Daytona could be special victory for Ken Schrader

Thursday, Feb. 12, 1998 | 1:12 a.m.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- When asked to cite his most memorable moment in racing, Ken Schrader's standard reply is, "It hasn't happened yet."

That could change this weekend if Schrader can pilot his NASCAR Winston Cup Skoal Bandit Chevrolet into victory circle in the 40th running of the Daytona 500. Not only would Schrader win the Super Bowl of stock-car racing and its $1 million first prize, the St. Louis native would take home an extra $1 million as part of Winston's "No Bull 5" bonus program.

"Everybody keeps talking about this being a million-dollar race," Schrader said as his team prepared for today's first of two Gatorade Twin 125 qualifying races at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.

"The way I got it figured, (a win Sunday is worth) over $2 million because that million dollars we keep talking about that (R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.) is putting up in the No Bull 5 program, that's just extra. With International Speedway's $7 million purse this year and the Winston No Bull 5 program, one of us could go out of here with over $2 million."

Not that money is -- or ever has been -- Schrader's primary motivation in racing.

The former short-track champion is well known for his love of the sport which drives him to race more than 100 times a year on everything from dirt short tracks to high-banked superspeedways.

Schrader has two Winston West wins at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, winning the inaugural WW event in 1996 as well as last November's race. And he also has run selected races at the old Las Vegas Speedway Park short oval, before it was absorbed by LVMS.

"People say the money doesn't matter, but that's BS," Schrader said. "I'm going to be motivated anyway just racing in the Daytona 500 but an extra million dollars, man, that will be good."

Schrader has been good at Daytona since the day he unloaded his Chevy Monte Carlo off the hauler last week for Speedweeks '98. He posted the third-fastest qualifying lap (191.787 mph) and was leading Sunday's Bud Shootout before a slow pit stop set him back.

Schrader's success the past week here and his history of solid runs at Daytona have the 42-year-old as optimistic as ever heading into Sunday's "Great American Race."

"We knew we would be good but we didn't know exactly how good," Schrader said. "But we were good here last year, too -- not as good as we are now -- but we had trouble getting qualified and started in the back of the 125, then we ran fourth in the 125."

Although he is searching for his first Daytona 500 victory, Schrader is no stranger to success on the DIS tri-oval. The 1985 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year posted wins in the 1989 and 1990 Busch Clash races, won one of the twin qualifying races in both 1987 and 1989 and has three consecutive Daytona 500 poles (1988-90) to his credit.

But those successes would pale in comparison to winning the Daytona 500, Schrader said.

"The Daytona 500 is special because it's got tradition, just like the Indianapolis 500," he said. "It's got 40 years behind it and it's our biggest race, purse-wise and everything else."

As far as being tabbed by some of his fellows drivers as the man to beat on Sunday, Schrader isn't playing coy.

"I think we're good, I really do believe we are," Schrader said. "The car is good and it has been good all week. Monday (during practice) was probably the first day we had that car in race trim and it is still good."

Despite being guaranteed a starting position in Sunday's Daytona 500 by virtue of his qualifying time, Schrader said he wasn't going to hold anything back in today's 125-mile qualifying race.

"I'm in the race, so we're just going to let it go because the worst I can start (Sunday) is 31st -- but I don't want to start 31st," he said.

"In practice, we can go out there and get in a pile and we can draft for 20 laps but the twins are a 50-lap drafting practice where you really find out what you've got for Sunday."