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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Hanes 250 Preview: #24, Jack Sprague

23 September 1997

             SPRAGUE PREPS FOR FAST AND FURIOUS TITLE FINISH


CHARLOTTE, NC - After a "near miss" in last year's NASCAR Craftsman
Truck Series title chase, Quaker State driver Jack Sprague is ready to
take care of some unfinished business.

Sprague, who has carried his No. 24 Quaker State/Hendrick Motorsports
Chevrolet to three wins and amassed 3,061 points to lead the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series overall standings, currently enjoys a 95-point
lead over second-place driver Rich Bickle. Last season, Sprague was
edged by Ron Hornaday (3,831-3,778 in total points) for the 1996
Craftsman Series championship.

With six races remaining on the 1997 schedule, it's Sprague and Bickle
who are tied for the most top-5 finishes with 13. Hornaday, meanwhile,
looms just off the pace in third place with regard to point (2,902)
and top-5 efforts (12).

Sprague's most recent performance did nothing to dispel thoughts of a
championship as the Kannapolis, NC resident barreled to a second-place
finish behind Bob Keselowski in the Virginia Is For Lovers 200 back on
Sept. 4 in Richmond. The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is in the midst
of a 23-day hiatus before action resumes in Martinsville, VA on
Sept. 27 with the running of the Hanes 250.

"I want to win more races this year and I think we will. But that's
not the important thing. The big picture is to win the
championship. The part that really gets me pumped up is the last three
races are great tracks for us," Sprague said. "We'll see how it goes
and we'll do the best we can and see if we can't win this thing for
Quaker State, Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet."

It's hard to blame Sprague for getting a little excited about the last
three stops on this year's schedule at Fontana (2-mile), Phoenix
(1-mile) and Las Vegas (1.5-mile). Each track is one-mile or longer
and if history is any indication, the added distance will only help
"Mile Track Jack" in his bid to become this season's champion. In
seven races last year at a mile or longer, Sprague won five of those
events and placed second twice. Included in the handful of victories
were important wins at Phoenix and Las Vegas, the final two events of
the 1996 schedule.

Another strong stretch drive like that and it will be Sprague, not
Hornaday, picking up the Craftsman Truck Series championship hardware
in 1997. After coming so close last year and being the frontrunner
this season, does Sprague feel even more pressure to get the job done
this time around?

"Not really. If you look at it, we got the job done last year. It was
the 29th place at Richmond (following a late-race accident in the Fas
Mart Truck Shootout) that took us out of it. In terms of the team's
overall performance last year, we did everything that we could have
done," Sprague said. "You have to remember that it was the first year
for our team and I think getting that close, with the second place
finish, was quite an accomplishment."

NOTE: Quaker State/Hendrick Motorsports driver Jack Sprague is
scheduled to take part in an "on-line" chat session with Capital
Networks on Sept. 23 between 7-7:30 p.m. Racing fans are encouraged to
send their questions and comments to Jack during this 1/2-hour
interview. Just stop by www.raceshop.com on the internet and find out
all you wanted to know about Quaker State/Hendrick Motorsports driver
Jack Sprague.

By Muhleman Marketing