Special From Anderson Speedway

NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader makes his return to the world’s fastest quarter-mile oval. He earned an ARCA victory at Anderson in 1999.

Although no longer a regular on any of the three national NASCAR touring series, Schrader maintains an active schedule racing a dirt late model, modified, or a late model on asphalt tracks around the country.

"I'm looking forward to that," Schrader proclaimed while competing in an UMP late model event at Kokomo Speedway on July 14.

"I raced a USAC midget, modified, ASA (American Speed Association), ARCA car there," he continued. "I won an ARCA race there. I'm just looking forward to going back and running there. There's a lot of history around that race."

Last year Kyle Busch took the win in the Redbud 300 and Schrader expects him to be tough to beat again.

"Kyle (Busch) brings his own stuff," he said, "we do that a lot with the dirt (late model) car. He'll be good, he's good no matter where he goes."

Other NASCAR connections that will be part of Monday’s event include Ross Kenseth, son of 2003 Sprint Cup Champion Matt. The younger Kenseth earned an exciting victory at Winchester Speedway in May with the CRA Super Series. Bill Elliott’s son Chase will drive the No. 9 entry. Elliott scored his first career Late Model victory in March of 2009 and has produced strong runs with several touring series in 2010 including the CRA circuit.

The Welch & Wilson Motorsports Redbud 300 presented by Ed Martin Toyota and Great Deals Savings Magazine is sanctioned by the CRA Super Series, but the Redbud 300 actually began in 1967. The earliest recorded results from the speedway archives are from 1974, when one Tiny Lund won the event. In the ‘90’s the event became a 400-lap race, known as the Anderson 400. The last ASA sanctioned race was 1999; Georgia short track veteran Mike Miller won, 2-time ASA champ Gary St. Amant won the pole, and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champ Jimmie Johnson started tenth and finished 16th.

In the 2009 event, Busch turned in a dominating performance in his first race at one of the nation’s toughest short tracks. Busch led 209 laps and took the lead on lap 191 with an outside pass of Eddie Hoffman through the third and fourth corners and was never seriously challenged to the checkers.

While Busch was driving away there was a good battle for second between Hoffman, Rick Turner, Aaron Pierce, John VanDoorn, Chuck Barnes Jr. and Scott Hantz. Several times the drivers ran side by side fighting for position while trying to avoid lapped traffic.

Busch won by 4.328 seconds. At the finish Turner finished second followed by Pierce, VanDoorn and Barnes rounding out the top five.

"The car was great," Busch said. "I love coming out to the short tracks. We'd race every night of the week for sure."

CRA Super Series points leader Johnny VanDoorn tops a strong group of series drivers entered for Monday’s event. VanDoorn picked up the victory in the series April event at Anderson. Ohio’s Jason Dietsch ranks in the second position in the standings with Michigan racer Brian Campbell in third spot. Campbell scored a May victory at Berlin. Tommy St. John moved to fourth position after a win at Angola in July with veteran Terry Fisher Jr. completing the top five.

Advance tickets for the Welch & Wilson Motorsports Redbud 300 presented by Ed Martin Toyota and Great Deals Savings Magazine at Anderson Speedway on Monday, July 26th, are available now for $20. Tickets can also be purchased on race day at the track for $25.

Spectator Gates open at 4 p.m. with a special autograph session taking place at 6 p.m. that will include Bill Elliott. Racing action will take place at 7:30.