t
NASCAR Truck Series Race
2 of 25 — California
Speedway
DAYTONA RECAP: Racing at
Daytona (Fla.) International
Speedway is always an
adventure. Jack Sprague and
the No. 2 RVs.com team went
into the first race of the
season with a fast truck and
hopes for a win. However,
Sprague was caught up in the
first accident of the night,
sustaining major left front
fender damage. From then on,
Sprague and team tried to
recover, but a tire rub
resulted in two flat left
front tires and two
unscheduled green-flag pit
stops. Remaining positive,
the team continued to rally
as they finished the race
with a 19th place finish.
THIRD TIMES THE CHARM:
Sprague is no stranger to
victory lane at California
Speedway. Sprague recorded
two of his 28 career
victories at the 2-mile
track, scoring back to back
wins in 1998 and 1999.
Sprague and the
No. 2 RVs.com Chevrolet
team hopes that the third
time is the charm as they
make a bid for the 2008
NASCAR Truck Series
championship.
BY THE NUMBERS:
California Speedway has been
a very successful track for
Sprague. In nine starts he
has recorded two wins, six
top-five and seven top-10
finishes. Last year Sprague
finished third behind KHI
teammate Ron Hornaday.
CHASSIS HISTORY: For the
second week in a row the No.
2 RVs.com team will roll out
a brand new chassis. Chassis
number 021 will make its
debut at California Speedway
Saturday for the San
Bernardino County 200. The
team used this chassis
briefly in testing at the
Atlanta Motor Speedway at
the end of January.
TRUCKIN’ ACROSS THE
COUNTRY: Todd Dodson, hauler
driver of the No. 2 RVs.com
Chevrolet, returned to the
U.S. eight months ago from a
13-month tour of duty in
Iraq. Dodson has spent 10
years as a U.S. Army
National Reservist. He
returns home to wife Addie
and two children Taylor and
Tyler. Dodson served his
country as a marine and
insurgent from 1990-95.
Dodson then volunteered for
active duty and was deployed
to Iraq in April 2006.
Moving to serve in a
different capacity upon
return from Iraq, Dodson
joined the Kevin Harvick
Inc. (KHI) family in
November 2007, to drive the
hauler of the No. 2 American
Commercial Lines/RVs.com
Chevrolet. “Anybody that
serves your country you
certainly have to be proud
of and have a lot of respect
for. I certainly do with
Todd," said Sprague of his
teammate.
Jack Sprague Quotes:
YOU ARE A TWO-TIME WINNER
AT THE CALIFORNIA SPEEDWAY,
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO WIN
HERE?
“Really winning at
California takes what it
takes at every track. You
need a strong motor, and a
good handling race truck.
It’s tough here because you
can have a good truck to
begin with but as the day
progresses the track gets
really slick. Things can go
away in a hurry here, so you
really have to race the race
track.”
HOW DO YOU THINK THE NEW
RESTRICTOR PLATE AND GEAR
RULE WILL AFFECT YOUR TRUCK?
“I really do not know how
these new rules are going to
affect the truck. Everyone
is really going to be able
to hold things wide open. I
guess we just have to hold
it wide open longer than
everyone else.”
AFTER THE CHALLENGES FROM
LAST WEEK, WHAT DO YOU
EXPECT GOING INTO
CALIFORNIA?
“I feel like Daytona was
kind of a fluke. I really
believe we have a shot to go
into California and win the
race. At least that is where
my mind is set. That is how
I came into the season with
the goal of winning. I
believe that Ernie (Cope)
and the guys have prepared
me a good race truck. We
learned a little from the
Atlanta test session in
January that we can apply
here. I hope to be sitting
in the No. 2 RVs.com truck
in victory lane on
Saturday.”
Ernie Cope Quotes:
HOW DOES CALIFORNIA
SPEEDWAY DIFFER FROM A PLACE
LIKE DAYTONA?
“To be honest, now that
we are running restrictor
plates at all the tracks, I
do not believe there will be
a lot of differences. I
think we will see a whole
lot more separation between
trucks and not as many
multi-car incidents.”
WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IN
CALIFORNIA, HANDLING OR
HORSEPOWER? WHAT ARE SOME
TYPICAL ISSUES THAT YOU FACE
AT CALIFORNIA?
“As with all tracks to be
successful you really need
both, handling to be able to
run wide open and the
horsepower to motor up off
the corners. Most drivers
usually fight a tight-off
condition. If you can get
your truck to roll through
the center and have the
motor to get down the
straight-a-ways then you
will be hard to beat.”
WHICH TRACK ON THE
CIRCUIT DO YOU CONSIDER
CALIFORNIA TO BE MOST
SIMILAR TO?
“I think California runs
a lot like Michigan. You
have wide sweeping turns and
room on the
straight-a-ways to really
race. I think the fans are
in for good three-wide
racing. I look forward to a
good race. We have prepared
a strong No. 2 RVs.com
Chevrolet and are looking
for a top-five finish.”
DRIVER APPEARANCES:
Sprague will be signing
autographs at the Camping
World store in the infield
at California Speedway on
Friday, February 22, 2008
from 11:00-12:00 p.m.
WELCOME ABOARD RVs.com:
RVs.com will make their
primary sponsorship debut
this week at the California
Speedway on the No. 2 KHI
Chevrolet. This will be the
first of 10 races throughout
the 2008 season that RVs.com
will be primary sponsor on
the truck
About RVs.com:
RVs.com is a one-stop
shopping and informational
website for the
recreation-vehicle
enthusiast. Viewers can
access real-time RV
inventory, accessories,
equipment and RV-lifestyle
information. Features of
RVs.com include new and used
RV inventory and areas for
private RV owners to sell
RVs, obtain financing and
insurance and purchase RV
accessories or trailers. The
user-friendly site also
provides RV-lifestyle
information about
campgrounds, clubs,
publications, safety,
rallies, and events from
around the country plus
employment opportunities in
the RV industry.
About FreedomRoads &
Camping World: FreedomRoads
& Camping World is America’s
largest RV and outdoor
retailer serving a brisk and
growing demand for the RV
lifestyle. After having
successfully co-located for
several years at selected
locations, FreedomRoads, a
dynamic national network of
well-established local and
regional RV dealerships and
Camping World, America’s
largest direct marketer and
specialty retailer of RV and
outdoor camping accessories,
service and RV sales, joined
together to provide
consumers with greater
choice, convenience and
value. Today, with revenues
exceeding $1.7 billion, the
company serves RV
enthusiasts with more than
130 retail locations.
In addition to the sale,
finance and service of
recreational vehicles and
specialty retail,
FreedomRoads & Camping World
also provides expanded
products and services to
enhance and protect the RV
lifestyle. This includes:
the President's Club
customer loyalty program;
in-store Performance Centers
featuring RV and Car
Insurance and Roadside
Assistance Service; Camping
World RV Institute technical
certification/training
program; Goodwill Ambassador
Program; and the new
campground discount program,
Camp Club USA.
About Kevin Harvick Inc.:
Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI),
established in 2001, is a
70,000 sq. ft. facility
located in Kernersville,
N.C. KHI houses two full
time Truck Series teams: the
No. 33 Camping World/VFW
Chevrolet Silverado driven
by three-time Truck Series
champion Ron Hornaday as
well as the No. 2 American
Commercial Lines (ACL)/RVs.com
Chevrolet Silverado driven
by three-time Truck Series
champion Jack Sprague. KHI
is also home to the No. 33
Camping World/RoadLoans.com/Rheem
Chevrolet driven by Kevin
Harvick, Ron Hornaday and
Cale Gale and the No. 77
Rheem/VFW Chevrolet driven
by Cale Gale and Ron
Hornaday competing in the
NASCAR Nationwide Series.
2008 marks KHI’s fifth year
of full-time competition in
NASCAR’s elite divisions.
Please visit
www.kevinharvickinc.com for
more information.