Jack Sprague
Encyclopedia
Jack Sprague is a NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series driver. He is currently a free agent
. Sprague has finished in the top-ten in the points standings almost every year he has raced in the trucks, and won three championships in 1997, 1999, and 2001 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports
.
Late Model Division competition. He won the Big Ten Championship at Concord Motorsports Park, and won more than 30 Late Model Races. Eventually, he won the NASCAR Winston Racing Series championship at Concord Motorsports Park.
debut in 1989 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
. Driving the #78 Griffin Racing Chevrolet
, he qualified 28th but finished 41st after suffering engine
failure early in the race. After a 40th-place finish at the Goody's 300 for Pucci & Associaties, Sprague moved up to drive the #34 Keystone Beer car for Frank Cicci Racing
in 1990. He competed in nineteen races and had a best finish of sixth at Orange County Speedway
. The following season, Sprague competed in seven races, driving the #48 Staff America Oldsmobile
. He won his first career pole at Charlotte. He continued to drive the car in 1992, where he had a second-place finish at New River Valley Speedway. He finished 24th in the final standings.
In 1993, Sprague signed to drive the #74 BACE Motorsports
car. Despite four top-ten finishes, he was released with just a handful of races left in the year. He finished nineteenth in points. Sprague returned to the Winston Cup Series in 1994.
for Griffin Racing, winning the pole at Lousiville Speedway. After the Action Packed Racing Cards 150, Sprague switched to the #25 Budweiser
Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. He ended the season with a pole at Phoenix International Raceway
, and had three fourth-place finishes. In 1996, he slid over to the #24 Quaker State
truck owned by Hendrick, winning his first race at Phoenix, followed up by back-to-back victories at Nazareth Speedway
and The Milwaukee Mile. With five wins total and two poles, Sprague lost the championship by 53 points. That season, he made his Winston Cup debut, running a pair of races in the #52 Pedigree Petfoods
Pontiac Grand Prix
for Ken Schrader
. He led two laps and finished 23rd in his debut at Phoenix, but wrecked the following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway
.
The following season, Sprague won at Phoenix, Nazareth, and Nashville Speedway USA, and won the championship. In addition, he returned to the Cup series, subbing for Ricky Craven
at Bristol Motor Speedway
, but finished 40th after a wreck. Despite winning the Truck Series championship, Quaker State did not return as Sprague's primary sponsor, forcing him to start the 1998 unsponsored. After a one-race deal with Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce
at Portland Speedway
, Sprague won The No Fear Challenge in his debut for sponsor GMAC, allowing them to join full-time as sponsor. He won five races total that season and finished second in points. He returned to the Busch Series to drive the #40 Channellock
Chevy for Doug Taylor at Watkins Glen International
, finishing sixth.
In 1999, Sprague won three races as well as the Craftsman Truck Series championship by eight points. He also drove at Watkins Glen in a Terry Labonte
-owned car, finishing twelfth, and attempted the Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 for Tyler Jet Motorsports
, but failed to qualify. He won three more times in 2000, but crashes caused him to drop to fifth in the standings. In 2001, NetZero
became his primary sponsor, and he won seven poles and four races, and took home his third championship trophy.
moved back to the Busch Series, with Sprague driving the #24 NetZero Chevy. He won his first career Busch race at Nashville Superspeedway
as well as leading the points during the season, before finishing fifth in the final standings. That same year, he ran the IROC
series, finishing in the top-ten in all four events. He returned to Winston Cup to run a handful of races for Haas CNC Racing
's #60 entry. His best finish was a 30th at Homestead-Miami Speedway
. Haas switched to Pontiac and the #0 with NetZero sponsorship for 2003, signing Sprague to compete for Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors. Sprague's best finish that season was a fourteenth at the Daytona 500
. After the Tropicana 400, Sprague was fired from the ride. He drove in two truck races that year for Xpress Motorsports
, finishing fifth in both events.
Sprague took over the 16 Xpress truck full-time in 2004, winning six poles and the UAW/GM Ohio 250. He finished seventh in points. The following season, he won at Texas Motor Speedway
, but late in the season, was released in favor of Mike Bliss
and took over at newly formed Wyler Racing
for Chad Chaffin
. Despite switching teams mid-season, he finished eighth in points.
Sprague finished the 2006 season fifth in points with two wins and two poles. He returned to the Con-Way Freight Tundra for the 2007 season
. Sprague started the 2007 season in the Craftsman Truck Series
with a win in the Chevy Silverado HD 250 at the Daytona International Speedway
. However, Sprague began to struggle throughout the year, even dropping out of the top 10 in points. This, combined with Con-way
's departure at the end of the season, led Sprague to leave Wyler for Kevin Harvick Incorporated
where he drove the #2 American Commercial Lines Chevrolet. Late in the year, he left KHI to return to Wyler Racing.
Sprauge remained on the sidelines throughtout 2009 and 2010, into at least October 2011.
season finale at Homestead
, driving for Winfield Motorsports
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Camping World Truck Series driver. He is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. Sprague has finished in the top-ten in the points standings almost every year he has raced in the trucks, and won three championships in 1997, 1999, and 2001 while driving for Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
.
Beginnings
Sprague began street stock cars at local short tracks. After winning the track championships at Thunderbird Raceway and later Winston Raceway, Sprague began racing in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series, in its North CarolinaNorth Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
Late Model Division competition. He won the Big Ten Championship at Concord Motorsports Park, and won more than 30 Late Model Races. Eventually, he won the NASCAR Winston Racing Series championship at Concord Motorsports Park.
Busch Series
Sprague made his Busch SeriesBusch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
debut in 1989 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
. Driving the #78 Griffin Racing Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, he qualified 28th but finished 41st after suffering engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
failure early in the race. After a 40th-place finish at the Goody's 300 for Pucci & Associaties, Sprague moved up to drive the #34 Keystone Beer car for Frank Cicci Racing
Frank Cicci Racing
Frank Cicci Racing was a NASCAR Busch Series team. The team was owned by Frank Cicci of Elmira, New York and was last driven by Jay Sauter.- Beginnings :FCR first began racing as a short track team in Upstate New York...
in 1990. He competed in nineteen races and had a best finish of sixth at Orange County Speedway
Orange County Speedway
Orange County Speedway is a 3/8 mile asphalt oval in Orange County, near Rougemont, North Carolina. It first opened in 1966 as 1/4 mile and 5/8 mile dirt ovals, which operated until 1967 and 1973, respectively...
. The following season, Sprague competed in seven races, driving the #48 Staff America Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
. He won his first career pole at Charlotte. He continued to drive the car in 1992, where he had a second-place finish at New River Valley Speedway. He finished 24th in the final standings.
In 1993, Sprague signed to drive the #74 BACE Motorsports
BACE Motorsports
BACE Motorsports is a former championship-winning NASCAR team. It was owned by entrepreneur Bill Baumgardner, who also founded Staff America. Baumgardner was inspired to start his own team after Staff America was a sponsor in the Busch Series for two years...
car. Despite four top-ten finishes, he was released with just a handful of races left in the year. He finished nineteenth in points. Sprague returned to the Winston Cup Series in 1994.
Craftsman Truck Series
Sprague began racing in the Trucks' first year of competition in 1995. He began the season in the #31 Chevrolet SilveradoChevrolet Silverado
The Chevrolet Silverado , is the latest line of full-size pickup trucks from General Motors.-History:...
for Griffin Racing, winning the pole at Lousiville Speedway. After the Action Packed Racing Cards 150, Sprague switched to the #25 Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. He ended the season with a pole at Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
, and had three fourth-place finishes. In 1996, he slid over to the #24 Quaker State
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
truck owned by Hendrick, winning his first race at Phoenix, followed up by back-to-back victories at Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway
Nazareth Speedway was an auto racing track in Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania which operated from 1910 to 2004. The track is often associated with local drivers Mario and Michael Andretti. It was associated with Frankie Schneider in its earlier dirt track history....
and The Milwaukee Mile. With five wins total and two poles, Sprague lost the championship by 53 points. That season, he made his Winston Cup debut, running a pair of races in the #52 Pedigree Petfoods
Pedigree Petfoods
Pedigree Petfoods is a subsidiary of the american group Mars, Incorporated specializing in pet food, with factories in Great Britain at Melton Mowbray, Peterborough and Birstall, Leeds; and offices at Waltham-on-the-Wolds.-Manchester:...
Pontiac Grand Prix
Pontiac Grand Prix
Picking up where the Pontiac Ventura model left off, the Grand Prix first appeared in the Pontiac line for 1962. It was essentially a standard Pontiac Catalina coupe with minimal outside chrome trim and a sportier interior...
for Ken Schrader
Ken Schrader
Kenneth Schrader is a second-generation race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series for his own Ken Schrader Racing. He also runs part time in the NASCAR Camping...
. He led two laps and finished 23rd in his debut at Phoenix, but wrecked the following week at Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway
Atlanta Motor Speedway is a track just outside Hampton, Georgia, twenty miles south of Atlanta. It is a quad-oval track with a seating capacity of over 125,000. It opened in 1960 as a standard oval. In 1994, 46 condominiums were built over the northeastern side of the track...
.
The following season, Sprague won at Phoenix, Nazareth, and Nashville Speedway USA, and won the championship. In addition, he returned to the Cup series, subbing for Ricky Craven
Ricky Craven
Richard Allen Craven is an ESPN broadcaster who works ESPN2's NASCAR Now and a race analyst for the network. Prior to his ESPN duties, he was a NASCAR driver who won in four different series—the K&N Pro Series, and the three national series. He occasionally served as a pit reporter when NASCAR...
at Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol Motor Speedway, formerly known as Bristol International Raceway and Bristol Raceway is a NASCAR short track venue located in Bristol, Tennessee. Constructed in 1960, it held its first NASCAR race on July 30, 1961...
, but finished 40th after a wreck. Despite winning the Truck Series championship, Quaker State did not return as Sprague's primary sponsor, forcing him to start the 1998 unsponsored. After a one-race deal with Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce
Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce
Big Daddy's BBQ Sauce is a company that produces barbecue sauce. Based in Yukon, Oklahoma.-History:The sauce came from the result of two friends merging their famous recipes together...
at Portland Speedway
Portland Speedway
Portland Speedway was a half-mile race track for auto racing in Portland, Oregon, U.S. It was in existence from 1924 until mid-2000.The track began as a five-eighths-mile clay oval in 1924 on the site of a field in north Portland...
, Sprague won The No Fear Challenge in his debut for sponsor GMAC, allowing them to join full-time as sponsor. He won five races total that season and finished second in points. He returned to the Busch Series to drive the #40 Channellock
Channellock
Channellock is an American company that produces hand tools. It is best known for its pliers—the company manufactures more than 120 types of pliers—particularly its eponymous style of tongue-and-groove, slip-joint pliers...
Chevy for Doug Taylor at Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen International is an auto race track located near Watkins Glen, New York, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. The facility is owned by International Speedway Corporation...
, finishing sixth.
In 1999, Sprague won three races as well as the Craftsman Truck Series championship by eight points. He also drove at Watkins Glen in a Terry Labonte
Terry Labonte
Terrance Lee Labonte is a semi-retired NASCAR driver who occasionally drives in the Sprint Cup Series when called upon and is a two-time Winston Cup and IROC champion. He currently drives the #32 U.S. Chrome Ford for FAS Lane Racing. Labonte was introduced to the sport through his father, who had...
-owned car, finishing twelfth, and attempted the Exide NASCAR Select Batteries 400 for Tyler Jet Motorsports
Tyler Jet Motorsports
Tyler Jet Motorsports was a NASCAR Winston Cup race team.Tyler Jet Motorsports was owned by Tim Beverly, owner of the airplane sales company that shared a name with the race team, and was formed in 1998 after Beverly purchased the assets of DarWal, Inc...
, but failed to qualify. He won three more times in 2000, but crashes caused him to drop to fifth in the standings. In 2001, NetZero
NetZero
NetZero is an Internet service provider based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California. It is a subsidiary of United Online, owner of Juno Online Services and BlueLight Internet Services. The current chairman, president, and CEO of United Online is Mark Goldston.- History :NetZero launched in...
became his primary sponsor, and he won seven poles and four races, and took home his third championship trophy.
Return to Busch/Cup
After 2001, Sprague and teammate Ricky HendrickRicky Hendrick
Joseph Riddick Hendrick IV , also known as Ricky Hendrick, was an American NASCAR stock car driver and partial owner at Hendrick Motorsports, a team that his father Rick Hendrick founded. He was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 2, 1980, and began his career in racing at the age of fifteen...
moved back to the Busch Series, with Sprague driving the #24 NetZero Chevy. He won his first career Busch race at Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway
Nashville Superspeedway is a motor racing complex located in Gladeville, Tennessee , United States, about 30 miles southeast of Nashville. On August 2, 2011, it was announced that Nashville Superspeedway will not host any NASCAR events in 2012. It is a concrete oval track 1 1/3 miles in...
as well as leading the points during the season, before finishing fifth in the final standings. That same year, he ran the IROC
International Race of Champions
International Race of Champions, better known as IROC, was a North American auto racing competition, promoted as an equivalent of an American All-Star Game or The Masters...
series, finishing in the top-ten in all four events. He returned to Winston Cup to run a handful of races for Haas CNC Racing
Haas CNC Racing
Stewart-Haas Racing, formerly known as Haas CNC Racing, is a NASCAR racing team based in Kannapolis, North Carolina, which runs Chevrolet Impalas. The team is owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, and runs the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala driven by Stewart and the #39 United States...
's #60 entry. His best finish was a 30th at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
. Haas switched to Pontiac and the #0 with NetZero sponsorship for 2003, signing Sprague to compete for Winston Cup Rookie of the Year honors. Sprague's best finish that season was a fourteenth at the Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
. After the Tropicana 400, Sprague was fired from the ride. He drove in two truck races that year for Xpress Motorsports
Xpress Motorsports
Xpress Motrsports was a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. The team won the Truck Series championship in 2002 and 2003 with Mike Bliss and Travis Kvapil, respectively. The team was owned by Steve Coulter until 2004, when he sold the team to then team manager Dave Fuge, who owned the team until...
, finishing fifth in both events.
2004-2011
Texas Motor Speedway
Texas Motor Speedway is a speedway located in the northernmost portion of the U.S. city of Fort Worth, Texas – the portion located in Denton County, Texas....
, but late in the season, was released in favor of Mike Bliss
Mike Bliss
Michael Bliss is a NASCAR driver who has run in all three major series. He currently drives the #19 Chevrolet Impala for TriStar Motorsports in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. He began racing at age 10...
and took over at newly formed Wyler Racing
Wyler Racing
Turn One Racing is a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. They currently field the #60 Red Bull/Fuel Doctor USA Chevrolet Silverado for Red Bull development driver Cole Whitt and the #66 GoPro Chevrolet Silverado for Justin Marks...
for Chad Chaffin
Chad Chaffin
Chad Chaffin is a NASCAR driver. He has raced in all three of NASCAR's major series and is currently a free agent. Chaffin was a two-time track champion at the historic Nashville Speedway USA, where he met his friend the late Andy Kirby.-Sprint Cup:Chad made his Sprint Cup debut in 2004 at...
. Despite switching teams mid-season, he finished eighth in points.
Sprague finished the 2006 season fifth in points with two wins and two poles. He returned to the Con-Way Freight Tundra for the 2007 season
2007 in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 12th season of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season set off on February 16, 2007 at Daytona International Speedway with the Chevy Silverado HD 250, and ended on November 16, 2007 with the Ford 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway...
. Sprague started the 2007 season in the Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
with a win in the Chevy Silverado HD 250 at the Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, one of the most prestigious races in NASCAR. In addition to NASCAR, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, Grand-Am and Motocross...
. However, Sprague began to struggle throughout the year, even dropping out of the top 10 in points. This, combined with Con-way
Con-way
Con-way, Inc. is a freight transportation and logistics company with businesses in less-than-truckload and full truckload freight services, truckload brokerage, logistics, warehousing, supply chain management and trailer manufacturing, based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Con-way’s services are used by...
's departure at the end of the season, led Sprague to leave Wyler for Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Kevin Harvick Incorporated
Kevin Harvick Incorporated was a NASCAR team owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick and his wife DeLana, who herself is the daughter of a former Busch Series driver, John Linville...
where he drove the #2 American Commercial Lines Chevrolet. Late in the year, he left KHI to return to Wyler Racing.
Sprauge remained on the sidelines throughtout 2009 and 2010, into at least October 2011.
2011-present
On October 28, 2011, NASCAR radio analyst Dave Moody announced over Sirius XM Radio that Sprague had struck a deal with Randy Moss Motorsports to race full-time in 2012. Supposedly, he will make his return to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the 20112011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
The 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season was the sixteenth season of the third highest stock car racing in the United States. The season included twenty-five races, beginning with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway and ending with the Ford 200 at...
season finale at Homestead
Homestead-Miami Speedway
Homestead-Miami Speedway is a race track in Homestead, Florida southwest of Miami.Since 2002 Homestead has hosted the final races of the season in all three of NASCAR's series: the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, and the Camping World Truck Series...
, driving for Winfield Motorsports