In the Pits- KSR

Schrader joins 'Ride for Diversity' program

Ken Schrader, owner of Ken Schrader Racing, will join NASCAR’s “Drive for Diversity” program in 2006.

With more than 40 years of racing experience, including several years of team ownership and track promotion, Schrader brings a wealth of knowledge to Drive for Diversity.

“As Drive for Diversity continues to expand, we are very excited to have individuals like Ken Schrader and his racing organization partner with us,” says Greg Calhoun, CEO of Access Marketing & Communications, which manages the program. “These relationships help us continue to reach our mutual goal—creating lasting impressions regarding diversity in the motorsports industry.”

“Being part of the Drive for Diversity program is good for our race team and for the sport,” Schrader says. “I think it is im-portant for those of us who have been a part of motorsports for so long to prepare for the future. Finding the talent to drive these trucks and cars is harder than a lot of people think. By expanding the pool of prospective talent to include those who may have been excluded in the past can do nothing but benefit us all.”

At one time, Schrader ran in excess of 100 races each year. In recent years, he has reduced his season to about 90 races, fo-cusing on the Nextel Cup Series. He also drives for his own team in a variety of series including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, the NASCAR Grand Na-tional Division, the NASCAR Auto Zone Elite Southwest Series and the ARCA Series. Schrader still finds time to stay close to his roots as he also races at various dirt tracks throughout the Mid-west each year.

“I don’t think it is an exaggeration when I say that racing is all I’ve ever known,” Schrader says. “I have been racing since I could walk, and it is really all that I have ever wanted to do. To be honest, I would race every day if I had the opportunity.”

Schrader attended the 2006 Drive for Diversity Motorsports Testing & Eval-uation Combine at South Boston Speed-way in South Boston, VA in October. At the combine, 19 ethnic and gender minority drivers, selected from a competitive pool of more than 300 applicants, competed for the opportunity to participate in the Drive for Diversity program throughout the 2006 season. Driver announcements will be made in the near future.