In the Pits- KSR

Schrader, Wood Brothers gear up for 2007

Now that the 2006 Nextel Cup season is history, Ken Schrader and the rest of the No. 21 Little/Motorcraft Ford Fusion team owned by the Wood Brothers can look back on a year that had its share of ups and downs at the same time they look forward to a promising 2007. The 2006 highlights included a pair of top-10 finishes; the lowlight might have come at the fall race in Martinsville when Schrader was running with the leaders, only to be knocked into the fence and out of the race by David Ragan on Lap 311. For the record, Schrader finished 31st in the driver point standings while racking up more than $4 million in winnings.

In 2007, Schrader will return to the Wood Brothers as the lead driver of the famed No. 21 car, only this time he’ll share the ride with Jon Wood, the 24-year-old son of WBR co-owner Eddie Wood. The plan is for Schrader to drive in 26 Cup races in 2007 and Jon Wood to drive the remaining 10.

Looking back at the 2006 season, Schrader said, “Well, you definitely want to run faster. We ran a little better the second half, but you want to be up there challenging and running in the top five. I think it’s been a pretty smooth adjustment, and I’m looking forward to doing some of the races again next year. It’s hard to think, though, that we’re still one of the few single-car teams out there. We’ve just got to get over that and get another team going.”

When asked if he sees his role becoming more of a mentor with Jon Wood coming on board the Cup team for 2007, Schrader said, “Jon knows what to do. He’s got a lot of laps, and he just has to get used to these cars. I think he’ll pick up on it pretty quick.”

Said co-owner Eddie Wood, when asked what Schrader has brought to the team: “Kenny came on board with us, and we were looking for an experienced driver with a lot of seat and a lot of knowledge as far as helping all of our younger drivers. He’s done that. Everybody loves Kenny. He’s easy-going. He’s fun to be around, but when it comes race time, he’s ready to race. He lives to race and he races 100 times a year, so I think that says it all about him. It’s all about racing.”