Sprague, NetZero Chevy
Poised to Burn Rubber Again at Richmond
RICHMOND, VA (April 27, 2002) - Jack Sprague and Kevin Harvick staged a
fender-banging finish in last year's Kroger 200 NASCAR Craftsman Truck
Series race at Richmond International Raceway with Sprague eventually taking
the checkered flag. While the last laps of the event had the fans on the
edge of their seats, it was Sprague's flaming, rubber-burning post-race
display that brought the fans to their feet and immediately earned him the
title of "King of Burnouts".
"Last
year's win in the Truck Series at Richmond was one of the coolest ever for
me," said Sprague, who will return to Richmond this weekend behind the wheel
of the No. 24 NetZero Chevy Monte Carlo NASCAR Busch Series Monte Carlo.
"The crowd was going wild. My crew was trying to tell me the truck was on
fire but I didn't care. Afterward, guys from the Winston Cup garage were
coming up to me saying that was the greatest burnout they'd ever seen. What
a blast. The only thing I love better than racing at Richmond is winning at
Richmond. It was a great victory for our team. We had a lot of success in
the Truck Series at Richmond over the years.. Now we're back to do it in the
Busch Series."
Sprague's career record at the .750-mile Richmond track is one he has every
right to be proud of. The Spring Lake, MI native also won the 1998 Virginia
Is For Lovers 200 NCTS event and owns a seventh-place starting and finishing
average in seven Truck Series races at the track. Sprague also has three RIR
Busch Series starts to his credit, the best finish an 11th in the 1992
Hardees 200.
"I love
racing at Richmond, it's one of my favorite tracks," said Sprague, "I always
look forward to racing there because it's a racer's track. The facility is
great and the track is very smooth. I've had a lot of great runs at Richmond
in the past and I think the track likes me as much as I like it."
Returning to the Busch Series on a full-time after a seven-year break,
Sprague and his Hendrick Motorsports crew have proven to be just as
formidable in the Stock Car ranks as they were in the Truck Series scoring
seven Top-10 finishes in the first nine events of the season. Currently,
Sprague is leading the NBS championship chase and enters the Hardee's 200
NBS at Richmond off a fourth-place finish in the most recent NBS event at
California Speedway. Sprague would like nothing better than to augment
those totals with a victory at Richmond this weekend.
"I sure
would like another win at Richmond, especially in a Busch Series car, "
Sprague explained. "We've always had awesome Trucks there and the results
show that. I never did that well when I ran the few Busch races at Richmond
early in my career. The situation back then wasn't the best and I was a lot
different driver then. Now, I have a lot more experience and the team I have
is the best that's out there as far as I'm concerned. There are no excuses
to not doing well now."
The
Hardee's 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at Richmond International Raceway will
take the green flag Friday, May 3 at 7:40 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The
event will be the ninth of 34 NASCAR Busch Series races this season and will
be telecast live on FX. MRN Radio will also broadcast the race live.
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.
