Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace VIP packages still available at Park Jefferson
JEFFERSON, S.D. — As the stars and cars of the O’Reilly Auto Parts United States Modified Touring Series head for the Park Jefferson Speedway on Tuesday night, fans and drivers alike can expect some added heat on the track as NASCAR stars Ken Schrader and Kenny Wallace will suit up to do battle with Kelly Shryock, Zack VanderBeek, Al Hejna, Jason Hughes, Tommy Weder Jr., Corey Dripps and the rest of the best in dirt Modified racing.
Both Schrader and Wallace will be on hand to sign autographs for the fans from 5:30 to 6:30 before strapping into their own O’Reilly USMTS Modifieds.
While they are best known for circling America’s superspeedways with the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, both drivers are accomplished short track racers that cut their teeth on the dirt ovals of the Midwest.
Ken Schrader: It was on the dirt tracks where Schrader’s career began. He started out driving mostly open-wheel cars and won in every division he raced, including two USAC championships -- 1982 Silver Crown and ’83 Sprint Car. Schrader is a veteran second-generation racer, and currently drives the #21 Motorcraft/Little Debbie Ford Fusion for Wood Brothers/JTG Racing in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. He appears as a television analyst on Inside Nextel Cup on the SPEED Channel, and is also the owner of Ken Schrader Racing, which fields entries for himself in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the Whelen All-American Series for Chris Bristol. Schrader is also the owner of I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo.
Kenny Wallace: Wallace currently drives the #78 Furniture Row Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. He also works as an on-air personality for SPEED Channel on shows such as NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane. He was also featured on the show NASCAR Drivers: 360 on FX. He has two brothers who are also current or former NASCAR drivers: Rusty Wallace and Mike Wallace. As a child, Wallace’s boisterous behavior earned him the nickname “Herman,” after a mischievous cartoon character named Herman the German. Last week, Wallace was voted in by fans to compete in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. Wallace has already tasted victory on dirt this season, beating O’Reilly USMTS competitor Steve Arpin at the Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla., in February, and, most recently, winning a UMP Modified feature at the Peoria Speedway in Peoria, Ill., last Wednesday, May 23.
