This is no lie.

I know, you immediately put your hand on your wallet when you read that, but bear with me here.

I used to have a dog named Ken Schrader.

He was some kind of little terrier mutt but he, and his sister Emmy Lou Harris, were two of the best dogs that I have ever seen or heard of. My brother still laughs at me when I call my daughter, whose name is Emma, Emmy Lou; saying my daughter's nickname comes from the dog.

Anyway, I told you that not to completely embarrass myself, but to tell you this.

Ken Schrader has always been one of my favorite race car drivers. Hell, I even named him my driver of the year a few years back in my awards that no one really cares about. Anyone who can go 15 years without winning a race and get a better ride for the upcoming season has to be one heck of a driver, right?

I have a point here, I promise, and here it is.

I'm all kind of excited because Schrader is going to be racing this weekend for the ARCA/Remax Series Carolina 200 at the Rockingham Speedway -- a race he led late last year before getting his doors blown off by then-17-year-old Joey Logano and his fresh tires.

"I always did like it [racing at Rockingham] just because of the way the track would work on the tires, and to do well you really had to use your foot there a lot," said Schrader.

Not only that but the good folks at the Rockingham Speedway have decided to name the turn four grandstands in honor of the man whom I named my dog after.

That's right, they will now be the Ken Schrader grandstands.

"I am honored, but a little bit surprised," Schrader said. "It just means you are getting old, I guess."

That's what I love about Andy Hillenburg and the folks that work for him at the Rockingham Speedway. They understand and appreciate the contributions to racing of the people who don't always show up on Letterman or Regis and Kelly or even the front page of NASCAR.com.

You see it all over the track. The garage is named for Papa Joe Hendrick. The tower is named in honor of Benny Parsons. The stands in the first and second turns are named in honor of Ricky Rudd. The media center is going to be named in honor of legendary broadcaster Chris Economaki this weekend.

Schrader definitely fits in that group. Here is a guy, in his 50s who, I think, would race, and has raced) anything with four wheels and a way to make it turn. He may not be as young or as glamourous as some of the guys in NASCAR now. He doesn't have his own line of cologne and he's not out pimping expensive wristwatches because he would rather be at the racetrack turning laps and going fast. Which I think makes him perfect for Rockingham.

Tickets are still available for Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the track. You can get them by calling 910-205-8800, by going to the ticket office at the track or online at www.rockinghamspeedway.com.

Also, if you come down to Rockingham for Thunderfest, be sure to wave at me in the hauler parade.