Jack Sprague, behind the wheel of the #16 Chevy Trucks Silverado, captured his first top-three finish of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) taking the checkered flag in third position in the Kroger 250. Starting from the pole, his first at Martinsville and the 2004 season as well as 21st of his NCTS career, the three-time series champion led a total of 118 laps of the 254 total on his way to his best finish of the young season.

“This was a great race for the #16 Chevy Trucks Silverado,” said Sprague. “I had an awesome truck. Chris, Dave and all the guys did a great job preparing this truck. This whole team has just dug in and worked hard since Atlanta.

“The middle set of tires I had was perfect. I thought we had it dialed. Everything was looking good but after the last set of tires we got a little tight off and loose in but we were solid enough to stay near the front.

“Leading toward the end of the race is the place to be,” continued Sprague. “ When you lead the race you can dictate your pace and your race, and run the corners like you want. I could arch the truck the way I wanted but when you are racing with others in the lead pack, you have fewer options to choose you line and have to be more defensive.

Sprague took the lead at the drop of the green flag, as the field struggled to complete lap one. The first of 12 cautions periods occurred as the field rounded turn four at the conclusion of the first lap. Sprague maintained the lead as racing resumed, leading the first 52 circuits of the scheduled 250 laps. It took a mere 17 laps for the leaders to start lapping trucks on the tight, flat ½ mile track.

Sprague held the point through two more caution periods but slid to second on lap 53 behind eventual race winner Rick Crawford as the #16 Chevy Trucks IWX Racing Silverado began to get loose entering and exiting the corners. Sprague and the rest of the lead lap trucks hit pit road for the first service of the day under caution on lap 82.

The Dave Fuge/Chris Showalter led crew had an excellent pit stop, making the necessary adjustments, changing four tires and filling the #16 with fuel, jumping the Spring Lake, MI native from fourth in the order to second as racing resumed.

Sprague moved back to the lead on lap 98 and paced the field through lap 163 that included four more caution periods. The second and last pit stop of the day for Sprague and company was on lap 165 under yellow. Sprague was the leader as he entered pit road for the final time and was the first of the leaders out again, due to excellent work by the over-the-wall crew. However, as a result of eight trucks that had pitted on a previous yellow flag, Sprague rejoined the field in ninth.

Sprague began to methodically pick off the competition, marching back to the front as the remainder of the laps wound down. When the yellow flew for the final time on lap 248, Sprague had fought his way back to third place behind Crawford and fellow Team Silverado driver Dennis Setzer. At the conclusion of the scheduled 250 laps, the field was still under caution setting up a green-white-checkered dash to the finish-the long-standing rule of the NCTS.

Sprague held off a hard charge from longtime NCTS rival Mike Skinner to capture his best finish of the season, his fourth third place finish at Martinsville.

“This third place is a momentum builder for this team,” Sprague concluded. “We will take it and head for Ohio. I am just so proud of all my guys, they have really pulled together and we are headed in the right direction with this Chevy Trucks team.”

The next NCTS event is May 16, 2004 at Mansfield, OH, a .44-mile virtually flat track. The Ohio 250 will be the inaugural event at the facility.