Hell Comes To Spraguetown

As
the racing seasons approach the final stretch in the 2001 campaign, it looks as
though Chevrolet will sweep NASCAR’s top three touring divisions. That’s two
trophies for Hendrick and one for Childress barring some rather strange or
unforeseen circumstances.

In
Winston Cup, Jeff Gordon will have to do some serious toe stubbing combined with
Ricky Rudd running better than his season average to change the championship
outcome in this series. The Busch series belongs to he who seems to have the
Midas touch, this year, “Happy” Kevin Harvick, ex-trucker. The only car from
the Roush Racing stable that has actually been competitive enough to contend for
a title this year is also an ex-trucker, Greg Biffle. Team Grainger has been
stout, but not as consistent as the RCR BGN entry piloted by Harvick. Biffle
will have to wait, as he did in the Truck series, until year two in the Busch
series to claim his hardware there.

The
Truck series has the closest points race to date-on the surface. If we look
closer, we can see it all but a slam-dunk for Jack Sprague. The Smith trucks
piloted by Scotty Riggs and Ted Musgrave have lost their early season dominance,
and perhaps that dominance was more a symptom of the early season incompetence
of Team Hendrick. Dennis Conner has done a yeoman’s job of snatching victory
from the jaws of defeat for the members of the 24 truck team. No doubt he will
move to the Cup effort of Terry LaBonte in 2002 to try and turn that failing
program around. Meanwhile, at Bobby Hamilton Motorsports, the focus on Joe
Ruttman’s run for the title has been sidetracked by other concerns as he and
Dodge Motorsports try to change the face of NASCAR overnight by placing the
minority driver du jour in the third, and sometimes fourth truck from that
stable. The goal is a noble one, but it spreads resources way too thin, hence
the strongest truck in the camp suffers. Again, Bobby Hamilton’s goal in
cooperation with Dodge is with merit, no doubt, but did he form this team to win
championships or to bring Affirmative Action to NASCAR? Either way, Ruttman
languishes with less than stellar machines.

So
hand the 2001 NCTS trophy to Jack Sprague for a record third time. He joins Mike
Skinner, Ron Hornaday and Greg Biffle in this elite club of trucking champions.
We have also mentioned the name of Kevin Harvick in this article, another
trucker, but not a champion. 0 for 71 starts to be exact. Stacey Compton, Kurt
Busch, and Andy Houston have also made inroads from the Truck series to the
other divisions. Why hasn’t the man who has started every NCTS race since
Winter Heat been offered a Busch or a Cup ride? Why was it Randy LaJoie and not
Jack Sprague who piloted the 50 Cup car of Hendrick Motorsports when Ricky
Craven was injured? Why was it Jeff Gordon and Ricky Hendrick sharing the Pepsi
car in Busch? Why Jack?

This
year, the ever temperamental Jack misidentified a truck that he had an on-track
altercation with as Joe Gibbs Racing truck. After the race, it was the Coach,
Joe Gibbs himself that had to put out the Sprague fire. That’s Joe, one
championship, two Cup cars, one and half Busch cars, and one and a quarter truck
teams, Gibbs. Can we guess that there will be a third Gibbs Cup car in 2002? Can
we bet that Jack Sprague won’t be the driver? Choose your battles carefully,
Jack.

A
few years back, Jack was given the opportunity to drive the 15 Albertson’s car
in the Busch series. An early accident relegated the car to the garage for
repairs. The intent was to repair the car and get back in the race so the team
could gain valuable experience. When the repairs were complete, they found that
the intended driver had left the track. And the following week found Mike
Skinner behind the wheel.

We
can only assume that Jack Sprague has no aspirations beyond the Truck series
similar to Randy LaJoie who likes calling a Busch car his permanent digs. Jack has self-destructed every chance he has been given to advance. That
means when the 24 truck returns to the series in 2002, the defending champion
may very well find himself in Helltown thanks to the Silly Season of Winston
Cup.

Mike
Skinner is out of the 31 car. He is rumored to be the driver of the second
Morgan-McClure car, but the rumor of a partner to the Kodak machine is a
traditional one that never produces a reality. Mike is not only free of the 31
Cup car, but also free from RCR all together. Kevin Harvick will share the
duties in the 2 with a yet to be named driver, and the 21 remains a mystery not
to be solved by Mr. Skinner. Mike has money, connections, Larry McReynolds, and
a Truck series championship to his credit. It is highly possible that he field a
full time effort in that series in 2002.

Ron
Hornaday is to be admired for keeping his chin up since leaving the Truck
series. He was unceremoniously dismissed from DEI in favor of Michael Waltrip,
and wound up working as the next driver through the revolving door at AJ Foyt
Racing. AJ has Larry Foyt running Busch and Russ Tuttle in the ASA, and that
means Hornaday, like Mike Bliss, could easily be yesterday news seconds after
the final checked flag flies at Atlanta. He is not without his connections as
well as an impressive racing resume. He could easily commandeer the part time
efforts of his son in the Truck series, and go full time himself with Lucas Oil
on board. It could happen.

Happy
Harvick has already committed to his own truck team for 2002, and if good
fortune continues, his sporadic appearances will make an “impact” on Jack
Sprague’s efforts in 2002. We can expect Biffle, Big Busch, and Little Busch
to show up from time to time as well.

It
appears that Hell could come to Spraguetown in the 2002 Truck series wars. Two
former champions could be there full time, one of which, Ron Hornaday, whom
Jack’s battles with are Truck series legend. Mike Skinner’s dismal record in
Cup betrays his talents because he has been second fiddle since his first day at
RCR, first to Dale Earnhardt, and most recently, to Kevin Harvick. Given a team
that he is the focus of as he was when he raced to the championship in the
Goodwrench Truck, Mike will be a force to be reckoned with should he wheel a
Truck in 2002. Let’s not rule out the “Old Man” Joe Ruttman either. Bobby
Hamilton et al will find their compass in the off season, and “One Blow Joe”
could also being playing bumper tag with the 24 truck again as well.

When
the Trucks roll off the grid at the opener at Daytona, it will be no surprise if
the front row consists of the 24 and the 17 trucks of the Hendrick stable.
Sprague and Ricky Jr. will have a look in the rear view at row two and see the 3
with Skinner at the wheel, and the 16 with Hornaday ready to mash the gas. Row
three, the Old Man and the Happy One, and in row four, a couple of Roush trucks.
It could happen…

Seem
like old times for Jack Sprague? The usual cast of characters running him down?
Ghosts from the past that have been where he will never go? Think about it Jack.
If Ron Hornaday doesn’t have a Cup ride in 2002, and you have three Truck
titles to his two, do you really think he is going to let that go unchallenged?
Not likely. Welcome to Hell Jack.