10 Questions: J. Sprague

1. What's the best advice you've ever received and who was it from?

Jack Sprague: Probably years ago, it was the late '80s or early '90s. I remember I was working for Robert Hamke and we were painting a Sportsman car to run the race at Charlotte. It was like 11:30, 12 o'clock at night and we just started. And we were at Marc Reno's shop and Dale Earnhardt pulls up. He was buddies with Reno. He gets out and looks around, being his normal self. I'll never forget this, he looked at me and said, "Well, boy, eat beans, wear jeans and work all effing night and you'll make it!" I said, "All right." That sticks in my mind.

Jack Sprague:
Red

2. What's your favorite road to drive?

Sprague: I don't really have any. I like riding my motorcycle on the Blue Ridge Parkway, but I don't have a favorite road to drive on.

3. What was your first job?

Sprague: The first thing I ever did was pick blueberries when I was like 12. My first job, when I was 16 years old, I used to do bodywork for a living.

4. Who would you trade places with, and why?

Sprague: I wouldn't trade places with anybody. I'm pretty good with where I'm at in my life right now. It's taken a long time to get there, so I'm pretty good.

5. What do you feel is your biggest strength?

Sprague: Being a father.

6. If you could take someone to eat in your hometown of Spring Lake, Mich., were would you go and what would your order?

Sprague: Probably Mama Mia's pizza and subs. They have the best subs in the world.

7. If you could choose someone to play you in a movie, who would it be?

Sprague: Someone to play me in a movie? That's pretty wild. Probably Brad Pitt. I think he's pretty cool.

8. What was your first apartment?

Sprague: Actually, it was sort of an apartment, I guess. We had a pretty nice little setup in the basement of my mom and dad's house in Spring Lake. I guess I was 18 or 19, I rented a room in the basement there, it was full accommodations. That'd be it.

9. What's your favorite ice cream flavor?

Sprague: Rocky road.

10. If you could go back in time and give advice to yourself, what would it be?

Sprague: Probably I would tell myself, more than anything, to understand and appreciate the sport -- 15 years ago -- as I do now and treat it like I do now. Things might have been a little different. On that same note, I'm very pleased and proud of what I've accomplished in things of that nature. But it took me a long time to "get it."