Jack Sprague, Driver
#16 IWX Racing Chevy Trucks Silverado
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS - PROFESSIONAL PROFILE

Birthdate: August 8, 1964
Birthplace: Spring Lake, MI
Family: Wife - Rhonda  Daughter – Paige
Residence: Concord, NC
Height: 5’ 7” - Weight: 145 lbs.

• Click here for Career Stats

Jack Sprague returns to familiar territory in 2004 as the driver of the #16 IWX Racing Chevy Trucks Silverado in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS). With a total of five NCTS championships between them, the team will be the flagship of a formidable Chevrolet contingent when the green flag waves on February 13, 2004 at Daytona International Speedway.

Sprague’s union with IWX Racing marks his return to the series where he has experienced the most success. The 39-year old Michigan native captured the NCTS crown in 1997, 1999 and 2001. The IWX Racing Team won the series’ championship in 2002 with Mike Bliss and 2003 with Travis Kvapil.

“I’m extremely happy to be able to drive for IWX Racing this season," said Sprague. "This team is all about winning races and championships…that's what I'm all about.

“Winning two consecutive championships in the Truck Series is a powerful statement about the team’s dedication to every detail that translates to consistent performance. As a driver, it gives me tremendous confidence to know my Chevy Trucks Silverado will be competitive every time we unload it from the hauler. I had that in the Truck Series at Hendrick Motorsports and I believe I have the same level of commitment and strength at IWX Racing.”

"This team is about winning races and winning championships," said team manager Dave Fuge. "We did both the last two years and I believe we will be right back in the championship hunt again this year.

"Jack adds strength to our team. He's the only three-time series champion and second on the all-time win list, with 23. He is a very talented driver and we're happy to have him joining us this year.

"With Jack on board, we were able to complete the program with a partnership with Chevy Trucks as both our sponsor and manufacturer, “ Fuge concluded. “Chevrolet has demonstrated their commitment to the Truck Series time and time again and has numerous Manufacturer Championships to show for their efforts. We know Jack is focused and ready to win. Add all of this to our commitment as a team, and it equals a program poised to continue winning in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for years to come."

“When we finished testing in Daytona, I was ready to go racing,” Sprague continued. “The truck felt great. Aerodynamically, we worked well in the draft. On our own, the engine was strong. Dave (Fuge) and I communicated well from virtually the start of our testing, which quickly added to the progress we made on the track. The new generation Goodyear tire worked well with our handling package. I know I left the test confident we were ready to race at Daytona. Dave and the crew were pumped up as well.”

Not everyone can boast they have been one of the best in almost everything they have set their sights on and Jack Sprague is not one to brag. However, given his results in the NCTS, his success in the NASCAR Busch Grand National Series that included poles and a victory, as well as several solid runs in the NASCAR Cup division, one shouldn’t have a problem assuming he has earned the right to make such a boast if he was inclined to do so.

Sprague has never taken his career lightly. He never imagined he’d enjoy the kind of career success he’s had when he first began his racing career driving street stock cars at a track located near his native Spring Lake, MI. A pair of track championships at Thunderbird and Winston Raceways in Muskegon, MI quickly had Sprague looking for other challenges.

In 1987, Sprague headed south to Charlotte, NC to try his hand in NASCAR Winston Racing Series Late Model Division competition. He had immediate success winning the Big Ten Championship at Concord (NC) Motorsports Park, the Cracker Classic at New Smyrna (FL) Speedway and the Speedworld 100 at Orlando, FL.

Over the next two seasons, Sprague was nearly unbeatable winning more than 30 Late Model Stock Car events. Another Big Ten title, as well as a NASCAR Winston Racing Series crown at Concord Motorsports Park was included in that mix.

Sprague continued to branch out in 1990 fielding his own NASCAR Busch Series entry in several events. Over the next three seasons, Sprague ran a select schedule of races with great success winning pole positions at Charlotte Motor and Dover Downs International Speedways. His best finish during this period came at New River Valley Speedway where he posted a second-place effort in the 1992 Grainger Select 200.

After a full season in the No. 74 Bace Motorsports Busch Series entry, Sprague returned to the Winston Racing Series ranks in 1994 winning a staggering 21 of 22 races he entered. The stellar season earned Sprague runner-up honors in the NASCAR Winston Racing Series Atlantic Region title chase.

The debut of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1995 proved to be a major career break for Sprague. After scoring 10 top-10 finishes in the un-sponsored Bruce Griffin-owned Chevrolet over the first 13 races of the season, Sprague hooked up with legendary NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick for the final seven events of the season. The team posted five top-10 finishes in those events serving notice it would be a combination to watch in 1996.

Sprague wasted little time earning his first NCTS career victory winning the third race of the 1996 season – the Desert Star Classic at Phoenix (AZ) International Raceway. Four more wins and a second-place finish in the point’s championship rounded out the rest of the 1996 season.

Sprague then grabbed his first NCTS title in 1997 winning three times and posting a whopping 16 top-5 finishes in 26 events. Five more wins in 1998 and a three-win season in 1999, Sprague’s second NCTS championship effort, followed. Through the first five years of the series, Sprague totaled 16 victories and 70 top-5 finishes in 122 events. More impressively, Sprague had just six DNF’s (did not finish) during that span.

The 2000 NCTS campaign proved to be an up and down affair for Sprague as three early wins had him at the forefront of the season championship battle. An uncharacteristic string of bad luck midway through the year dropped Sprague to fifth in the final season standings.

The disappointment of the previous season fired Sprague’s determination and set the stage for the 2001 season where he dominated the competition en route to a record third NCTS title. Scoring a record seven poles, four wins, 15 top-five finishes and 17-top-ten runs in 24 starts, he locked up the title to sit alone as the only three-time champion.

Sprague ended his first seven-years in the NCTS with a host of series records. In addition to being the only driver to compete in all 170 NCTS races contested in the first seven years of the division, Sprague owns series records for most top-5s (100); most top-10s (135); and pole positions (22). Sprague is also the NCTS all-time leader in money won (more than $4.3 million); laps led; laps completed; miles led; and miles completed.

A solid 2002 season in the NASCAR Busch series that included three poles, a win at Nashville Speedway and a top-five points ranking at season’s end further added to Sprague’s credentials as a competitor in any series, He was given the opportunity to move to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2003 but returning to the NCTS was always in the back of mind. Sprague was quick to rejoin the series with IWX Racing when the opportunity presented itself in the fall of 2003.

“I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to compete in both the Busch and Cup Series,” concluded Sprague. “But I have always thrived on the diversity and challenges in the NASCAR Truck Series. Every race driver has goals that fuel their determination to succeed in their specific racing division. The uniqueness, level of competition, variety of tracks and continued growth of the Truck Series has always held an intrigue for me. At this point in my career, I feel the Truck Series has territory yet to be conquered and is exactly where I want to direct my focus for the coming years. I have a tremendous opportunity with IWX Racing and Chevy Trucks to set and accomplish new goals in 2004 and beyond.”

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