NASCAR Craftsman Truck Sears DieHard 200 Preview -- #24, Jack Sprague
2 July 1997
#24 Jack Sprague, Quaker State Chevrolet NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Sears DieHard 200 Advance The Milwaukee Mile 'MILE-TRACK JACK' AND THE MILWAUKEE MILE WEST ALLIS, WI - Like Brooks to Dunn and Tiger Woods to the long tee shot, Jack Sprague is to the mile tracks on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series -- a comfortable fit. Sprague, driver of the Quaker State 4X4 Motor Oil Chevrolet, was last year's winner at the Milwaukee Mile and is looking for a repeat performance at the one-mile track in West Allis, Wisconsin. Sprague has six career wins on superspeedways, including the Sears DieHard 200 last summer at Milwaukee, when he set a track record in his Quaker State Chevrolet with an average speed of 87.816 mph in a record time of 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 39 seconds on July 6. "I'm just real comfortable on the larger tracks," noted Sprague. "We came to Milwaukee last July on a high note" (after winning on the one-mile track at Nazareth the week before). We wanted to keep the momentum, we were hungry." The Quaker State team captured the pole at Milwaukee and Crew Chief Dennis Connor began to see the potential that existed with the combination of Sprague's driving abilities, and the strength of the Hendrick motor, especially on the larger tracks. Connor and the Quaker State crew gave Sprague the nickname, 'Mile-Track Jack' or 'One-Mile Jack' and the young driver from Spring Lake, Michigan has lived up to the name in his third year in the NASCAR Craftsman series. Earlier this season, Sprague took the checkered flag at Phoenix to become the first series competitor to win three consecutive events at the same track. Phoenix is, of course, a 1-mile speedway. On July 5, look for Sprague to qualify up front and set the tempo for this year's Sears DieHard 200. Sprague, driving the #24 Quaker State 4X4 Motor Oil Chevrolet, likes to make a move early in the race at Milwaukee. One thing is for sure: Milwaukee's one-mile oval is a comfortable fit for 'Mile-Track Jack.' By Muhleman Marketing