Happy Sprague closes in on third title

Stephen Hawkins

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2001 | 3:39 a.m.

Jack Sprague would rather chase championships than tailpipes, which explains why he's happy to be a fixture in the NASCAR truck series.

The two-time champion is the only driver to race in every event since the Craftsman Truck circuit began. And with three races to go in his seventh season, the 37-year-old driver From Spring Lake, Mich., has the inside line to a record-setting third title.

No, he's not beating Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart, but he also isn't spending each weekend finishing 30 or 40 spots behind them in a Winston Cup race. And by staying in the truck series, Sprague enjoys the thrill of each title chase.

"It's fun to be able to be in that situation every year and be that competitive," he said.

But Sprague doesn't judge success merely on championships. Like fellow Hendrick Motorsports driver Gordon, he knows you don't always win.

The idea is to compete, to be viable in the championship chase every year. Sprague has done that, twice finishing second and two more times fifth. Gordon is a perennial top-10 fixture on his non-winning seasons, meaning he rarely misses the excitement of the chase.

"To be competing for a championship is the best," Gordon said.

Sprague agrees, knowing that being competitive is all a driver can ask.

"We want to win this thing," he said. "If not, we've still had a good year. We've accomplished a lot in this series, we've got a lot of records and we'll go after it again next year."

In the tightest race since the inaugural season of 1995, Sprague has 3,240 points. That gives him a 64-point lead over Joe Ruttman and an 88-point edge on Scott Riggs as the circuit moves Sunday to Las Vegas.

The Orleans 350 is one three races remaining for Sprague, a four-time winner this season. The most recent of those victories, on Sept. 6 in Richmond, Va., gave him the points lead.

Holding the lead for a month is an impressive feat this season. In a six-race stretch between mid-July and Richmond, Sprague, Ruttman and Riggs exchanged the lead each time out.

Now, Sprague has a little breathing room, and plenty of confidence.

"If we can keep things going like they've been going, I think we'll be all right," he said.

As another successful season winds down, there again is speculation about Sprague's future. Will he stay in trucks? Will he move up and test his skills in Busch or Winston Cup?

He'll do whatever owner Rick Hendrick asks, as long as it's with Dennis Connor, his crew chief since the start.

"Like I told Rick three months ago, I'll race go-karts if it's my team with Dennis," Sprague said. "I just want to be competitive and I want to be around people that have got the same goals and objectives that I do, and not have to worry about knives flying in my back and things of that nature."

There have been other NASCAR opportunities.

"But none of them weighed out heavier that what I've got," Sprague said. "I choose to stay here."

With 23 career victories, he almost certainly will break Ron Hornaday's series record of 25. This season, Hornaday has just one top-10 finish in 27 Winston Cup starts and is 36th in points - numbers Sprague would not enjoy having.

"I've seen a lot of my friends and a lot of good race car drivers make bad moves and be miserable," he said. "Hornaday, he's an awesome driver and that's one example.

"He's maybe in a situation that he wishes he weren't, or he wonders why he did it. I'm just not going to do that."

Sprague also has become a mentor of sorts to teammate Ricky Hendrick, the 21-year-old son of the team owner. Hendrick has 17 top-10 finishes - actually two more than Sprague - and is sixth in points with one victory.

The friendship they have forged is another reason Sprague is happy right where he is.

"I'm just going to try to stay around people that want me around," he said.