You’re never too old to find yourself in Victory Lane. NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader proved that after adding another win to his resume, this one coming at the age of 68.
Schrader drove his No. 22 car to victory at Ohsweken Speedway in the Freshstone Dirt Classic, part of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series. He became the first non-Canadian to win the race, per NBC Sports. He’s also the oldest driver to claim a checkered flag at a NASCAR-sanctioned event.
Schrader ran near the front of the field for a majority of the race. He then took the lead with 25 laps remaining and was able to hold off charges from other drivers.
The big moment for Schrader came when race-leader Treyten Lapcevich made contact with a lapped car. That opened the door for the 68-year-old to take the lead.
“They got into each other,” Schrader said after the big win. “I mean, they kind of got into each other. (Lapcevich) had us all day. We worked together on restarts. I said, ‘If he wants to start on the inside, he can get going and I’ll make sure he cleared me.’
“Then when we got the lead, I said, ‘Now, we’re racing. I’m not just riding.’ So I kinda had to go to work then.”
Schrader gets a chance to return to victory lane again on Wednesday night. The NASCAR Pinty’s Series races at Ohsweken Speedway for the Pinty’s 100.
Ken Schrader gets first win since 2015
Schrader is one of the elder statesmen of racing. He’s raced in the NASCAR Cup and Xfinity Series, as well as the Truck Series and ARCA Series. Despite his continued desire to get behind the wheel, it had been awhile since he was in Victory Lane.
Prior to his win at Ohsweken, Schrader’s last victory in any series came in 2015. He won the Federated Car Care Fall Classic 200, an ARCA Series event. Nearly a decade later, he returned to the Winner’s Circle.
Schrader had his longest run in the NASCAR Cup Series, participating in 763 races over a 29-year career. He placed inside the top-10 a total of 184 times and earned 23 pole positions. He also won four races.
Additionally. Schrader claimed two victories in the Xfinity Series and won one in the Truck Series. He last raced in the Cup Series in 2013 and the Truck Series in 2017.
More must-reads: