Jack Sprague – No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota Tundra Quaker Steak and Lube 200 presented by Circle K Race Preview

Lowe’s Motor Speedway - Race 6 of 25 in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series; Racetrack:  Lowe’s Motor Speedway; Race:  Quaker Steak and Lube 200 presented by Circle K; Location:  Concord, N.C.; Track Length:  1.5-Mile Banked Paved Oval; Race Distance:  134 Laps / 201 Miles; Broadcast Coverage:  SPEED; Radio Coverage:  MRN; Date:  Friday, May 18th, 2007; Time:  9 p.m. ET.

Jack Sprague on Racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway:

"I love racing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  There is nothing more that I want to do than win here in our own backyard. A win here would just be incredibly special since this is the home track for so many of these race teams.  I’m really confident that the Con-way Freight Toyota is going to be one of the top running trucks at Lowe’s Motor Speedway this Friday night.”

Jack Sprague on Testing at Lowe’s Motor Speedway:

If the open test session at Lowe’s Motor Speedway last week was any indication on how the Wyler Racing team will perform during Friday night’s Quaker Steak and Lube 200, Jack Sprague will have a shot at winning in his fourth career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  “I know the guys gave me two great trucks here at the test,” said Sprague last week during the test session at the Concord, N.C. track.  “Hopefully we can come back on Friday and at least contend for the win.”  A win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway has eluded Sprague so far, which is surprising since Sprague has won at 14 of 22 tracks on the current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule.  "I don't know what it is," Sprague said. "I love this place. I won the first Sportsman race the track had - I can run fast here."  Sprague certainly ran fast during the last NASCAR-sanctioned test of the year, posting speeds in the top-five during both days of testing at the 1.5-mile oval.

Interesting Information:
Jack Sprague scored his 200th career top-10 in NASCAR’s elite divisions after taking the checkered flag in third position during the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250 on Saturday, April 28th at Kansas Speedway. 

Crew Chief Tony Furr Calls Concord Home:
Tony Furr, Crew Chief of the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota, was born and raised in Concord, N.C. in the shadows of Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  Furr was first introduced to motorsports at an early age by his father, Henry, who operated Concord Motorsport Park from 1972 until 1997.  As a teenager, Furr began building NASCAR late model sportsman cars and soon became a car owner, where he won six consecutive track Championships.  Furr began his NASCAR Nextel Cup Series career as a Crew Chief for Close Racing, directing the team during the 1989 and 1990 Nextel Cup Series seasons.  Furr moved to Hendrick Motorsports in 1991 where he served as Car Chief until joining the Stavola Brothers team for the 1992 campaign.  Furr then moved on to serve as Crew Chief for Jasper Motorsports, Nemco Motorsports, and Cale Yarborough’s operation before returning to Hendrick Motorsports prior to the 1998 season.  After leaving Hendrick Motorsports in 2001, Furr spent time with Evernham Motorsports, Morgan McClure Motorsports, and Haas CNC Racing before becoming a part of the Toyota efforts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.  Under Furr’s leadership, Jack Sprague and the No. 60 Con-way Freight team grabbed two poles, two wins, and a fifth-place finish in the Championship Point Standings last year.  Furr currently resides in Concord with his wife Shannon.

Sprague’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Career Stats at Lowe’s Motor Speedway:
Jack Sprague may have his best shot at winning at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (LMS) when he returns with the No. 60 Con-way Freight Toyota Tundra this Friday night following a two-day test session at the 1.5-mile oval.  In three previous NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) starts at LMS, Sprague has qualified in the top-13 each time but has fallen short of a desirable finish.  Sprague’s career-best NCTS finish at LMS came in 2004 when he finished 26th while driving the No. 16 Chevy Trucks Chevrolet.  Sprague hopes to change those statistics on Friday night.

 3 starts, 335 of 404 laps completed (82.9%), 0 laps led

Win:     0 (  0.0%)     Average start:  11.7     Total Winnings: $23,495

Top 5:   0 (  0.0%)     Average finish: 29.0

Top 10:  0 (  0.0%)     DNF: 0

(Statistics courtesy of www.racing-reference.info)

Jack Sprague’s Past Performances at LMS:

Jack Sprague has raced in 11 other events at LMS including one NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and 10 NASCAR Busch Series events.  Sprague grabbed the pole for the NBS race at LMS in 1991 before taking the checkered flag in fifth position.  In his 10 NBS starts at LMS, Sprague has one top-five and two top-10 finishes, but has fallen short of the checkered flag seven times due to various mechanical problems.  Sprague’s lone NASCAR Nextel Cup Series start at LMS came in 2003, where he qualified 5th and finished 22nd while driving the NetZero Pontiac.

Introducing the 2007 Wyler Racing Team!:

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, truckload, expedite, truckload brokerage, airfreight forwarding and retail distribution services to commercial and industrial businesses in the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto, and Mexico. With annual revenues of over $2.8 billion in 2005 and over 20,000 employees, Con-Way's operating successes have made it an industry leader.