POLE SITTER: Jack Sprague leads all active Truck Series drivers at Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park (MMP) with three pole positions at the three-quarter mile facility.  

“The funny thing is I really hate qualifying,” said Sprague.  “It is one of the most nerve racking things we do as a race car drivers.  You don’t want to tear up a good race truck, but you really want to be the one who can push your vehicle to the edge and make one fast lap.  I love getting poles but putting tallies in the win column is what we’re really here for.  Another win at Memphis would be just what the No. 2 American Commercial Lines (ACL) team could use right now to turn our luck around.” 

KHI LAP LEADERS: Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) teammates Ron Hornaday and Sprague sit first and second in laps led at MMP.  Hornaday has led 135 laps in the past three events.  Sprague is a close second, leading 133 laps.  Between the two they have led 45 percent of the total laps in the past three Truck Series events at MMP.

STATS STALLION:  In eight starts at Memphis, Sprague has two wins, the most recent coming in 2006, three top-five and six top-10 finishes. 

Jack Sprague Quotes:

WHAT IS THE KEY TO MAKING A FAST LAP AT MEMPHIS? “The key to making a fast lap at Memphis is not about the first lap but the second. For some reason in the past, the tires we have to run take a good lap to get heat in them. So being able to get all you can out of the tires the first lap so they are primed for the second is crucial.  Then it is really about rolling through the center of the corners and not having to lift.” 

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT RACING AT MEMPHIS? “I really like going to Memphis to race, because it is usually hot and slick.  The three-quarter-mile oval lends itself to tight, beating and banging racing. I would like to get back to victory lane so I can get that cool trophy.  I would love to add another Elvis to my trophy case.”

CHASSIS HISTORY: The KHI No. 2 ACL team will be taking chassis No. 021 to MMP.  Chassis No. 021 set a new track record and sat on the pole at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway earlier this season.  This chassis also competed at Mansfield (Ohio) Motorsports Park where Sprague scored his third top-10 finish of the 2008 season.  

PREVIOUS RACE RECAP: Sprague and the No. 2 ACL team started the Camping World RV Sales 200 from the fifth position.  Running in the third position on lap 98, Sprague was pinched down on the race track by Johnny Benson. When Sprague checked up to avoid Benson he was hit from behind, causing the No. 2 to spin around and was hit by several on-coming trucks causing left-front and left-rear fender damage.  By the end of the event at The Milwaukee Mile the No. 2 team was fighting a loose-handling truck but was able to stay on the lead lap finishing 13th.

ABOUT AMERICAN COMMERCIAL LINES: 

American Commercial Lines is a leader in the marine transportation and manufacturing business.  Through its subsidiary companies, ACL owns and operates approximately 2,800 barges and 160 towboats; transporting a vast array of cargos such as grain, coal, steel, chemicals, petroleum products, edible oils, fertilizers and construction materials on the U.S. inland waterways.  ACL also owns the largest single-site manufacturing facility for vessels in the United States, offering technically advanced marine design and manufacturing capabilities for both inland and ocean service vessels.  ACL is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol ACLI.  For more information about ACL generally, visit www.aclines.com. 

ABOUT KEVIN HARVICK INC.:

Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI), established in 2001, is a 70,000 sq. ft. facility located in Kernersville, N.C.  KHI houses two full time Truck Series teams: the No. 33 Camping World/VFW Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday as well as the No. 2 American Commercial Lines (ACL)/RVs.com Chevrolet Silverado driven by three-time Truck Series champion Jack Sprague.  KHI is also home to the No. 33 Camping World/RoadLoans.com/ Rheem Chevrolet driven by two-time Nationwide Series champion Kevin Harvick, Ron Hornaday and Cale Gale and the No. 77 Rheem/VFW Chevrolet driven by Cale Gale and Ron Hornaday competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.  2008 marks KHI’s fifth year of full-time competition in NASCAR’s elite divisions.  Please visit www.kevinharvickinc.com for more information. 

QUICK NOTES

Race Info 

June 28, 2008

Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park

O’Reilly 200 

Race length: 200 Laps/150 Miles

Banking/Turns: 11-degrees in turns;

4-degrees on straight-a-ways

Track layout: 0.75-mile
Shape: Oval

Pre-Race Schedule

Friday:

Practice: 6:00 p.m. -7:15 p.m., EST

Final Practice: 8:30 p.m. -9:45 p.m., EST

Saturday:

Qualifying: 6:00 p.m., EST

TV: O’Reilly 200 can be seen on SPEED at 8:30 p.m., EST

Radio: The Motor Racing Network (MRN) will broadcast live at 9:00 p.m., EST

Truck Specs:

Chassis: 021

Engine: Pro Motors Engineering (PME)

Jack Sprague Truck Series Memphis Stats

Starts: 8

Wins: 2 (2000, 2006)

Poles: 3

Top-Five’s: 3

Top 10’s: 6
Laps Led: 288

Average Start: 5.5

Average Finish: 8.1