Sprague, NetZero Chevy Lose Their Shine and the Points Lead with Five to go at Daytona

     DAYTONA BEACH, FL (July 6, 2002) - Jack Sprague and his NetZero Chevrolet ended up with a headache of their own after finishing 28th in the Stacker2/GNC Live Well 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at Daytona International Speedway Friday. Sprague's disappointing finish was compliments of the No. 92 Excedrin car and driver Todd Bodine when he got into the No. 24 Chevy, causing Sprague to get loose and take one of the hardest hits of anyone this season.  The effort allowed the three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion to retain the NBS point lead by 46 markers ahead of runner-up Greg Biffle.
"People must have thought this race was at Martinsville Speedway and not Daytona," said Sprague who lost the point's lead to event winner Greg Biffle. "I was drafting Johnny (Sauter) and working with him all night and five laps to go and Todd (Bodine) is beating the crap out of the side of his car and about wrecked him.  So, I help Johnny get past him going down the front stretch and we get to the dogleg and then Todd started beating me all up.  He got me good going into Turn 1 and I wasn't able to gather it up coming off Turn 2 and we wrecked hard."

    Sprague disappointing inaugural Daytona NBS race under the lights began when his No. 24 NetZero Chevrolet Monte Carlo posted the ninth quickest time in qualifying rolling to a lap of 183.887 miles per hour.  While the run was a solid Top-10 effort, the Spring Lake, MI driver's night made a turn for the worst.

    At the start of the 100-lap event, Sprague's NetZero Chevy was a bit tight and hard to keep on the bottom of the track, but with a minor adjustment and fresh tires, the No. 24 Chevy began it's march to the Top-10.  Sprague was lucky midway through the event as he was able to avoid the first real big wreck of the night, involving the cars of Randy LaJoie, Kerry Earnhardt and Bobby Hamilton, Jr.

    It wasn't until lap 95 that the Hendrick Motorsports team held their breath.  Sprague was in the 10th position and managed to clinch the eight spot, but then Sprague's stellar performance made a turn for the worst as he took a hard lick into the wall.  Sprague was released from the Infield Care Center with a clean bill of health, but wasn't feeling the best as he watched his destroyed racecar rolling onto the Transporter.  indeed with only 5 circuits remaining.

    "We didn't qualify too bad," said Sprague.  "I definitely thought it should have been a better lap - more like a 48.60 rather than a 48.90, but still a good effort for us. That doesn't matter now.  We wrecked at Talladega, rebuilt the car and brought it back here and now we're going home with it wrecked again.  I just can't figure it out.  We have a total mess of a racecar and with only five laps to go. I try like hell to race everyone clean every week and each week there's always the same guys acting like idiots."

    Sprague earned $17,885 for his 28th-place finish and fell to third in the 2002 NBS point standings with 2492 points.  He is currently 45 markers behind leader Greg Biffle.

    Next up for Sprague and the NetZero Chevy will be the Tropicana Twister 300 Presented by Sam's Club at Chicagoland Speedway. The event will take the green flag Saturday, July 13 at 3 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.  The 19th of 34 NASCAR Busch Series races this season will be telecast live on NBC. MRN Radio will also broadcast the race live worldwide on more than 400 stations including the American Armed Forces Network.

ABOUT NETZERO.
NetZero is a United Online company.  United Online is a leading value-priced Internet service provider that commenced operations in September 2001 as the result of its acquisition of NetZero and Juno Online Services -- two of the most recognized Internet access brands in the United States and Canada. Through its subsidiaries, United Online offers both free and value-priced Internet access services in more than 5,000 cities. The company is headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., with offices in New York City and Hyderabad, India. United Online's common stock is traded on the Nasdaq National Market under the ticker symbol "UNTD."   For more information about NetZero and United Online, visit http://www.unitedonline.net.   To obtain a NetZero CD, please call 1-800-DEFENDER.