Sprague,
NetZero Chevrolet Ready to Challenge the "Monster Mile"
DOVER, DE (May 29,
2002) - Jack Sprague doesn't 'white knuckle' when he is racing on the track
known as the 'Monster Mile'. In fact, Sprague welcomes the hardcore racing that
Dover International Speedway produces and is looking forward to this weekend's
MBNA Platinum 200 NASCAR Busch Series race at the one-mile concrete track.
"I've always had a
pretty good time racing at Dover, even when I ran into some bad luck," said
Sprague, who had one of the hardest crashes of his career in the inaugural
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Dover in 2000. "Dover is one of the
wildest places we race at. The straights are banked more than the corners at
most other tracks we race at. It's a different feeling racing there. You
carry a lot of speed into the corner. You're actually driving down hill into
the banking."
Sprague has seven
career starts at Dover, including racing on the ultra-fast facility before it
was concrete. Sprague's resume at Dover includes four starts in the Top-10,
including the outside pole for the 1991 Splitfire 200 NBS event, and two Top-10
finishes.
"I think I ran enough
races at Dover over the years to know what to expect," said Sprague. "I know
that if you come out of there with a car in one piece, you're doing really well.
I'm really hoping we get a good qualifying run because that will be our best way
of staying out of trouble. We need to stay at the front of the field all day to
make sure we're in a good position at the end. Dover is one of those tracks
that if you have a car that's running good, then the race is a lot of fun. If
not, it's a miserable place to just be going around in circles all day."
Sprague will be racing the same car he had a great third-place finish at New
Hampshire a few weeks back. The car didn't qualifying where Sprague had hoped,
but it was one that raced well and Sprague felt comfortable in.
"I'm excited about
going to Dover," said Sprague. "It's a tough track, but that's what makes it so
much fun. It can be hard on tires, but I think Goodyear's given us good tires
all year so that shouldn't be a problem.. If we can just stay out of trouble,
the NetZero Chevy should have a good day."
Sprague enters this
weekend's MBNA Platinum 200 with four Top-5 and nine Top-10 finishes in 13 races
this season. The only three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, Sprague
is currently second in the point's race with 1387 markers, 21 points behind
first-place, Jason Keller.
The MBNA Platinum 200
NASCAR Busch Series race at Dover Downs Speedway will take the green flag
Saturday, June 1 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The event will be
telecast live on FX. MRN Radio will also broadcast the race 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 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.
