Jack Sprague: Why I Hid After Retirement

Summary

The Dale Jr. Download: Episode Summary

Title: Jack Sprague: Why I Hid After Retirement
Host/Author: Dirty Mo Media, SiriusXM
Release Date: March 5, 2025

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Introduction

In this compelling episode of The Dale Jr. Download, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. hosts a heartfelt conversation with Jack Sprague, exploring the highs and lows of Sprague's illustrious racing career. Hosted by Denny Hamlin, the episode delves deep into Sprague's journey from dominating local tracks to facing the challenges of higher-tier racing series, and ultimately, the emotional aftermath of his retirement.

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Early Life and Racing Beginnings (00:46 - 07:00)

Jack Sprague hails from Grand Haven, Michigan, where his passion for racing was ignited by his family's involvement with cars and his uncle's junkyard. Sprague recounts his first foray into motorsports with a demolition derby, transitioning into street stock racing at Thunderbird and Winston tracks.

Notable Quote:

Jack Sprague [05:12]: “My first deal was a demolition derby. I got it out of the junkyard, destroyed the car. The motor still ran.”

Connection to Concord Speedway

Sprague's success at Concord Speedway, particularly in the Big Ten series, earned him the nickname "One Track Jack." His dominance at Concord set the stage for his aspirations beyond local racing.

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Transition to Asphalt and Building a Career (07:00 - 18:00)

Encouraged by his stepdad, Sprague ventured into asphalt racing, acquiring a car chassis from Johnny Benson's father to enhance his performance. This period was marked by financial struggles, including borrowing funds from family to sustain his racing ambitions.

Notable Quote:

Jack Sprague [10:02]: “We rented a house for $350 a month. I was bringing home $198 a week. Damn, it was tough.”

Building Relationships and Opportunities

Through connections with influential figures like Dickie Linville and Robert Hamke, Sprague secured a position at Hamke’s shop, where he honed his skills and won his first weekly race, leading to a Big Ten championship in 1987.

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Rise in the Truck Series and Early Success (18:00 - 34:00)

In the mid-90s, as the NASCAR Truck Series was launching, Sprague seized an unexpected opportunity when Gary Blue encountered issues, allowing Sprague to drive the truck. Despite initial challenges, including equipment issues and financial constraints, Sprague's determination led to significant achievements, including consecutive wins at Phoenix.

Notable Quote:

Jack Sprague [26:00]: “First race was Phoenix. I think we ran sixth. And I was like, okay. And again, we're doing this. We don't know what we're doing. We're running against Childer's stuff, Hendrick stuff, you know.”

Facing Adversity

Sprague discusses the financial hardships of racing, where each paycheck was crucial for purchasing tires and maintaining his vehicle. His perseverance paid off when Dennis Setzer supported him, leading to a lucrative deal with Hendrick Motorsports, solidifying his position in the Truck Series.

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Personal Reflections and Emotional Struggles (34:00 - 54:00)

Despite his successes, Sprague candidly shares the emotional toll of racing, particularly the pressure to continually perform and the impact of errors. His relationship with teammates, including the late Ricky Hendrick, is highlighted as both rewarding and challenging.

Notable Quotes:

Jack Sprague [49:10]: “I wanted to prove to myself was bigger than anything else.”

Denny Hamlin [53:03]: “It's like, you're part of the team and you matter. When you're needed, it feels good.”

Retirement and Hiding Away

The episode takes a poignant turn as Sprague reflects on his decision to retire and the subsequent period of hiding. Facing a lack of sponsorship and feeling obsolete in a rapidly evolving sport, Sprague admits to feeling embarrassed and heartbroken, leading him to withdraw from the racing scene.

Notable Quote:

Jack Sprague [48:32]: “The biggest regret I have about my career is the way it ended. I wanted to go out on my own terms.”

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Hall of Fame Nomination and Legacy (54:00 - 68:30)

A surprise moment occurs when Sprague learns of his nomination for the NASCAR Hall of Fame during a lunch with friends. This recognition provides a sense of validation and solace, helping him reconcile his past struggles with his achievements.

Notable Quote:

Jack Sprague [66:26]: “When you go into your career, you don’t even. In my case, I didn’t go into a career. I was just racing to survive.”

Impact on Personal Life

Sprague emphasizes the importance of relationships formed through racing, mentioning his current marriage to Amy Schellenbach and the support he receives from his family and former teammates. His nomination serves as a testament to his enduring influence in the sport.

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Industry Changes and Future Outlook (68:30 - End)

Sprague and Hamlin discuss the evolution of NASCAR, noting how entry barriers have shifted with the rise of simulators and financial demands. Sprague expresses concern over the diminishing opportunities for drivers who come from humble beginnings, contrasting it with his own journey of building a career from the ground up.

Notable Quote:

Jack Sprague [69:45]: “These kids are pretty good. Some of them.”

Closing Reflections

The conversation concludes with mutual respect and appreciation for Sprague's candidness. Sprague acknowledges his mixed feelings about his career's end but celebrates his legacy and the relationships he built along the way.

Notable Quote:

Jack Sprague [68:14]: “It's a big deal.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The Dale Jr. Download offers an intimate look into Jack Sprague's racing life, highlighting his resilience, the personal sacrifices made, and the bittersweet emotions tied to retirement. Through honest reflections and engaging storytelling, Sprague provides valuable insights into the realities of a professional racing career, making it a must-listen for fans seeking depth and authenticity in their favorite sport's narratives.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jack Sprague [05:12]: “My first deal was a demolition derby. I got it out of the junkyard, destroyed the car. The motor still ran.”
• Jack Sprague [10:02]: “We rented a house for $350 a month. I was bringing home $198 a week. Damn, it was tough.”
• Jack Sprague [26:00]: “First race was Phoenix. I think we ran sixth. And I was like, okay. And again, we're doing this. We don't know what we're doing. We're running against Childer's stuff, Hendrick stuff, you know.”
• Jack Sprague [49:10]: “I wanted to prove to myself was bigger than anything else.”
• Jack Sprague [48:32]: “The biggest regret I have about my career is the way it ended. I wanted to go out on my own terms.”
• Jack Sprague [66:26]: “When you go into your career, you don’t even. In my case, I didn’t go into a career. I was just racing to survive.”
• Jack Sprague [69:45]: “These kids are pretty good. Some of them.”
• Jack Sprague [68:14]: “It's a big deal.”

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Final Thoughts

Jack Sprague's story is a testament to the relentless pursuit of passion amidst adversity. His journey underscores the emotional complexities of professional sports and the profound impact of personal relationships within the racing community. As a Hall of Fame nominee, Sprague's legacy is not just defined by his victories but also by his resilience and the bonds he forged along the way.

Transcript

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[Jack Sprague]

Hiding.

[Denny Hamlin]

Why? The following is a production of Dirty Mo Media. So Jack Sprague is. Man, I'm gonna tell y'all, I'm gonna talk to this about him. This guy dominated the super late model scene at Concord Speedway in a ser. He did the local racing there, but also what they had was the Big Ten series where they would run 10 races throughout the year and they paid a lot of extra money and it drew in a lot of people from around the country to come try to win this money. And man, he dominated. So much so that he had stereotyped himself as a Concord super late model winner. They nicknamed him one Track Jack. I'm serious. And he goes into the Xfinity series and kind of couldn't get any traction. And they said, yeah, it's only because he can race at Concorde. It's only because he got that car that wins at Concorde and that's all he can do. Well, he finally dispelled that rumor as he gets into the truck series and has an incredible career. And now he's in the conversations around being a nomination nominated for the hall of fame. I grew up racing at Concord. I went there in the 90s. Early early 90s, right when Jack was finishing up his sort of time as, as one of the. One of the dominant drivers at that racetrack. So I've got this real fascination for that part of his career. Want to learn about him, what he's been up to, and maybe we'll learn something really cool and new. So let's get started. Bring Jack Sprague into the studio. The Dale Jr. Download right there.

[Jack Sprague]

Yes, sir. Dredge up old memories.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. For whatever. What we have left.

[Jack Sprague]

What we have left.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I don't remember at all either.

[Denny Hamlin]

I know I've been looking forward to. To you here, you coming here and the reason why, obviously you've had a hell of a career and, and want to talk to you about, you know, being being discussed and tossed around in the conversation for hall of Fame. I wanted to say that to the end, everybody looks at kind of the environment they, they. They grew up in and, and, and spent time in, in the racing bubble differently. But the way I looked at it was you came from that big ten or super late model sort of bubble that was out there at Concord Speedway. I want to learn more, but that's what I remember. That's where I remember you. You. You know, that's kind of where you rooted out of the ground in terms of your. Your, you know, success, notoriety, and how you. How you got traction to get to where you got to go in the cup series or the truck series, at least. And I grew up around that. Right. I raced a little street stock car there and.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, you did.

[Denny Hamlin]

Was going. Yeah. And I was going to that track as a little kid before I knew what was going on. Now that I've, you know, now that things have changed over the years, people come from everywhere. People come from all over the country to be a part of our sport, and they did back then, too, for. To an extent. But a lot of people came out of that same little pipeline, you know, that you did. So I want to talk a lot about the Concord experience. But first off, you're not from North Carolina.

[Jack Sprague]

I'm not.

[Denny Hamlin]

Where are you from?

[Jack Sprague]

Grand Haven, Michigan. Spring Lake, Michigan area, just north of Grand Rapids.

[Denny Hamlin]

What was your childhood like up there?

[Jack Sprague]

It was good. I mean, my dad always has something to do with cars, car laws, body shops, and I would work there and my uncle in a junkyard. That's where my first race car came from.

[Denny Hamlin]

A lot of people that got into racing were connected to junkyards one way or another.

[Jack Sprague]

Yes.

[Denny Hamlin]

And I was a common, common, common sort of piece to a lot of stories.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. Basically my first deal was a demolition derby. Yeah. Got it out of the junkyard, destroyed the car. The motor still ran. So I went and got another car, a 74 Malibu, big car. Put that motor in it and start Streetstock racing at Thunderbird and Winston.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. So when you're. Is your dad your. Your family race?

[Jack Sprague]

No, my stepdad was just really into it.

[Denny Hamlin]

He was a fan.

[Jack Sprague]

He was a fan. And my uncle that owned the junkyard, his brother, his kids raced on dirt at those two racetracks. So this is dirt? Yes, it was dirt, yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

What was your. What was your performance like? When did you start having success?

[Jack Sprague]

I think I started at the end of 81, pretty sure. And like, four races to go. Didn't win anything. Set the track record that stood for five years. Don't even know how I did that. Damn. And then the following year, race those two racetracks also and finished second the points of Thunderbird and won the championship at Winston and won a bunch of races. I don't remember how many.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, your street stock car.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, street stock car.

[Denny Hamlin]

All right. You ran the street stock car for a couple a year or two, I think.

[Jack Sprague]

Two. Yeah. I know one. Then I went to. Got a car, went to asphalt, Berlin, Kalamazoo. My stepdad was pushing me to get to the asphalt, and I didn't win a lot of races.

[Denny Hamlin]

Did you have a good relationship with your stepdad?

[Jack Sprague]

I did, Yeah, I did. He's. He got me here. I mean, he started this whole snowball effect.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Y'all. Y'all got along well?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, for the most part. I mean, it's like, even if he was my dad, we wouldn't have got along on different. You know what I mean?

[Denny Hamlin]

For sure.

[Jack Sprague]

So, yeah, between him and my mom, yeah, they. They pushed the. Push the button pretty hard.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. So you get into the asphalt stuff. Do you remember where you got the car?

[Jack Sprague]

Well, we bought a used one first and ended up being not. Not too good. And then the second one we got for the asphalt. I think in the same year, we got a chassis from Johnny Benson's dad and put all the stuff off the car that wasn't so good onto that car. And it was okay. I mean, it wasn't nothing spectacular. Then the following year, my dad, stepdad deal with him was, I'll buy the car, you buy the motor. So we bought a brand new port city car. Yeah, it was nice. Yeah, it was nice.

[Denny Hamlin]

So you had to buy the motor?

[Jack Sprague]

I had to buy the motor.

[Denny Hamlin]

What were you doing for work?

[Jack Sprague]

Body shop. So it was one of them deals. The more you did, the more you made?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So I'd worked.

[Denny Hamlin]

You worked on commission?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. I'd work my butt off and get enough to buy it and damn, then it blew up five weeks in a row. About put me out of business. Yeah, the car was fine, but. Yeah, did that. I think I was on the Asheville up there for two years and moved here.

[Denny Hamlin]

How does the hap. How do you move here? I know you're. I guess your. Your stepfather and mother visited.

[Jack Sprague]

They visited?

[Denny Hamlin]

What were they.

[Jack Sprague]

But I don't know. I didn't know what the hell they were doing. But they came down here in the summer of 86 on vacation and to what part around here? High Point. Here.

[Denny Hamlin]

Damn. Nobody comes here for vacation.

[Jack Sprague]

They weren't coming for vacation. That's what they told us. They were looking for me a place to go. So somehow they ran into Dickey Linville and Kernersville. I have no clue how. I think. I think they set a Laundromat or something.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. And he's a racer.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. Dickie Linville. John Paul.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

And they got to talking and long story short, they said if he can get a job and come get down here, he's welcome to work out of my shop with his car. He had a big shop? Dickie did. So we went everywhere. I went. Sam Mars went to Richard Petty's, we went to Dennis.

[Denny Hamlin]

What do you mean?

[Jack Sprague]

Looking for a job?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Oh, wait a minute. Okay. So then in the fall of 86, they bring me back with my then girlfriend.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

We went all over trying to find a job. I couldn't find a job. They just wouldn't hire anybody. It wasn't from here.

[Denny Hamlin]

So you walk into where, Sam Ord's place. What was. Where was Sam's place?

[Jack Sprague]

At his. Out in the country. And it was, it was small.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

It was like, take what your dad.

[Denny Hamlin]

Used to have an intimidating dude too.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. He don't say a whole lot now. No. So what your dad's shop used to be there, the little shop? It was like half that.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yes.

[Jack Sprague]

Like, man, how these guys do it. Watch them on TV and they're winning races.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Went to Richard Petty's. Dennis Fring.

[Denny Hamlin]

You walk in there and you what.

[Jack Sprague]

Are you scared to death?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Asking for a job, what did they say?

[Denny Hamlin]

Like, what can you do?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. I mean, I worked at Port City so I could fabricate.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, you did, you had been working at Port City?

[Jack Sprague]

Yep. In Michigan for a year or two. So then went to. Ended up at Jay Hedgecock's.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yes.

[Jack Sprague]

And he's the Only one that sure. I'll give you a job.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So we found a house to rent, went back home and actually landed here on February 14th in 87. And it was not a nice part of town in high point. So I knew I was gonna race a Concorde. So I was trying to stay as close as I could. That wasn't close close, but it was close enough. Rented a house for 350amonth. I was bringing home $198 a week. Damn, it was tough. We'd literally go to the grocery store with a calculator. Literally.

[Denny Hamlin]

Who's, who's with you?

[Jack Sprague]

My girlfriend ended up being my first wife. Yep. Rhonda. Her and I and our dog.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

Moved here and luckily. So Concord, the big ten races, they start in March. March, April, it's once a month. Well, they run two big tens before weekly racing starts. So I went to the first big ten out of dickey shop.

[Denny Hamlin]

Whose car you still got your port city car.

[Jack Sprague]

I came here with my port city car with an open trailer, pulling it with a six cylinder Ford truck.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

It was rough. Didn't know it was rough, but it was rough. And actually had to borrow $2,500 from my grandmother and 2,500 from my uncle to even get here.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And went to the first Big Ten race. I don't know what they all pay between five and ten grand, but I paid a thousand for tenth. I finished tenth. So I spent 800 on tires and 200 on pit passes. It was just her and I. Yeah. No help.

[Denny Hamlin]

Passes were expensive.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. But tires weren't. Luckily.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So made my grand back. I'm like, all right, I can go again. Yeah, same thing. Next time, finish ninth, go again. But the second big ten race, Kevin Hamlin was there and I'm not sure why. He, he worked for Butch Miller way back in the day. And so I knew him and he walks up with this, this guy and his wife and it was hamke. So we start talking and Kevin's like, you need to hire him. He said he, he, he works, he builds the kind of cars you want to build. At hedgecox. It was all late model stock stuff, steel interior, steel body, weld everything. And I hated it. I hated it. Bobby Lavonte worked there. Gene de Hart.

[Denny Hamlin]

Really?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. Way back in the day, Bobby was racing Caraway.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

But I just hated them cars.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I like the super late model, aluminum interior, fiberglass bodies. I mean. And that's what Robert was gonna do. He came from here, from Miami. He was a how dealer and he built super late model cars.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Long story short, he hired me. Two days later, he comes to High Point with his enclosed race trailer. Loads me up, loads us up off to Kannapolis. We go and we rent a house for 265amonth. It was just redone. No air condition. That's tough down here.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

He helped me. He set it up and through time explained to me and taught me and taught me how to set him up. Taught me how to race, taught me everything. And we went to the first weekly race and we won it. And Ernie Irvin ran there and we beat him.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I'm like, oh, this is cool stuff. Can drive. Okay. So we just got better and better and won the championship that year and the Big Ten championship in 87.

[Denny Hamlin]

What was working at Hamkes like? Robert Hamke is a very famed. I mean, today this guy's legacy is. Is massive. Specifically here because he was located so close to Concord. But he's been built. You know, the Hamke cars have been around forever since that day. Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

In 88. Right.

[Denny Hamlin]

So, you know, what was that like knowing, you know, knowing all the history now when you put. When you go back and you think about how you were there for the start, you know, what was it like back then?

[Jack Sprague]

We were good for each other. We just didn't know it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Because I. He helped me win. Which sold race cars. Yep. So, man, we just started building more and more cars. And it got to be to the point where between fixing wrecks from people and still people that were his customers in Florida and Miami would bring their cars up here to get them fixed if they wrecked. So they direct. Saturday night, Monday morning, you pull in. There'd be two trailers with wrecked cars in them.

[Denny Hamlin]

Expecting that.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. And there was three of us working there. Myself, his son Robbie, and Mark Keterman. So we're trying to build cars, we're trying to fix cars, and the list is getting longer. But there was no time to think about anything. You just had to do it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Let's talk about Concord. The fur family and Mr. Fur that owned or managed the racetrack was the same one that managed Metrolina. And so he had a lot of equity and trust and history built up in what he was doing. And I remember my. I'm sure you ran into my grandfather, Robert G. Over there a few times, because he would sit in the suite every Saturday night with Henry, and they'd watch the races together and shoot and drink. But I paint the scene for us because I Think. What I think a lot of people maybe that are listening don't understand is how prolific I think the Concord super late Model and Big ten scene was and how closely NASCAR industry people were paying attention to the people that ran in those races. So certainly people were looking outside of the. That little bubble in North Carolina for, you know, for talent. You know, Jeff Bedine comes down from up north, and I mean, there's a lot of different ways to get into this sport. But I just remember, and maybe it was just because I was there a lot, but I just remember, like when I. When I was around, like dad's got dad's team or Tony's Junior, Tony Senior and those guys on the Xfinity team in that Xfinity garage. Everybody knew who was racing at Concord. Everybody knew who was winning over there. Everybody knew who was running the big ten races and winning the big ten races. Did you realize, I guess in the. At the time.

[Jack Sprague]

No, not at the time, but as time went on and I realized that there was a lot of eyes on Concord More Speedway.

[Denny Hamlin]

Sure was.

[Jack Sprague]

I mean, again, it was track second to none. It was right here in the middle of everything. Everybody was watching it, but I didn't know it. Nobody know. You're just trying to survive and race and make it to the next week.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So. But as it turned out, absolutely there was. There was a lot of eyes on it.

[Denny Hamlin]

How did. How did you get yourself those opportunities to run with CC and those guys, the white 34.

[Jack Sprague]

I.

[Denny Hamlin]

So I was working. This was right after this point in time. But I went. I'm over at. I'm over at Allison brothers working on their legends car stuff when I was 16, and they had one of the CC cars sitting out back that had your name on the roof, and that's.

[Jack Sprague]

Where it needed to be.

[Denny Hamlin]

But like, how are you. How are you creating those opportunities for yourself off of the success you're having at Concord?

[Jack Sprague]

So in 87, I drove my car. At the end of 87, I sold that car to Willie Henson for $20,000 without the motor. And I thought I was a millionaire.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Because Robert wanted me to drive his house car in 88. So we did that. I wasn't comfortable with that for the simple reason. The car, he had a lot of guys have success in them. I just. For me, it wasn't what I liked.

[Denny Hamlin]

What did you like?

[Jack Sprague]

Well, I wasn't sure, but I knew that I liked my old car better.

[Denny Hamlin]

What was the specific things about the suspension or something?

[Jack Sprague]

So his car, he was a How? Dealer. His car was a howl car now. It may just have been. We didn't know what the heck to do to it to make me happy. So I decided I'm gonna have my own car again. So I bought a brand new car and Jimmy. Bought a car from where, Michigan?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep. So you're working there?

[Jack Sprague]

I'm working at Hamkes.

[Denny Hamlin]

And bought a car from another.

[Jack Sprague]

It got touchy.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So how did it get touchy? First, I called port city. I called Harley and said, hey, will you sell me a car?

[Denny Hamlin]

You knew you're. You knew you were messing around. You knew you were.

[Jack Sprague]

I wanted to win.

[Denny Hamlin]

All right. But you knew this could blow up in your face.

[Jack Sprague]

It did for a little bit, yeah. So he says, I need to think about that because I didn't really leave there on great terms. Port city. Damn. But what happened? I wasn't there very long, maybe a year. Nothing really happened. It just. I wasn't very comfortable there. Seems like it was something really stupid, like. So I wanted to put my car on the jig at the end of the year up there and see if.

[Denny Hamlin]

It was all right, see if it was straight.

[Jack Sprague]

And I told myself, if he tells me no, I'm walking out of here. So I asked him. He said no. So I walked out.

[Denny Hamlin]

I got you.

[Jack Sprague]

But I moved shortly thereafter. And there wasn't really bad blood between us, I don't think. But it wasn't warm and fuzzy either.

[Denny Hamlin]

Sure.

[Jack Sprague]

So he called me the next day, called me back at robbers, you know, and said, I. I just don't feel comfortable doing that. You're working for Hampy down there. Blah, blah, blah.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, he. Do you think he was worried you might take the car and put it on Hampke's jig or.

[Jack Sprague]

Oh, I'm sure.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, right.

[Jack Sprague]

I'm sure he was.

[Denny Hamlin]

There you go. All right. I imagine you're sitting there at some point and you're like, all right, I'm winning all this. You know, this stuff here at Concord, and I'm doing. I got this. And you're watching guys that maybe you raced with race on Saturday in the xfinity cars and stuff back in the bush days or whatever. And when are you starting to, like, try to figure out how to create your own opportunities? There's.

[Jack Sprague]

Well, I think that first sportsman race at Charlotte helped.

[Denny Hamlin]

So the sportsman series kicked off at Charlotte.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep.

[Denny Hamlin]

When you heard about that, what'd you think?

[Jack Sprague]

Well, Robert and I both liked it. Of course, I couldn't afford to do it, so he did it. You Know, he bought the car, I think. Yeah. Him and Donnie Ellison, Bobby ellison. They're all buddies. I think it was an old donny ellison Busch car, I think it was. And had prototype build a brand new motor for it. And Robert's friend, Tommy model, he bought the motor. He was involved with Robert through this race and all this time here and there and went out there and ran that race. And I think that's what.

[Denny Hamlin]

Probably that did more for you than.

[Jack Sprague]

I think it added to anything.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Added to.

[Jack Sprague]

It was a big track. It was a big car, and we won the thing, and they tear me down. And Jerry cook, he's CC in the heads and says they're two cc's too small. I mean, we paid prototype to build a brand new motor per spec for that race.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And he wasn't gonna lift on it. And I had a big ten race that night, so I had to go from charlotte to there. And I'm sitting there, and finally he throws us out. I grabbed the trophy. Haul ass.

[Denny Hamlin]

You hauled ass.

[Jack Sprague]

I still got it hanging on the wall.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I won that race. I don't care what they say.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So went to concord that night and was fortunate enough to win the big ten race that night. But that stung a little. I mean, two cc's.

[Denny Hamlin]

I mean.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, I get it, but I don't get it.

[Travis]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

When do you feel like you've kind of moved? Finally. Finally moved on from. From late model racing? How long did you keep the late model?

[Jack Sprague]

I kept it. I kept. Until I kept a late model until I got the truck deal.

[Denny Hamlin]

Really?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. And the whole truck thing, that was a total fluke, how that started.

[Denny Hamlin]

So the truck series starts their inaugural season in 95. One thing I remember of the. That first half of the 90s, everybody knew that you kicked everybody's ass anytime you wanted to. At concorde motor speedway, you would get these opportunities sporadically to race in the xfinity series, and nothing was working.

[Jack Sprague]

Nothing was working.

[Denny Hamlin]

How frustrated were you at that point? Or. I mean, are you frustrated at all?

[Jack Sprague]

Oh, yeah. Extremely. I'd almost resolved to the fact that I'm just gonna run my late model. I'm having a good time. I'm never, you know, I could win enough to. To make money.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. And were you gonna keep building chassis and working with rob Robert at hamkes?

[Jack Sprague]

I worked with Robert until I got the 35 truck and actually got it there.

[Denny Hamlin]

So, I mean, had you not ever made it to the truck series in the. In the 95 season, I may have.

[Jack Sprague]

Been Racing may have still been building light models and racing them.

[Denny Hamlin]

Right.

[Jack Sprague]

I mean, that was your life.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

You know, you're so busy.

[Denny Hamlin]

There's nothing wrong with that.

[Jack Sprague]

There's nothing wrong with it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. I mean. I mean, I'll be honest. I. I guess this is a good question for you. My favorite time in my life around racing was my experience racing late models in the 90s.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep. It was great time.

[Denny Hamlin]

I had. I had good times in the xfinity series. I had good times in the. In the cup series. But the pressure and pressure and the grind, and everybody there is also under that same pressure and grind.

[Jack Sprague]

Everybody's got a microscope on you. Yeah. I know.

[Denny Hamlin]

At the late model ranks, man, everybody is there because they want to be.

[Jack Sprague]

Plus, you own your own stuff. They ain't got nobody to yell at you. Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

The truck series starts up. I think we all were kind of paying attention to the truck series. It started up with a very few amount of trucks. Everybody. I think I was kind of sitting there wondering, really, how viable that would be, if it would really get off the ground and get going, which it did. Became fantastic.

[Jack Sprague]

But who knew?

[Denny Hamlin]

Did you get a truck ride? The very first initial year.

[Jack Sprague]

So Robert was also friends with Bruce Griffin. Peewee Griffin out of Florida.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. Yes. We're up there. He's got his truck at our shop, and I'm putting crush panels in it and everything to go to the first race at Phoenix. And they'd run the winter heat with Gary blue. So Gary blue was supposed to drive this truck. Well, pee wee walks in there one day, because when he'd bring the truck, he'd just go to a hotel for a week or whatever. And he walks in there, and him and Robert have been talking. He says, hey, he said, you want to drive this truck? I said, what do you mean? I thought blue was driving it. Well, he got in a little trouble. Yeah, sure. Why not?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. You know, I mean, lose second stint.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

And. Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. So why not? I'll. Yeah, we'll do it.

[Denny Hamlin]

So I've. Have you read blues book?

[Jack Sprague]

I have not.

[Denny Hamlin]

You got to read that book. It's so crazy. Were you aware that, like, Peewee and those guys and all them had had, you know, had been doing some nefarious things or.

[Jack Sprague]

Oh, I heard a lot of stories.

[Denny Hamlin]

Right.

[Jack Sprague]

I heard a lot of them from peewee himself.

[Denny Hamlin]

Right.

[Jack Sprague]

As I was driving for him.

[Denny Hamlin]

But what. Well, talk to me about him. What kind of character was peewee?

[Jack Sprague]

He was pretty cool dude. I mean, he definitely had a different Outlook on things.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Than I did.

[Denny Hamlin]

But that. That's not a concern of yours. At this point in your life, you're thinking, hell, yeah, I'll drive this truck.

[Jack Sprague]

Whatever. Right.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So Bill Broderick was the. The handler.

[Denny Hamlin]

Bill Broderick, the Victory lane guy.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. Union 76 guy.

[Denny Hamlin]

Union 76 guy from Victory Lane with a beard. He.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep. He was the one that dealt between us and Peewee as far as getting the money.

[Denny Hamlin]

What the hell.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

What a character.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. So it was pretty interesting.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So it was myself, my brother Jason, Tommy Voyles, and Joe Fagan. There's four of us. We don't fly nowhere, dude. First start of 95, we go to the West coast for five weeks. I just had a baby in October.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I was gone five weeks. We all were. And king of the road all the way. 48 foot, feather light trailer. Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. With a truck. Yeah. They. That. That season, that first season in the NASCAR truck series was literally all on the West Coast. So how did all that go?

[Jack Sprague]

It went well. First race was Phoenix. I think we ran sixth. And I was like, okay. And again, we're doing this. We don't know what we're doing.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

We have no clue. We're running against Childer's stuff, Hendrick stuff, you know.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Roush stuff. And we're doing it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So we ended up that swing. I don't remember where we finished and all that, but by the time we got toward the end of the season, the money quit coming. And the 20 grand I sold my late model for, I've used paying these guys and buying tires. I'm broke. Money's not coming. Literally. Would use the paycheck from the previous race to buy tires for the next one. I'd heard when that Rick was bringing the truck deal back in house. So at this point, where was Rick's truck deal? Billy Hess ran it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Billy Hess ran it.

[Jack Sprague]

He. He had Billy run the truck deal. Scott Legacy drove a dupont sponsor. First year. Well, Dennis Connor was going to the racetrack with them, taking care of the motors for Rick. But he was going to be the crew chief on the new program. Bringing it back. He started talking to me, and I really didn't know who he was. And we got to be buddies. And he's like, I'm trying to get you in this deal. I'm like, there's no way, right? Yeah, no way. I mean, but we've come this far. We're fifth in points.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Against these guys. And we're not. I mean, we really Have a lot to work with.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So as time goes on, I might need to back up a minute. So back in 89, I'm winning all them races of Concord. Jimmy Johnson calls me from motorsports. Not the driver, the guy that ran it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep. From Hendrick motorsports.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep. So we had built Rick late super late model the year before. Tony fur had something to do with it. We had something to do with it. It was a clone Levi Garrett super late model.

[Denny Hamlin]

He took out the riverside to run in the asa or.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. And he'd use it to play.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

He'd use it to play at Concord. He'd rent the track.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So Jimmie Johnson calls me because I knew him because of the dealings with Robert and his car.

[Denny Hamlin]

There used to be. I want to clear this up for the listeners. There used to be a Jimmie Johnson that ran motorsports at Hendrick motorsports. An older fella.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep. Yep. One older then. But yeah. Yeah. So I knew him. And he called me one day and says, hey. He said, rick's rent in Concord Wednesday or whatever day it was. He said, but he's got a buddy that wants a car to drive and they want to play. Would you. Would you be willing to do that? And I'm thinking, said, jimmy, this is all I own in this world that's worth anything. I said, I'm leading the points. I. I have to race Saturday. He said, it'll be all right. He said, I promise you, if something happens, it's going to be all right.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Now I'm sitting there sweating. I'm like, how do you say no? But no, I almost. Dude, I almost said no.

[Denny Hamlin]

Said no.

[Jack Sprague]

I said, okay. Tells me what time to be there. My brother and I take the car over there, Jason, and unload it beside them. Rick ain't there yet. Nobody's there yet. Rick shows up nice as could be. Like always, this limousine pulls up. I'm like, what in the hell's going on here? Door opens here, steps out, Tom Cruise. And then here comes hall legs, Nicole Kidman.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh.

[Jack Sprague]

And I'm like, holy. This big. So they go out there and play. And Rick, I knew could drive. I mean, he pretty good driver. So could Tom.

[Denny Hamlin]

Really?

[Jack Sprague]

Oh, yeah, really good. I mean, they weren't three, four tenths off what I'd run in Bull.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, that's not bad.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. Half second at the most. So they play all day. And finally, if you remember the super late models, I mean, you got a place to sit. Then you got this nice aluminum interior. There's nothing over there except X bar.

[Denny Hamlin]

That's right.

[Jack Sprague]

There's nowhere to sit. There is nowhere to sit. Well, she decides she wants a ride. Nicole does. Puts helmet on. There ain't nothing over there. She sits in there on top of that X bar, digging her heels into my aluminum. My stuff was nice.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And it was driving me nuts. I'm like, oh, Marty. She's scratching my up. She's got her heels dug into my aluminum interior. She's hanging on to the X bar and the top roll cage. He goes out there with her, and he's only 310 slower than he's running with by himself.

[Denny Hamlin]

I'm like, yeah, that's crazy.

[Jack Sprague]

Something. There's gonna be parts everywhere.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So the day got over with. Jimmy walks up to me, says, what do I owe you? What do we owe you? I said, jimmy and I. I needed the money, but I said, jimmy, you don't owe me nothing. He said, maybe. I said, maybe someday you can help me out. Fair enough. So this is like six, seven years later. This is going down. So I started calling Jimmy once a week. And I'd have horrible anxiety before. I don't like bugging people. I don't like asking for stuff at all. I'd get up the nerve. I knew what day I was gonna do it every week, and I'd get up the nerve. And about 3:00, I'd call him. Yeah, we're still working on it. So it's between me and Dennis Setzer.

[Denny Hamlin]

Actually, to get the truck ride at Hendricks.

[Jack Sprague]

To get the truck ride at Hendricks. And Dennis made it easier for me because he decided he was going to drive the alliance bushcar, the 59 alliance car. Yep.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

So finally one day I called this went on four or five weeks. He said, can you be here in 30 minutes? I'll be here 15 minutes. I'm in Kannapolis. Yeah, I haul, but I get there. I walk in Jimmy's office and he talks to me a little bit and he says, hang on a second. He calls, puts it on speaker, and it's Rick. And he says, hey, Jack, how you doing? I said, I'm doing good. How are you? He said, you think you can drive my piece of trucks? I said, I think so. I'm pretty sure I can. All right, we're gonna give you a shot. I'm like, thank you. But it wasn't like, we're gonna sign you a shot. This is gonna go race to race a shot.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jack Sprague]

So there's five races left to this season. Yeah, 20 races yep. Next one's Flemington. That's like racing around his microphone. There's no straightaways, and I ain't good at that.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

But it's a race to raise deal.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So it's like, you ain't signed. You got to give up the deal you're in to do this. And if this don't work, this going back to this, what choice did I have out of money? I mean, I could have made it to. I could have made him made it. I could have done something. But how do I give up this opportunity? So we go to Flemington and test and we're okay. We go back to race. I'll never forget. I go to Flemington, I crawl in this truck on the B post there, Hendrick Motorsports, and I'm just like, I have died and gone to heaven.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

What is going on here? We go back to the race. Legacy qualifies third. I qualified fifth. I'm like, that ain't looking good.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

But I think we finished fourth in the race. We beat them. So I'm like, okay, I got past the worst one. Next race, Richmond. We go there and test. Terry Labani's in a Hendrick truck. So are we. We're in the 25 bud truck, and we're the fast truck there. In testing, Dennis and I hit it off instantly. I love that guy. I mean, him and I were on the same page for eight years. We go back for the race for the fastest truck in practice. Tom Hammondale left for a tire. Qualifying, qualified like 15th. I was like, man, dang it. So we start the race, throw the green flag. Our radios were giving us trouble. Bad. Even during practice. Hope we'd fixed it. We didn't. I go into one. I come down. Butch Miller's under me. I don't know it. I take myself out, back in the fence.

[Denny Hamlin]

Dammit.

[Jack Sprague]

I'm like, I have just ruined my career. It's over. And I had hives this whole week going into this, and I've never had them before or since.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So I come in. They beat it all the best they could. I finished. I run the race. The whole race. Beat up wasn't good. The whole race. I'm just sitting there just wanting to cry. I knew I just ruined everything I worked for my whole life. And I come in and Jimmy Johnson, he's standing there, he's good with putting this mean look on his face. He says, what happened? I told him, I said, dude, I'm sorry. I know I just screwed my life up. He said, can you be at my office 9:00 tomorrow morning. We're going to sign you. I'll be there tonight. Yeah, this was Thursday night, right? Yeah. You saw on Thursday nights. So I was there and they did.

[Denny Hamlin]

Damn.

[Jack Sprague]

I'll never forget it. It was $50,000 salary guaranteed. 100,000. Well, they had to explain that guarantee part to me. I didn't know how that worked. So it's against the winnings. You know what I mean? So by the end of that year, I think we won. We won Phoenix in the spring. We went there three times in a row. Spring, fall, spring. I think we won. It was three or five the first year and finished second the points and hell, I made 333 grand. I thought I was loaded. Yeah, I'm like, this is a dream.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

So that. Yeah, we won three out of five or six championships and went bush racing.

[Denny Hamlin]

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[Denny Hamlin]

Tell me how it might have felt to finally prove not to yourself but to the rest of the industry what you were capable of having went through. What you went through from 90 to 95. Struggling to really get that opportunity to that would stick. Right. Driving CC's car and different things like that. Finally you get in a truck and you go win races and championships. And there is there. I'll say it. There was a lot of people that thought you were just going to be good at Concord.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

And you were able to go out there and finally like prove to people that there was more to you than that.

[Jack Sprague]

To prove to myself was bigger than anything else. But I didn't want to do it if I wasn't going to be good at it. You know what I mean? And I knew exactly how to make that late model do what I needed it to do. I knew how it felt to drive it. And up until the point of I got a glimmer of it with Birdie. I mean he was good. That was his heyday. I got a glimmer of it. I wasn't there but two or three races and then I was gone. So going into that truck deal, I was nervous. So I'm like, man, this stuff. Just how can anybody drive this stuff? But we even the 35 truck at times would drive pretty decent. Even though we didn't really know what we were doing. We were leaning on a lot of people.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And but once I got in that Hendrix stuff, it wasn't it I could make it feel like that late model. I mean it was. Couldn't do the things with it. You raised £3,500 versus 28. But they can drive good too.

[Denny Hamlin]

You go on this terror. You mentioned it. Championships wins, I guess. You know, what are you most proud of in terms of your. Your truck series career? Is it the three in a row at Phoenix?

[Jack Sprague]

That's a goodie. And I think it was just because Phoenix was a big Concorde.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I mean it literally was.

[Denny Hamlin]

Literally was.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

Thought about that.

[Jack Sprague]

There's two races that I won that I never thought I would. And it was it was in the 60 truck, the Wyler truck. Had a great time with them guys. Tony Furr was there. I mean, as we all know, speedway guru.

[Denny Hamlin]

He is.

[Jack Sprague]

Well, he built me a guru truck. And we sit on a pole one Daytona. Never thought I would. I mean, so many things as, you know, have to line up, and it did. And it just happened to line up that day. Fast truck. I wore the right side of that steering box out. I've never drove anything so loose on a speedway in my life. But it was weird. It had no downforce, but it had. It'd catch itself. It had side force. I mean, I wore that thing out, but. And Martinsville, that is the hardest racetrack I've ever raced on in my life, really. And I come from short tracks, but that is not a short.

[Denny Hamlin]

That's weird.

[Jack Sprague]

I mean, it's paperclip. Oh, it's so hard. And everything matters so much.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So I won those. We were able to win those two in the 60 truck with the Wylers. That was pretty cool. I think the thing I'm most proud of, Dale, to be honest with you, is the people I've met, the teams I've had, they were awesome. I had great, great teams.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Starting at, you know, once got to that level.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yes.

[Jack Sprague]

Even my late model guys, I mean, that was all volunteer. But the teams that we had at Hendrick Motorsports and even at 16 Truck Express Motorsports with huge. Man, we could have won seven, eight races that first year in that 16 truck and just kept breaking, leading at the end. It was heartbreaking. It was. Just had em won. I mean. And then to meet the Wilders, who I met Jeff Snies and who I'm married to now, Amy Schellenbach. So people don't really realize there's this many people that get to do this in the whole world.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Drivers or crew members. I mean, this is. Not many people get to do this.

[Denny Hamlin]

No, not at all. What was it like to be teammates with. With little Ricky Hendrick when. So he's racing in the truck series. Y'all would move up together into the infinity series.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

With those programs, it's a good driver.

[Jack Sprague]

Really good driver.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Better kid.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, he's a great kid.

[Jack Sprague]

He was a great kid. Yeah, it was. Yeah, it was. That's one of them deals I had a quit getting emotional. One of them deals where, you know, the boss comes up and says, hey, my son's gonna be your teammate. It's like, this could go bad, you know? I mean.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Really be tough. Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Rich kid. You're thinking, I really don't know him at this point that well. So I think 20, 20 or 2001.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Trucks together and we had net zero. He had GMAC. And I thought, man, this is. This is going to hold us back. I mean, it's going to drag us down. I couldn't have been more wrong. One great driver. Him and Lance got along well. McGrew and Dennis and I, I mean, we leaned on them, too, and we won the championship with their help.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Regardless of what I thought was gonna happen, but regardless of the great driver part, he was a great kid.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

He was beyond his years. He was kind, considerate.

[Denny Hamlin]

He was.

[Jack Sprague]

And he would sit there in the bus lot at night and color with my daughter. And she was like four. It's like, who does that?

[Denny Hamlin]

Right.

[Jack Sprague]

I wouldn't even do that now my age. But he was just that kind.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And I thought a lot of Ricky. It really. Yeah. So then the next year we went bush racing, and then obviously he got hurt and decided to be the owner.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Not the driver. But it was absolutely the time of my life.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. He was a good little driver. And it was going to be interesting, I think, to see how he developed in the new role because he was taking on some ownership responsibilities. Responsibilities. Right. Of. Of. Of choosing drivers or managing certain aspects of Hendrick Motorsports, like the Xfinity stuff and so forth. And so, man, it had been really cool to see what he would have been able to develop into in the management side of things.

[Jack Sprague]

He'd have been good at it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, I think so, too. I mean, he was kind and he.

[Jack Sprague]

Was kind and everybody liked him.

[Denny Hamlin]

Everybody did like him. Like his dad.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep.

[Denny Hamlin]

You end up getting to the Xfinity series eventually. You know, you tried to get there before the truck deal took off. You go and take off in this truck deal. I do want to talk to you about your rivalry with Hornaday. I felt like it was a very.

[Jack Sprague]

Healthy one thing for the most part.

[Denny Hamlin]

A lot of respect.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. 99% of the time.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yes.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

I mean, you know, when you run as good as you two guys did for so many years, there's going to be some moments where, you know, you're banging into each other. Just happens.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. Me and him and Skinner and. Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

So talk about that. Was it your toughest rival?

[Jack Sprague]

Both them to both. Yeah. Yeah. Then there was times where Rutman was right in there in the mix of things, too.

[Denny Hamlin]

What kind of racer was he?

[Jack Sprague]

Rutman.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Good. Really hard nose.

[Denny Hamlin]

What kind of. So I'll Say it. I. I have this weird opinion of Rutman because I don't know him. Okay, I don't, but. And I've told this story before, but I was a little kid standing out on pit road during a rain delay in Pocono. It's probably 1992 or three. And he was driving. I think he was driving the Dinner bell car. The 75 for Raymond. Yeah, I think so. And it was drying up. People were. I was supposed to stand out by Dad's car. Just stand out there and watch it. And.

[Jack Sprague]

You don't know what for. You're just watching it.

[Denny Hamlin]

I'm kid. So he comes walking by. Dad's car's got damn donuts down to both sides of it, right? Because this. Sometimes. That's the way he drove. Rutman comes walking by. I'm standing there, and I've got a. I've got to know in my mind, like, Rutman knows I'm his son. And Rutman goes, man, that guy's been running into everybody today. You know, said something really. Rutman, like, really kind of a sarcastic way. And, man, it was like, what was I gonna say? You know, he's Rutman. He's wearing a racing. Yeah. I'm a little kid. I'm like, I'm not gonna smart off to him.

[Jack Sprague]

You were a little shy back then, too.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, I was like, man, I can't believe he said that, but. And it always kind of skewed my opinion of him a little bit.

[Jack Sprague]

But he definitely has a different.

[Denny Hamlin]

He's a dry personality.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, very dry, but funnier. Hell, really, I mean, once you get to know him. But it's a little standoffish at first.

[Denny Hamlin]

Right. I always did think that he was a hell of a driver. Obviously, he was a great driver, but he couldn't. I mean, I guess he did have some stability at times with Roush and so forth, but it was like, you know, he came into the cup stuff in 81 or 82, driving the number. Driving JD Stacy's car. Damn near one Richmond till they blowed the right front tire, right rear tire or something on the front straightaway. But he ran good. He just couldn't, like, land anything long term. But. But you. You enjoyed racing with him.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. I remember there was kind of, like, before you and Hornady become teammates at Harvick's.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

You got a strange look on your face.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

Did that not go well?

[Jack Sprague]

Not at all.

[Denny Hamlin]

What was the deal?

[Jack Sprague]

Well, it's one of them deals where it's either it's going to go one or two ways.

[Denny Hamlin]

Good or rad.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. It's going to be like the die guard thing years ago or it's gonna go good.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And it just didn't go good. I mean, it's just. I made a bad decision.

[Denny Hamlin]

What decision did you make to go.

[Jack Sprague]

There, to do that.

[Denny Hamlin]

Where should you have went? What could you have done different?

[Jack Sprague]

I had a couple other things. Not near as good as the Harvick trucks, but the trucks are great.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

That wasn't. I mean, Ernie and I got along great. We were past Ernie Cope.

[Denny Hamlin]

He was your crew chief. Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

Just. Just didn't go good. I never felt comfortable walking in there. You know what I mean? It's like you walk into a place.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And you just don't feel comfortable.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, I know what you mean.

[Jack Sprague]

I just never did.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And that wore on me. And things didn't go quite the way I thought they were supposed to go.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. How long was. Were you there?

[Jack Sprague]

Three quarters of a year. Oh, yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

Did you. So did you leave or get let go?

[Jack Sprague]

No, I got let go.

[Denny Hamlin]

Really?

[Jack Sprague]

That was very tough. And it was when 08. Right. So the economy's crashing, sponsors are drying up. There's nothing going on. I'm getting toward the end of my career. I'm 46 years old.

[Denny Hamlin]

Dang.

[Jack Sprague]

At that time. So I had a. I got stuff that I could do, but I didn't feel like I could win with it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So I just wasn't gonna do it.

[Denny Hamlin]

You race your whole life, you raced late models when you didn't have nothing but a bologna sandwich to eat. You know, and you ground. You ground all these years to get to truck. Serious success. In my mind, like, you could always go back to racing. Not to drive a late model car, but in my mind, like, when you got done driving.

[Jack Sprague]

Mm.

[Denny Hamlin]

What did you go do?

[Jack Sprague]

Hid.

[Denny Hamlin]

Why?

[Jack Sprague]

The biggest regret I have about my career is the way it ended. I wanted to go. Everybody wants to go out on their own, their own terms.

[Denny Hamlin]

You can't get. You don't. You can't.

[Jack Sprague]

You can't go out on your own terms.

[Denny Hamlin]

Not. You did not. They weren't great. My last year sucked.

[Jack Sprague]

But they were your decisions.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. But I mean, I still. I. I still. If I spent enough time thinking about that last year, I'm like, why did it run? Why did it go so badly? You know?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, I get it. You know, But I just felt like.

[Denny Hamlin]

After the success that you didn't get a choice.

[Jack Sprague]

I didn't get a choice.

[Denny Hamlin]

How it ended.

[Jack Sprague]

I wanted to be the one.

[Denny Hamlin]

It didn't have to end.

[Jack Sprague]

Well, it did, because at that point, like I said, all the sponsors were dry.

[Denny Hamlin]

I know, but you could, you know, maybe everybody's not, like, the same, but was there no interest in your heart or in your head around, like, your.

[Jack Sprague]

Roots as far as, like, late model racing or something of that nature, being.

[Denny Hamlin]

Involved in that in any way? Like, you built chassis. You knew any. You knew every part of all of that.

[Jack Sprague]

That's pretty bitter.

[Denny Hamlin]

You're so bitter.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, I was. I'm not no more. Yeah, but I was.

[Denny Hamlin]

How did you get over that age?

[Jack Sprague]

I guess. I guess getting to the point where you just know, you know, only three or four years later, I'm 50, right. So it's. And I. I could tell at that point, at 50, my reflexes weren't what they were. My vision's not what it was. My balance isn't what it was. I mean, it's just.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So at that point, I know, okay, this. I'm not gonna. Probably wouldn't be the smartest thing to do this now anyway, but it took a few years. I was. I was. I was hurt.

[Denny Hamlin]

What should you have done instead?

[Jack Sprague]

As far as what.

[Denny Hamlin]

Instead of being mad and hiding, what should you have done?

[Jack Sprague]

I don't know. I enjoyed. I enjoyed that time also, other than being bitter, but I enjoyed that time with the kids that I hadn't had a lot of time with before.

[Denny Hamlin]

How old are your kids then?

[Jack Sprague]

Probably Paige was 12 and stepdaughter was 5ish. 6ish.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Paige is 30 and I'm with Grandpa in a couple months.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. I can't wait. That's exciting. But, yeah, so I. I got to do things. Games, things I wasn't able to do for the most part before.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So that was good. But it still. Still is hitting me, side of the head, you know what I mean?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. It is hard to watch this sport. Just. Just go ahead and go on.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, well, don't matter if you're there or not. It's gonna go on.

[Denny Hamlin]

That first time they went to Daytona, you know, in 18, after I'd retired. I mean, I knew they would, but it's just so weird, you know?

[Jack Sprague]

It's weird. It.

[Denny Hamlin]

Carry on.

[Jack Sprague]

How dare you?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, it is. It's a weird thing. I'm surprised, though, that you didn't find something to kind of fuel. So, like, I. I was scared to just quit cold turkey, going to a racetrack. Right. I was like, I don't know if I'm. I don't know if I need to be sitting around. Not at a track.

[Jack Sprague]

Right.

[Denny Hamlin]

I gotta be at a racetrack. But I don't know what I'm gonna do. I don't want to be there without a role or responsibility. Right. We run late model stock cars and have for years.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. And that gave you an avenue.

[Denny Hamlin]

It did. But I felt like there. That avenue to run to, to own or operate or even assist some kid who's trying to figure it out was there for you.

[Jack Sprague]

Mm. I don't know. I was.

[Denny Hamlin]

Or maybe at that point in your life, you're just, like, not that interested in it anymore.

[Jack Sprague]

Oh, I missed the racetrack. I mean, I went to a lot of late model races.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Only a couple truck races. I was embarrassed.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I mean, bottom line is I just. I didn't feel like. I don't know. I was just embarrassed and hurt.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Well, what part of the sport do you pay attention to today?

[Jack Sprague]

All of it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Do you pay. Do you watch grassroots flow late model stock supers?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. You like all dirt cars, Late models? Yeah, I like it all.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. I. We have the CARS Tour, and so we do through the Cars Tour. Of course I pay attention to the Cars Tour, like, obsessively. But it. But it's kind of helped me also watch what Bubba Pollard and all those guys are doing down in the South. You know, Florida and Georgia and Alabama and Tony Jr. And Tony Senior are now, you know, entrenched in the, you know, pro and super late model racing. And I kind of keep up with where they are and who they're helping, and the scene is alive and well.

[Jack Sprague]

It's big, isn't it?

[Denny Hamlin]

It is huge.

[Jack Sprague]

Pulling into an open trailer no more?

[Denny Hamlin]

No, no, not really. Nobody.

[Jack Sprague]

Tractor trailers, the whole nine yards.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

See, if I had to race now, like I had to race then I would never make it because I couldn't have never afforded it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

What it costs now to late model race versus then.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

There's no way.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So it was kind of perfect timing.

[Denny Hamlin]

When's the last time you went to the racetrack?

[Jack Sprague]

Wilkesboro.

[Denny Hamlin]

Really?

[Jack Sprague]

I was a grand marshal. I had to go. Damn.

[Denny Hamlin]

There you go. When you didn't have to go. When was the last time?

[Jack Sprague]

Martinsville.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I think a year and a half ago.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. It's interesting to me because the, like, Rudd and those guys, man, when they retired, man, they disappeared. Just. Yeah, it's wild.

[Jack Sprague]

I don't know. It's also a feeling of if I'm not doing it, I don't want to be there. No.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, I understand.

[Jack Sprague]

If I'm not driving, I don't want to.

[Denny Hamlin]

You need a reason to be there. Could I explain it this way? You've. You're. When you're part of the team and you matter, you're, you know, when you matter, when you're needed.

[Jack Sprague]

Feels good.

[Denny Hamlin]

Feels good.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

And then when you go. When you, when, when you know that you're going to the racetrack, just to be an observer, it'll. It's never going to be any fun.

[Jack Sprague]

Feels like you're. In a way.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. It's crazy. I went there, I went to the racetrack without a hauler to stand in or sit in.

[Jack Sprague]

Nowhere to go where the.

[Denny Hamlin]

I didn't think about it till I got there. We were kind of prepping for the first year I was doing the broadcast. So we went to Martinsville and I walked in and I was like, I don't got anywhere to stand. Like, I feel like a freaking idiot.

[Jack Sprague]

I know. Peeps.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Nothing.

[Denny Hamlin]

And so I did learn that when I went over to a few people or haulers that I knew people at it was. They were welcoming and it was fine to go in there, but it. What I couldn't kick my feet up, you know, like we'd done for years.

[Jack Sprague]

Appreciate the TV channel.

[Denny Hamlin]

No, it's the strangest thing. It is.

[Jack Sprague]

And it's a weird feeling. It's, it's.

[Denny Hamlin]

I never wanted to go to a racetrack. Like that.

[Jack Sprague]

Gives me anxiety.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

It's like, man, I just think I don't have nowhere to be here.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

You know?

[Denny Hamlin]

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[Denny Hamlin]

Up in getting into the cup series there. You helped Rick a couple times when he had some drivers that were injured. Does the cup side of it are never really getting that, you know, great opportunity and cup creep into your mind at all? Or is that since, you know, you did have this pretty awesome truck career, you know, won a lot of races, won championships. I can honestly say like not winning a Cup championship doesn't bother me. It's not something that I think about during the day and I think it's because I did have success in the Xfinity series and I got to feel.

[Jack Sprague]

Like you had success in the cup series.

[Denny Hamlin]

I did. But I mean I felt I know what a being. I know what winning a championship feels like because I got to experience it at that level. So, you know, had I never gotten to experience winning a championship, maybe I would bug the out of me. Right, right. But I know it's, you know, on the Xfinity level it felt the same.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

You know, it's all the same when it's winning. Yeah. What? What when you look back on your cup experience, do you have any good, fond memories being behind the wheel of a Cup car?

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah. I mean that was another Deal. So Jimmie Johnson was trying to put together a deal. Family channel meet at Hendrick Motorsports for family Channel. Yep. They were going to leave Roush. And it got close and then it, it didn't. So. And at that point, I really didn't even want to go bush racing. Ricky did, so we had to. But I enjoyed it. And we were able to win Nashville, finish fifth in the points. I enjoyed it. I, I was nervous of going to the bush series, to be honest with you.

[Denny Hamlin]

Why?

[Jack Sprague]

Because I'm a big fish in this pond and now I'm going back to where I had failure and I was nervous about getting in a bush car again. But it was, it was, you know, Hendrick chassis. We put the bodies on it. Hendricks. It was all, you know, badass be ready motors. BNR motors. You better be ready when you tag them things. But didn't take no time at all. And the bush gutters, we could make them through our drive. Like the truck.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

So then we ran that and then we were flying home from somewhere, bush race on Rick's plane. And he come back there and sit down beside me, says, hey. He said, gene Haas, that, you know, been a sponsor of ours for years, all the CNC machines, he wants to start his own team. Here's what we're going to do. He says, we're going to, we're going to supply the car, the chassis and the motors, and I want you to drive it. And I'm thinking this is the closest thing I've got so far to being in Ana Hendrick car. Right. Well, I should have learned something when Robert and I tried to run a bush car when neither one of us knew what we were doing. So Dennis and I went to this cup deal, Hendrick chassis, Hendrick motors, but we put our own bodies on. So, you know, back in the day when they had templates, you could make the most beautiful looking car fit the templates, and then you could make a car looks like a foul hauler on the way there, fit the templates and they'd go buy you like a hundred mile an hour.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

All tweaked up and crazy. Our stuff was pretty, but it, man, I just remembered like the first four or five, six races. I'm like, there is no way that this thing cannot have any grip anywhere. We didn't know what we were doing. We had great fabricators, but they only did what they were told to do. I mean, we didn't know how to put them on.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And that was everything.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

As you know, that was everything.

[Denny Hamlin]

It was.

[Jack Sprague]

And so again, they hired Tony. Tony Furr. And Dennis was supposed to remain the crew chief. That didn't last three or four weeks, and he got shuffled, but. So Tony put a body on one of our cars for Charlotte. And this. You're gonna like this story. So we go to Charlotte. May 600. We qualify. Second sterling on the pole. I draw a thing into one, and I just. You feel like you got a garage door spring pulling your foot back. And I told myself, I'm not lifting.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And I went into three and started to turn and started to lift, and it was turning, and I didn't. I just. And he barely beat me. But anyway, I'm like, okay, this feels like I'm not gonna wreck every time I turn it. This is cool. They start to race. I go back a few spots, and I don't remember how far along in the race we were. We were a couple pit stops into it, and I was following you. I don't know. We're in the top 10 toward the 8th, 9th, 10th. But I'm tickled to death. I've not had nothing like this yet.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And we're going on the backstrek, and I don't know if you remember, you exploded a brake rotor, went right through my radiator. I'm like, damn. So that was the end of my night there.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

We go to Dover. Top of the sheet in practice. I'm like, man, this is awesome. Go to qualify. Something went wrong. We ended up, like, 10th, and we were bummed about that.

[Denny Hamlin]

Right.

[Jack Sprague]

We went about half the race through there and drove myself to sixth. Bowing Kenseth. I'm like, man, this is awesome. Feeling good. Well, the previous several restarts after pit stops, I restarted on the bottom. Well, back then, the top was taboo.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Remember, nobody wanted up there anywhere. Restarts, nothing. Now it's where you want to be, but I'm restarting on the outside. We lost some spots in the pits. I'm back. 10th, 12th. I drove that thing into one out there, and it stuck. I'm like, okay. Got a couple of them. Drove it into three a little harder. Didn't stick.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Backed in the fence.

[Denny Hamlin]

Damn.

[Jack Sprague]

So then we go to Indy to test. We were top of the board and Indy testing, but something was going on. You know, you can tell people are whispering and all that. Yes. Stuff is going on. We're leaving the racetrack in the van, and they stop, and they get a seat out of John Andretti's hauler. I'm like, huh? Here we go. So get home. And that deal come to an end. John Andretti's in it, and then Bliss and more Burton. And if you remember that, that. That team never did anything until Stewart got involved. And I don't know what he did, but he turned it into a struggling deal for a lot of years.

[Denny Hamlin]

He turned it into a championship deal. He did. They had a rough run there after they got rid of you.

[Jack Sprague]

Well, it was rough with me, but I wish. I wish I could have stuck. I wish I would have, because I think we would have. We would have done something with it.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Because we were running. We were finally running good.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

You know, once Tony got them bodies on there. But it was everything. And it just. And that didn't. That didn't. That didn't crush me near how my career ended did.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Because I'm like, I'm cool. I'll go back to the trucks.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I love the trucks. I feel comfortable there. I don't feel like everybody's got a sight on me with a rifle. I mean, it's, as you know.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

You're only as good as the week before. Right. So I would literally this out my whole career, except in late miles. But you win a race and you could relax for a week.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Maybe two. But then you're thinking, I gotta win again or I gotta prove my worth. So you win a race and everything's great for a couple weeks, and then you get pressure cooker again. It's like, not by them, by me, myself. I gotta win again. I gotta make sure that I don't lose my job.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And that's just the way I felt through it all.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. That's a tough way to live.

[Jack Sprague]

That is a tough way to live.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. In 2025, you were considered enlisted as a nominee for the hall of Fame class. When did you learn about that funny deal?

[Jack Sprague]

I was sitting at lunch with Freddie Query and our other buddy, Jeff Starnes, and some other guys usually do lunch every Wednesday.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And it's pretty cool.

[Denny Hamlin]

I mean, yeah, it sounds awesome.

[Jack Sprague]

And my phone rings and I look, it's Wayne. Wayne Otten and myself. Skinner Hornaday and Wayne Otten. We've been tight ever since we were his boys. He's our guy. He's an awesome guy. I said, what the hell? Hope nothing's wrong. You know, it's one of them deals. Everybody's getting older and more people, you know, around you.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yep.

[Jack Sprague]

Fading off. And I answered. He said, hey, I just wanted to let you know you're nominated for the hall of fame. And I'm like, really? He said, yep, you're next, buddy. See you later. Click. So that's how I heard now. So I pick up my phone and I go to Facebook and there it is. So that's how I found out.

[Denny Hamlin]

How did that calm the. Any residual emotions you still had about how your career ended?

[Jack Sprague]

I didn't have much bitterness left at that point anyway, but. Because once you know you're too old to do, only bothers you when you know you can still win.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Okay, so this is something you go into your career, you don't even. In my case, I didn't go into a career. I was just racing to survive. And you're so busy you don't have time to think. That was really stupid moving halfway across the country with no money and one race car. I mean, today I think about what was I thinking? Yeah, but you don't realize you don't do it for this reason. You don't realize this as a possible reason. You're just working to survive and you're working to win and you're working to do what you can do. And I guess now to sit back and look at it, it obviously is a hell of an honor. I mean, it's. It's a big deal.

[Denny Hamlin]

Did you tell Freddie and those guys?

[Jack Sprague]

Oh, yeah, they were sitting right there with me.

[Denny Hamlin]

What'd he say?

[Jack Sprague]

He said that's pretty cool. Yeah, but yeah, I mean, that's. It's a big deal.

[Denny Hamlin]

It's a big deal.

[Jack Sprague]

It's a big deal.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And I don't have any regrets about not being a Cup champion. It would have been great.

[Denny Hamlin]

Sure.

[Jack Sprague]

But again, only if 30 people every week get to do this in the whole United States of America in them cars.

[Denny Hamlin]

I have the same exact thing.

[Jack Sprague]

This many people.

[Denny Hamlin]

I've said that so many times to try to explain to people like how lucky I felt just to be able to get out there and do it.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep. I mean it's not. Not being from here, not being. I mean, nowadays, I mean, you got your Josh Berry. Is that make it on merit? And you got a few of them to do. But most of these kids are coming out of simulators and they're paying for the opportunity to do it. And some survive and some don't. But it doesn't happen like it used to happen. No, you don't. I remember when Ernie got hurt, Ernie Irvin got hurt driving Yates his car. I was only like 30 and I called him. I had get the guts up and I called him Asked him if I could drive his car. You know what he told me? I was still a little too young, didn't have enough experience there.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. 30 years old.

[Jack Sprague]

Now, if you're 18, you're. You're late in the cup series, right? I mean, you better be 18 or 19. But I was a little too young and didn't have enough experience yet.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah, it's changed.

[Jack Sprague]

Flip flop.

[Denny Hamlin]

It'll flip the other way one day. They'll be looking for 30 year olds.

[Jack Sprague]

I don't think so.

[Denny Hamlin]

I believe it. Everything. So everything cycles.

[Jack Sprague]

I don't know. These kids are pretty good. Some of them.

[Denny Hamlin]

Well, I know they are. Right now it's hot ticket. Yeah, get them young.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah, get them young and let them pay the way while they're wrecking stuff and then they make it. They're good.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Well, man, I've enjoyed talking to you.

[Jack Sprague]

I've enjoyed it too.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Pretty cool.

[Denny Hamlin]

I. I feel like this cool connection to you, Freddie. Query. The guys that, that I remember, you know, when I was young, reading about in the, in the, in the, in the Concord Parace programs and hearing about the guys that are winning the big ten races. I mean, that was our world.

[Jack Sprague]

Well, you were down there. Kelly was down there racing and.

[Denny Hamlin]

But that was the world of racing.

[Jack Sprague]

That was.

[Denny Hamlin]

We didn't know anything else outside of that. And, you know, we drove around Concord and Kannapolis and everybody had their car outside the garage a day, you know, on a Friday, getting ready to go.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep, that's the way it was done.

[Denny Hamlin]

It was awesome.

[Jack Sprague]

I gotta ask you one question. You don't have to air it or if you don't. So back in 89, myself and Robert's stepson Steve were over at Marcarino's and we had the Sportsman car. Yep. It's like midnight and we're out there outside with the light shining down, doing the bodywork, painting. We had to be at the racetrack. Next day, this thing ain't painted. This black pickup truck pulls up. This guy gets out and I don't pay much attention. I look over and it's dark. He walks over and he says, what's this? And I look and there stood your dad. I'm like, it's a Sportsman car. Who's driving it or no? He said, who the F is driving it? No, I said. He said, who's driving it? I said, jack Sprague. He said, who the F. Jack Sprague. I said, me. And I'm like, you know, I'm shaking in my boots. He says, well, the only thing I can tell you is eat beans, wear jeans and work all night. You'll make it. I'm like thinking, check, check, check, midnight. So then that. That gave me the opportunity because you remember when I used to come over there about once a week at night after work on my car about 8, 9 o'clock at night. And that one night, I'll never forget it said that brand new Hopkins car on wheels, rolling chassis. And you're sitting in the floorboard, you're like 10 or 12.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

You're making racing noises. I'm looking at you going, kids ate up with that. And he's. And you're doing that for about 15 minutes. And your dad and Tony. Tony Senior and them are all drinking moonshine on the picket table there. Remember that picnic table?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

And finally says, junior, he said, you got school tomorrow. Get to the house. I'm like, oh, poor kid. Yep. Remember that?

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

Do you really?

[Denny Hamlin]

Well, I mean, I remember those days. I remember that specific moment, but I remember you coming around.

[Jack Sprague]

I remember I was like crumbs anything.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

He says, well, if you didn't drive who you drove or I'd help you out. But I don't like that guy.

[Denny Hamlin]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[Jack Sprague]

I don't remember who it was.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Well, I've. I'm thankful that you gave us some time today to come over here and sit down and talk to us and talk about your career, learn more about you and see what you've been up to here lately. So thanks a lot for spending some time with us today. Congratulations on being a nominee and just. Dude, it is. I mean, it's cool. It basically getting. Become. Becoming a part of that conversation makes. It's the final attaboy.

[Jack Sprague]

Yep, it is.

[Denny Hamlin]

It's the last attaboy. Might be the last attaboy you get right out of. Out of your racing career. Yeah. And it's the only one that matters, you know, in the end of the. Because that's your industries.

[Jack Sprague]

Yeah.

[Denny Hamlin]

You know, telling you your value. And I'm happy that you. That you got that. You bet you, man. We hope you enjoy being on the show and.

[Jack Sprague]

Absolutely.

[Denny Hamlin]

Yeah. Love to have you come back.

[Jack Sprague]

Cool.

[Denny Hamlin]

Thank you, Jack.

[Jack Sprague]

Thank you.

[Denny Hamlin]

Jack Sprague on the Dell Jr. Download. Travis, you know what the most important part about my morning routine is?

[Travis]

What's that, Carlo?

[Denny Hamlin]

And you know. Cause we were talking about this actually on the show last year. I'm an evening shower guy, so it's like, I gotta make sure I smell good leaving the house going into the office.

[Travis]

Don't want to be a smelly guy.

[Denny Hamlin]

You don't want to be the smelly guy. And let me tell you one thing. And let me tell you one thing. When I'm smelling fresh, I feel confident the rest of the day. And let me tell you Dove Men plus Care Whole Body Dio Spray. It's the move.

[Travis]

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[Denny Hamlin]

Tighten up defense against those odor zones this season five Dove Men Whole Body D O at Walmart today.

[Travis]

The Dale Jr. Download is sponsored by Better Help.

[Dale Earnhardt Jr.]

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[Denny Hamlin]

Great conversation with Jack Sprague. I don't know how you enjoyed the conversation, but I love to hear about the Concord local Super Late Model experience that he had in the in the late 80s early 90s because I was just starting to go to Concord and race my street stock car With Kerry, right around the time when Jack was kind of finishing up there, there was a handful of guys that. They were. They were huge. They were legendary in that little world, right? He talked about the big fish in the little pond, but to people like me that were little street stock racers or just, you know, kids running around at Concord, they were. They were a big deal, and they hauled ass around that racetrack, and their cars looked incredible, and it was just a cool era. And it was fun to talk to him about his sort of, you know, his. His clunky sort of way to finally land in a very good position in the truck series and have some stability, a lot of success, become a champion. And then it got clunky again, you know, between going to the. To the Xfinity series with Hendrick and then the cup deal that didn't really work out, and then his career ending in the truck series. And I was a bit surprised that he was so frustrated, I suppose is the only word I can think of right now about how his career ended and that I think about that because racing. Racing is a mistress or a relationship or a marriage or racing you love. You love racing the same way that you love a significant other in your life. And, man, a lot of times you don't. Like he said, you don't get to choose how that relationship comes to an end. One thing's for sure, it's going to end, you know, whereas, you know, you get this, is you give your heart to racing just the same way you give your heart to your wife or your better half. And the thing about that is, like, you know, my hope and the realistic possibility is that I'm married to Amy for the rest of my life, right? And Jack, you know, has that same opportunity in his. In his personal relationship, not in racing. And race. Racing is going to leave you and how it leaves you, it's not always up to you, and it's so tough. And I think that's what we see with a lot of drivers. If you've listened to this show and listened to a lot of our interviews with some of the guys that are retired, I'm always, like, stopping and pausing and sitting on the retirement or the ending of their career or how did it end and what did they do and why didn't they do this? Why didn't he go race late Models? Why didn't he get a late model and take someone else racing? Why didn't he help? Why didn't he get to the racetrack back in his roots where he had so much success? Like, it seems so logical to me that he would just go race. All right, man, that was great. Cup truck, all that fun stuff. I'm gonna go back to the Snowball Derby and I'm gonna go back to that circle of people and find my. Find my purpose. But he said he hid because he was so heartbroken and embarrassed. And I gotta tell you, I think it happens to more people than we know, more drivers than we know. This thing ends, and even if it makes perfect sense, it still hurts. And you've given everything to it. You've sacrificed, you've done without to have it, and it don't love you back. I feel so lucky that that wasn't necessarily how it ended for me. And I know it easily could have. At certain points in my career, it could have easily ended in a very hurtful way. Now, I mean, I would. I could change a few things about the way my cup career wound down. And hey, I'm still not 100% divorced from racing. I mean, I'm driving my little late mile car, and there'll be a day when I've kind of cheated a little bit in terms of I still get to drive and I still get to know what it feels like. I haven't had to say goodbye just yet. And I worry about that and how that might feel versus like, you know, what Jack's experienced. But, yeah, that's a fascinating conversation that I like to have with a lot of these drivers. When they end their careers, some of them walk away without a problem, no problem whatsoever. And they go on to something else and it doesn't bother them. But for some, it's hard to. To be able to accept, I guess, that A, they're not going to race anymore, or B, they don't have the abilities the reflect the reaction and senses, and all those things are just not there anymore or that they're not wanted. Right? A team, no good team, wants to put them behind the wheel of their car anymore. It's tough. But we finish with the idea that he's in the hall of Fame conversation. Look, I don't know if he'll get in, when he'll get in, but being in that conversation has to mean so much to him, and maybe it means more than he realizes. I think that getting that compliment certainly is helpful to him today, but I believe five, ten years from now, he'll truly realize how much that means to him and how much that really, truly matters to him. It takes a while for that to sink in. Just being a nominee is enough because you know, only a few get in. But being nominated considered is such a, such a cool moment for a guy like Jack with the career that he's had. So thankful for him to give us some time today. It's a lot of fun. It's time for the white flag. White flag action's detrimental. And door bumper clear recorded on Monday. Door bumper clear had Connor Zillich on the show. And Denny is fresh off his race at Cota where he broke down everything from his perspective behind the wheel. And yesterday we had our Dirty Air show recapping everything from Cota, the Cars tour, Ash Jr. Dirty Modeau, and today, Herman Schrader dropped their show along with a new episode of Speed Street. And then tomorrow Thursday, Amy and I will have a new episode of Bless yous Heart. It's gonna be a great week of Dirtymo Media content. And you can celebrate all of this Dirtymo Media content by wearing the new DirtyMomedia merch line. We've got a new E. Commerce merch line. You can go to shop.dirtymomedia.com and check out all this new great stuff we've created just for you. And we'll keep adding stuff throughout the year. We got the ability now to make a T shirt however we want, whenever we want. So promise we'll get. We'll get creative with that and have some fun if Michael let us. All right, so everybody, thanks for Jack. Thanks, Jack, for coming on and looking forward to tomorrow with Amy and what we might have to talk about. But it's been a fun week. Hope everybody enjoys it. Looking forward to Phoenix this weekend. It's gonna be another great race in the NASCAR schedule. We're off to a great start this year and it's got me excited. So we'll see. You check out Dirty Mo Media on Twitter, Facebook, Tick Tock and Instagram.