this type of racing, NASCAR, or is it a toss up?

“Spend two days here to take a chance of winning $5,000 or spend eight days in Daytona with a chance to win $500,000, I’d just as much rather go to Daytona.” He asked a friend sitting across from him, “what do you think Michael?” The answer was “yes.” Kenny agreed and said, “yes let’s go to Daytona, I just as soon go down there. I enjoy this type just as much, but driving is just driving, it doesn’t make any difference where you are. I mean I enjoy this or I wouldn’t be here. If I am just going to run around in circles, I just rather run around where it pays the most. It is just a real good way to keep score.”

The short track events are just a way for you to have fun when you get to come out and race in these types of events.

“Yes. I had never run here before and I have heard good things about it. I had to be over there today,” (referring to the Area Auto Motorsports show at the Atlantic City Convention Center) so it just worked into his schedule. “I’ve run indoors a bunch at different places.”

Tammy Longacre is an accomplished AMA Motocross racer, and was the 2004 Raceway Park (NJ) Women's Champion. She may be contacted at: Tammy@LongIslandMotorsports.com.

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