NASCAR Cup

BUSCH: Sprague ready for Kansas Cup debut

Sprague to make debut for Haas CNC Winston Cup Team. OXNARD, CA. (Sept. 20, 2002) -- The Haas CNC Winston Cup team will make its long-awaited NASCAR debut on Sunday, September 29 in Kansas City in the Protection One 400. Jack Sprague will be ...

Edited: Apr 16, 2008, 12:40 AM

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Sprague to make debut for Haas CNC Winston Cup Team.

OXNARD, CA. (Sept. 20, 2002) -- The Haas CNC Winston Cup team will make its long-awaited NASCAR debut on Sunday, September 29 in Kansas City in the Protection One 400. Jack Sprague will be behind the wheel of the white and red No. 60 Chevrolet Monte Carlo as it takes on the 1.5-mile tri-oval at Kansas Speedway.

Sprague recently conducted tests at the Kansas Speedway in preparation for the first race. The team was scheduled to make its debut in May in the Coca-Cola 600, but the car wasn't quite ready. "We're much more prepared now, and after the awesome test session we had at Kansas a few weeks ago I'm even more excited about the race," said Sprague. " I only have one race behind me at Kansas, but that was enough for me to know it's a great track."

Sprague will be pulling double duty, racing in the Busch Series race the same weekend at Kansas Speedway as he guides the Team NetZero No. 24 car in the Mr. Goodcents 300. The Spring Lake, Michigan native is in fourth place in the Busch Series points standings and recently won a race in Nashville. Sprague was the 2001 Craftsman Truck Series champion and likes his chances in Kansas City.

"I qualified third in the 2001 Truck Series race, but didn't get the chance to be there at the end because I had a motor problem," said Sprague. "I'm hoping running the Busch race will give me a better edge in Sunday's race. I'm looking forward to giving Haas CNC Racing their first Winston Cup start. We're all hoping the races we run this year will help with our full schedule next year."

The Haas CNC Racing team debut in the Protection One 400 will be televised live by NBC, beginning at 12:30 p.m. EDT and broadcast on the MRN radio network.

Haas CNC Racing is owned by Gene Haas, president of Haas Automation, Inc., the country's largest manufacturer of CNC machine tools. Racing has been a passion of Gene Haas for years, both as a spectator and a participant. He most recently competed in the Best of the Desert Off-Road Truck Series, where he and co-driver Joe Custer clinched the championship in their class. His enthusiasm about the future is obvious. "I'm excited about putting our race experience to the test in the Winston Cup series," Haas said. "It's a chance to show the racing world what the Haas team can do."

The Haas CNC Racing team will have Sprague behind the wheel in four Winston Cup races in 2002, including races in North Carolina and Miami. The team recently purchased a 40,000-square-foot building in Harrisburg, North Carolina, which will be the home of the Haas CNC Racing Winston Cup team in 2003.

The Haas CNC Racing team will be mentored by Hendrick Motorsports, which has years of experience running Winston Cup cars, including one driven by four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon. As partners, Hendrick Motorsports provided four Winston Cup cars for the Haas CNC team. "The biggest help is having Hendrick as a source for technical and engineering support," said Joe Custer, general manager of Haas CNC Racing. "Match that with Haas' engineering capabilities, and there is nothing but optimism."

-ha-

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