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NASCAR WCUP: Ken Schrader To Drive For MB2 Motorsports

17 September 1999

(Mooresville, N.C.) - MB2 Motorsports announced today that Ken Schrader has been named driver of the No. 36 "M&M's" Pontiac for next year. The news follows Ernie Irvan's retirement announcement on September 3, 1999, after a crash at Michigan Speedway last month.

"Following Ernie's recent announcement we had a very big void to fill, and that was the driver's seat for next year," said Tom Beard, who co-owns MB2 Motorsports with Read Morton and Nelson Bowers. "With Kenny, I know we got one of the best drivers in the garage. It feels good to have everything settled for next year."

Schrader, 44, brings an impressive resume to MB2 Motorsports. In 17 years of Winston Cup competition he has 448 starts to his credit (prior to New Hampshire) with four wins, 64 top fives and 167 top-10s. In addition to his strong finishing record, he has started from the pole position 23 times and the outside pole position 15 times.

Schrader has a history in racing that started well before his Winston Cup debut in 1984. He started racing full-time in his native Missouri in 1971 and ran USAC Midgets, Sprints and Silver Crown cars before settling in for a career in the NASCAR Winston Cup series. Schrader won Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors in 1985, his first full season of competition.

"Sometimes things happen that you don't necessarily plan for, but when I got the opportunity to drive for MB2 Motorsports I couldn't pass it up," Schrader said. "MB2 has a good team and they run strong week in and week out. I'm very excited about our future together.

"I'm sure Dorothy and Sheldon, my son and daughter, will be thrilled that I'll have "M&M's" as a sponsor next year. What could be better than daddy having a sponsor that gives them free "M&M's"."

"We have known Kenny for a long time and he's always been like a part of this team," said Jay Frye, general manager of MB2 Motorsports. "He's had a great relationship with this team from the start and we look forward to having Kenny in our car."

MB2 Motorsports, owned by Read Morton, Nelson Bowers and Tom Beard, was formed in 1996 and entered the Winston Cup arena full-time in 1997. The team's primary sponsor is "M&M's" Chocolate Candies with associate sponsorship from Call-N-Carry.

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