Jack Sprague – No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota Tundra O’Reilly 200 Race Preview
Jack Sprague on the Keys to Winning at Bristol:
“I have won at Bristol before, so I would say that the Wyler Racing team has a pretty good shot of winning at Bristol,” said Sprague. “The key will be to qualify well and to keep the nose of our No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota Tundra clean – which is not easy at a track like Bristol. Things just happen so fast that you don’t really have the chance to see what is unfolding in front of you and even less of a chance to react to it. But if you can keep your truck in good shape until the end of the race and keep it near the front, then you will have a good chance to celebrate a win at the end of the night. It’s a difficult race, but I think my Con-way Freight team is up for the challenge.”
Jack Sprague on Turning his Luck Around at Bristol:
“This Con-way Freight team is determined to leave Bristol with a victory,” said Sprague. “We need to get back on track and deliver the performances and finishes this team is capable of having. We have had some really bad luck this year but Bristol would be the perfect race to turn our luck around.”
Jack Sprague on his Chance for a Win on Wednesday:
“Even though Bristol is very mentally and physically demanding race track, I think we have a solid shot at the win,” said Sprague. “I have a lot of confidence in Tony Furr and the guys. I know that they’re giving me one of the best trucks out there and with all the engineering support that we receive from Toyota, so we should be a contender for the win on Wednesday night.”
52 Honorable Con-way Freight Truckers:
Just before Jack Sprague climbs behind the wheel of his Con-way Freight Toyota Tundra for the O’Reilly 200, 52 Con-way Freight truck drivers will be arriving in Minneapolis, Minn. to compete in the 2007 National Truck Driving Championships. Sprague will make a special presentation during pre-race ceremonies to the group who will be gathered at The Library in Minneapolis.
Jack Sprague Says ‘Bristol Owes Us One’:
Jack Sprague nearly raced his way to a top-five at Bristol last August, but a late race tire failure relegated the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota to a 23rd place finish. “The Con-way Freight team gave me a great truck for the race at Bristol last year,” said Sprague. “We had a good game plan for the night, and if our bad luck wouldn’t have gotten in the way, I think we would have had a solid top-five finish.” The tire failure happened just 17 laps shy of the checkered flag. “I told the guys not to hang their heads,” said Sprague. “We had a good truck and we ran a good race. We did all we were supposed to do. We couldn’t control what happened with the tires. I guess you could say that I feel like Bristol owes us one after the race that we had there last year.”
This Week’s Toyota Tid-Bit:
Since the launch in early 2007, sales of the all-new Tundra are going well. Its tremendous capabilities are being recognized by full-size truck buyers, and twice as many heavy-duty (3/4 and 1 ton) trucks are being traded in as with the previous generation Tundra.
Sprague’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Career Stats at Bristol Motor Speedway:
Jack Sprague has one win, four top-five and 6 top-10 finishes to his credit in only eight starts at the Bristol, Tennessee short-track while racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Sprague also has five NASCAR Busch Series starts in “Thunder Valley” with his best NBS finish of 19th coming in the Spring race of 2002 while he was driving for Hendrick Motorsports. Sprague has also made two NASCAR Nextel Cup Series starts at Bristol, accumulating 665 laps around the half-mile track in a Cup Series ride.
Race |
Site |
Cars |
St |
Fin |
# |
Sponsor / Owner |
Car |
Laps |
Money |
Status |
Led |
1996-08 |
Bristol |
33 |
4 |
5 |
24 |
Quaker State (Rick Hendrick) |
Chevrolet |
200/200 |
8,950 |
running |
0 |
1997-10 |
Bristol |
38 |
11 |
7 |
24 |
Quaker State (Rick Hendrick) |
Chevrolet |
200/200 |
7,100 |
running |
0 |
1998-09 |
Bristol |
38 |
2 |
2 |
24 |
Team Hendrick (Rick Hendrick) |
Chevrolet |
206/206 |
23,650 |
running |
19 |
1999-09 |
Bristol |
32 |
3 |
1 |
24 |
GMAC Financial (Rick Hendrick) |
Chevrolet |
200/200 |
37,025 |
running |
100 |
2004-16 |
Bristol |
36 |
18 |
28 |
16 |
Chevy Trucks (Steve Coulter) |
Chevrolet |
174/206 |
6,940 |
engine |
0 |
2005-17 |
Bristol |
36 |
6 |
3 |
16 |
Chevy Trucks (David Fuge) |
Chevrolet |
200/200 |
22,850 |
running |
0 |
2006-17 |
Bristol |
36 |
17 |
23 |
60 |
Con-way Freight (Jeff Wyler) |
Toyota |
199/200 |
9,865 |
running |
0 |
8 starts, 1529 of 1562 laps completed (97.9%), 119 laps led
Win: 1 ( 12.5%) Average start: 8.4 Total Winnings: $120,530
Top 5: 4 ( 50.0%) Average finish: 9.4
Top 10: 6 ( 75.0%) DNF: 1
(Statistics courtesy of www.racing-reference.info)
Jack Sprague Chases a Bonus from Craftsman:
Craftsman is celebrating its 80th anniversary this month and the “Official Tools of NASCAR” is offering a special bonus for teams competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events during the month of August. The team leading the race on lap 80 at Bristol Motor Speedway will receive an additional $8,000 prize. The Craftsman brand was introduced by Sears in 1927 as a line of axes and other cutting tools. Over the years it has grown to be the iconic brand of tools for mechanics, wood workers, gardeners and do-it-yourselfers. Today more than 90 percent of America homes have a Craftsman tool, and, according to a 2004 EquiTrend survey, Craftsman is rated the No. 1 brand in the nation for overall quality.
Introducing the 2007 Wyler Racing Team!:
No. 60 Toyota Tundra NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Team |
Employee Name |
Track Duties |
Shop Duties |
Tony Furr |
Crew Chief |
Team Manager |
Jack Sprague |
Driver |
|
Damien Dickson |
Engineer |
Engineer |
Mike Abner |
Jackman |
Truck Chief |
Ryan Barry |
Front Tire Changer |
Mechanic |
Jeffrey Galati |
Front Tire Carrier |
Mechanic |
Randy Bates |
Rear Tire Changer |
Mechanic |
Jeff Wilson |
Rear Tire Carrier |
Tire Specialist |
Tim Rice |
Gasman |
Mechanic |
Terry Lynch |
Second Gasman |
Transport Driver |
About Con-way Freight:
Con-way Freight is North America's premier commercial freight transportation company. Known for its high performing employees and superior service levels, the company provides less-than-truckload, services to commercial and industrial businesses in the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto, Canada and Mexico. With annual revenues of over $2.8 billion in 2006 and over 20,000 employees, Con-Way's operating successes have made it an industry leader.
