Paducah International Raceway
Schrader edges wall-banging Feger at Paducah
From track reports
Ken Schrader earned $6,000. (kohlsracingphotos.com)
PADUCAH, Ky. (May 30) — NASCAR's biggest dirt fan, veteran driver Ken Schrader, outdueled polesitter Jason Feger at Paducah International Raceway to earn $6,000 in the first leg of the Northern Allstars Late Model Series-sanctioned Tri-Track Challenge. Schrader, one of the track's co-owners from Fenton, Mo., and Feger, of Bloomington, Ill., swapped the lead in the closing laps before Schrader sealed the deal at the 3/8-mile western Kentucky oval. | Slideshow
Feger, in a near-miss of his richest career victory, settled for second with seventh-starting Wes Steidinger of Fairbury, Ill., finished third. Ninth-starting Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., ran as high as third before finishing fourth and former PIR promoter John Tindal of Fancy Farm, Ky., rounded out the top five after starting 11th. Fast qualifier and hometown driver Dylan Thompson ended up ninth, dropping four positions.
Terry English of nearby Benton, Ky., started fourth and took the early lead with Feger and Brian Shirley giving chase. Schrader quickly improved from sixth to fourth in the early going, and he was elevated to third when a flat tire knocked English out of contention.
Feger inherited the lead and began building an advantage on Shirley before working through lapped traffic by the ninth lap. With Feger still out front, the traffic helped Schrader close in on Shirley, and he began a tight battle on the 12th lap before finally grabbing the second spot on the 20th lap.
After cautions for Kyle Logue and Ryan Dauber, Schrader turned up the heat on Feger while behind them, Shirley lost the handle on the 26th lap and hit the wall to draw the fifth caution.
Schrader continued his charge on the restart, finally going ahead with two laps remaining. But Feger made a crossover move to regain the lead at the stripe, and with one to got, Feger got into the wall exiting turn two, then rode the wall in turn three as Schrader went back ahead and went on to take the checkered flag.
Notes: Tait Davenport's last-lap pass of Tanner English gave him a victory in Paducah's UMP Crate feature. ... The Tri-Track Challenge continues Saturday and Sunday with $6,000-to-win events at I-55 Raceway in Pevely, Mo., and Macon (Ill.) Speedway. If Schrader can sweep the weekend, he'll be in line for a $10,000 bonus in addition to $18,000 in purse winnings. However, he's due to race in Dover, Del., in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup event.
Northern Allstars @ Paducah: (1): Ken Schrader, (2) Jason Feger, (3) Wes Steidinger, (4) Dennis Erb Jr., (5) John Tindal, (6) Jesse Stovall, (7) Bryan Collins, (8) Richie Hedrick, (9) Dylan Thompson, (10) Brent Kreke, (11) Randy Sellars, (12) Rodney Melvin, (13) Jayme Zidar, (14) Kevin Claycomb, (15) Terry English, (16) Ryan Dauber, (17) Brian Shirley, (18) Jeff Walston, (19) Kyle Logue, (20) Aaron Ricketts, (21) Kevin Weaver, (22) Jason McBride, (23) Steve Sheppard Jr. Fast qualifier (among 39 cars): Thompson, 15.878 seconds. Heat race winners: Feger, Stovall, Shirley, English. Consolation winners: Claycomb, Collins.
