Jack Sprague Gateway Preview
#16 CHEVY TRUCKS SILVERADO
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES
2004 FAST FACTS
EVENT: MISSOURI-ILLINOIS DODGE DEALERS RAM TOUGH 200, GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL
RACEWAY, MADISON, IL (160 LAPS, 200 MILES)
DATE: July 17, 2004 TIME: 8:00 PM EDT (7:00 PM CDT)
LIVE COVERAGE: SPEED Channel, MRN Radio
NCTS CAREER STATS
- Only three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Champion – 1997,
1999, 2001
- Leading NCTS money winner exceeding $4.946 million in winnings-needs
just $53,211 to top $5 million-first to do so in NCTS
- Only driver to start
all 170 events as NCTS full-time competitor 1995-2001
- Holds series records
for total top-five and top-ten finishes in NCTS
- Holds series records for
most races with lead lap finishes (144-79.0%) and races running at the
finish (167-91.3%)
- Second on all time NCTS win list (needs 2 wins to tie,
3 to be all-time series winner)
- Second on all time NCTS starts list - 183
- IWX Racing defending NCTS Championship
team
- IWX Racing winner of two consecutive NCTS championships – 2002
and 2003
SPRAGUECAREER NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES STATISTICS
STARTS POLES WINS TOP-FIVE TOP-TEN MONEY WON
183 22 24 (13.1%) 104 (56.8%) 142 (77.6%) $4.947 million
SPRAGUE PREVIOUS GATEWAY NCTS STATISTICS
YEAR START FINISH
1998 3 4
1999 6 3
2000 2 1
2001 3 8
SPRAGUE 2004 NCTS STATS
DATE RACE ST/FIN LAPS STATUS MONEY WON POINTS POS
2/13/04 Daytona 19/25 73/100 Running/Accident $15,765 25
3/13/04 Atlanta 19/24 129/133 Running/Mechanical $9,690 25
4/17/04 Martinsville 1/3 254/250 Running $21,615 12
5/16/04 Mansfield 1/1 252/250 Running $44,350 7
5/21/04 Charlotte 11/26 133/134 Running/Mechanical $8,365 11
6/04/04 Dover 2/9 200/200 Running $14,425 8
6/11/04 Texas 23/4 167/167 Running $22,850 6
6/19/04 Memphis 1/7 200/200 Running $13,625 5
6/25/04 Milwaukee 4/35 110/205 DNF/Engine failure $7,040 11
7/3/04 Kansas 11/8 167/167 Running $14,700 10
7/10/04 Kentucky 10/2 153/150 Running $54,450 7
AVG START AVG FINISH MONEY WON
9.3 13.1 $228,875
JACK SPRAGUE QUOTES:
ON GATEWAY INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: “I love Gateway. It is a driver’s
track with the configuration being different at each end. If you have a pretty
neutral truck you can get it through both ends pretty decent even through they
are so different. You have to shift in one and two so grip is really important
to keep the truck glued down. If you have a truck that is very good in one
and two, you will be ok in three and four.”
TEAM’S SUCCESS AT GATEWAY: “You have to have a team who understands
how to give you the truck you need here and I have that with our No. 16 Chevy
Trucks Silverado team. They had great runs with both Bliss and Kvapil, which
is a huge confidence thing for a driver. We feel like we are ready to give
it a heck of a run this weekend.”
ON MOMEMTUM FROM KENTUCKY FINISH: “Luck is part of success in racing.
But the team’s preparation to put you in a position to capitalize on
opportunities and make your own luck is the critical part of racing success.
We had all of those in Kentucky. Now we move on to Gateway with positive momentum
and the monkey off our back and keep doing what we did last weekend.”
SPRAGUE NCTS CAREER TRIVIA TIDBITS
- Has won from the pole five times in NCTS competition (183 starts)
- Has started
in top-three 69 times resulting in 39 top-three finishes (56.52%) (183
starts) 19 wins; 13 seconds; 7 thirds
- Has started in top-five 96 times resulting
in 63 top-five finishes (65.62%) (183 starts) 20 wins; 20 seconds; 9 thirds;
6 fourths; 8 fifths
- Has started in top-ten 151 times resulting in 122 top-ten
finishes (80.79%) (183 starts) 23 wins; 28 seconds; 17 thirds; 11 fourths;
15 fifths; 6 sixths; 4 sevenths; 7 eighths; 6 ninths; 5 tenths
- Has only started
out of the top-fifteen 15 times (182 starts)
- Has only finished out of the
top-fifteen 31 times (182 starts)
SPRAGUE NCTS STATS YEAR BY YEAR
YEAR STARTS WINS TOP-FIVE TOP-TEN POLES MONEY WON YEAR END PNTS POS
1995 20 0 4 15 1 $116, 501 5TH
1996 24 5 18 21 2 $580,112 2ND
1997 26 3 16 23 5 $880,835 1ST
1998 27 5 16 23 4 $745,171 2ND
1999 25 3 16 19 1 $834,016 1st
2000 24 3 13 15 0 $567,536 5th
2001 24 4 15 17 7 $967,493 1st
2003 2 0 2 2 0 $ 26,250 N/A
Totals: 172 23 100 135 20 $4,717,914
#16 CHEVY TRUCKS SILVERADO
THE RACEDAY CREW:
- Team Manager: Dave Fuge
- Crew Chief: Chris Showalter
- Jackman: Randy Dean
- Front tire carrier: Jeffrey Reeves
- Rear tire carrier: Billy Fredell
- 2nd gascan: Tom Gomez
- Catchcan: Jason Pasch
- Front tire changer: Scott Punch
- Gasman: John Figler
- Rear tire changer: Michael Byrd
- Scorer: Sara Dykehouse
- Statistician: Dawn Fuge
- Spotter: Dave Fuge
- Engineer: Shane Martin
- Tire Specialist: Jason Guntorius
- Engine Maintenance: Bobby Jones
- Pit Support/Catch tires: Terry Lynch
CREW NOTES: Randy Dean is still on injured reserve with a ligament injury
to his middle finger on his left hand. For the third week in a row, the team
will have a substitute jackman to be named soon.