Jack Sprague
No. 2 RVs.com Chevrolet
Team Report
NASCAR Truck Series Race 4 of 25 — Martinsville (Va.) Speedway
ATLANTA
RECAP: The No. 2 RVs.com Chevrolet came away from the Atlanta
Motor Speedway with their first top-10 finish of the 2008
season. Qualifying third Sprague and team began the event with a
tight-handling race truck. During the first caution period the
No. 2 RVs.com team came in running in the fifth position. After
taking four tires, fuel and making a tire pressure adjustment
the team ripped off a fast stop and sent Sprague out in the
second position. Following a long green-flag run, Sprague and
team decided to pit for fuel only; getting them back on track in
the first position. Another long run was to follow as Sprague
settled into third position gaining on the leaders the longer
the race ran green. A green-flag pit stop at lap 90 gave the
team added encouragement as Sprague radioed to the crew that it
was the “money” stop. However, a late caution for rain brought
the No. 2 RVs.com Chevrolet back to pit lane. The team suffered
a lug nut problem on the front, causing them to return to the
track in seventh position. The team rallied on the short run to
finish the race sixth.
THERE FROM THE BEGINNING: Martinsville (Va.) Speedway is one of
only five tracks still remaining on the NASCAR Truck Series
schedule that was competed on during the inaugural 1995 season.
Sprague has had success at the paperclip shaped track. In 15
starts Sprague has amassed three poles, one win, six top-five
and eight top-10 finishes.
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Sprague returns to Martinsville (Va.)
Speedway with something to prove. Last fall, Sprague started the
Kroger 200 from the pole. Leading 26 of the 200 laps, Sprague
battled rival Truck Series veteran Mike Skinner for the win
narrowly missing a trip to victory lane by 0.729 seconds.
Sprague and the No. 2 RVs.com team roll into Martinsville (Va.)
Speedway hoping to recapture last season’s magic and grab the
victory.
STELLAR STATS: Sprague’s record at Martinsville is a phenomenal
one. Sprague has led 12.1 percent of all Truck Series laps
completed, second only to last year’s winner Mike Skinner.
Sprague has the second highest drivers’ rating and clocks in as
the fastest driver under green flag conditions. Sprague also has
the highest average running position at the mid-point of all
Martinsville events at 4.3.
TOP OF THE CHARTS: Sprague and the No. 2 RVs.com Chevrolet team
headed to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway two weeks ago for the
final scheduled NASCAR Truck Series test session of 2008. During
the day’s first test session Sprague topped the charts with a
lap of 20.062. Day two of testing brought much of the same
result as Sprague lit-up the board during the morning session
timing in quickest with a lap of 19.792. Sprague hopes to top
last year’s finish and get his first win of 2008 this weekend at
Martinsville.
HOMETOWN ADVANTAGE: Very few of the teams currently competing in
NASCAR’s three divisions are located very far out of the
Mooresville/Concord, N.C. area. Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) is
based approximately 45 minutes southwest of the Martinsville
area in Kernersville, N.C. KHI Co-owner DeLana Harvick hails
from the Kernersville N.C. area.
CHASSIS HISTORY: The No. 2 RVs.com team will be using chassis
No. 021 this weekend at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. This truck
was the primary machine raced at California in February. Sprague
and the No. 2 RVs.com team tested this chassis two weeks ago and
topped the charts during both days at the famous paperclip
shaped .526-mile oval.
STAPLE GOODS: On an average weekend the famous Martinsville hot
dog is consumed by thousands of fans, crew members and drivers.
A poll of the No. 2 RVs.com team found that on an average
Martinsville weekend the team eats approximately 100 hot dogs.
“When you go to Martinsville you always have to have a hot dog,”
said spotter Andy Houston. “They may look gross but they are
filling!”
MARTINSVILLE APPEARANCES: Sprague will be signing autographs at
the Chevrolet Midway display on Saturday, March 27 at 11:10
a.m., EST.
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