Jack Sprague and the Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) No. 2 American Commercial Lines (ACL)/RVs.com Team Prepare to Hit the Mid-Season Stretch

The 2008 season began with a few bumps in the road for the No. 2 ACL/RVs.com team. However, with much perseverance they scored their first top-10 finish of the season, a sixth at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“We were a third-place truck in Atlanta, but were caught up during that last caution with the rain,” said Sprague. “I really see this team growing. My truck handled great all race. After our bad luck at Daytona and handling issues at California, the way we ran this weekend gives me and this team a lot of encouragement as we head to a place I love, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.”

After experiencing success at Atlanta, the team took their momentum to the paperclip shaped .526-mile, Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, for a two-day test session. Sprague was fast during both days of testing, rounding out the session second fastest overall.

“We are just trying some stuff,” said Sprague following testing. “I’ve always had a good amount of success here at Martinsville. I think that the key when we come back is qualifying. It is so hard to pass here. If you can qualify up front, have a good handling truck and be in the top five at the end, then you have a shot at the win. The entire team and I are excited about the first short-track race of the season.”

During the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway Sprague scored his 33rd career Truck Series pole setting a new track record with a lap of 19.65 seconds. Ironically, his pole speed was one thousandth faster than NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Jeff Gordon’s pole speed from the previous day.

“I really hate qualifying, it is such a nerve racking experience,” said a relieved Sprague. “I’m really proud of my guys and everyone at KHI for putting good quality equipment under me. I see this as the first step to getting us to victory lane.”

Unfortunately, Martinsville did not yield the results that Sprague or the No. 2 ACL/RVs.com team would have wanted. Leading a total of 28 laps Sprague and the No. 2 ACL/RVs.com team were involved in two on track incidents relegating them to a 24th place finish.

However, Sprague and the No. 2 ACL/RVs.com team have come a long way in a short period of time. Running on a limited basis in 2007, the No. 2 truck competed with drivers Cale Gale, Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer and Daniel Pope II. The truck provided seat time for Gale and Pope, as well as provided KHI co-owner Harvick and Sprint Cup Series driver Bowyer with the opportunity to release some competitive juices on the way to helping the No. 33 truck team win the 2007 Truck Series Championship.

Sprague and the No. 2 team came into the 2008 season with a brand new team and brand new race trucks that needed a little tweaking. Following some bad luck at Daytona and California, crew chief Ernie Cope feels like the team is slowly coming together.

“I’m really pleased with our progress,” said Cope. “I think we had a lot of pressure on us as we began this year. Hornaday winning the championship last year for KHI and being paired with a three-time Truck Series champion in Jack, it has been tough not losing sight of the fact that we are a brand new team. We have all began communicating really well and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.”

With a three week hiatus for the Truck Series, Sprague and the No. 2 ACL/RVs.com team will next head to Kansas Speedway. Following a few more weeks off, Sprague and the NASCAR Truck Series begin their summer shootout series. The cool days of winter will soon be gone as the series heads to Charlotte, Mansfield, Dover, Texas, Michigan and Memphis for a six-race stretch to see which teams have came together and which ones will melt under pressure.

Partners:
American Commercial Lines (ACL)
	“We look forward to a successful 2008 NASCAR season with Jack Sprague and the Kevin Harvick, Inc. team.  The partnership with KHI will bring greater visibility to ACL, improving our reach to prospective employees while offering exciting and unique customer entertainment, employee recognition and branding opportunities,” said Shayne Ingersoll, ACL Vice President of Human Resources.
Georgia Boot
	"Georgia Boot recognizes the marketing power of NASCAR and we wanted to align ourselves with KHI because it is one of the best teams in the sport,” said Doug Kamerer, Marketing and Product Line manager for Georgia Boot. “We consider our footwear to be 'America's hardest working boots' and we are so excited about partnering with NASCAR's hardest working race team."
RVs.com
	“Our support of Jack Sprague and the No. 2 truck program by RVs.com will add to the growing awareness of the features and benefits of our website for all RV enthusiasts,”   said Ken Marshall, President of E-Commerce of FreedomRoads & Camping World. “NASCAR fans continue to react positively to our sponsorships and they are exploring the benefits of RVs.com in growing numbers.”