Man charged with murder of crewman in court Mon.

The man accused of shooting Team Red Bull mechanic Jimmy Sprinkle will appear before the court on Monday.

Earl Wayne Flowers, 51 of Taylorsville, N.C., was arrested without incident Thursday afternoon at his home, charged with the murder of Sprinkle and held without bond. The mechanic for the No. 83 Nextel Cup team was shot and killed in his driveway on March 31.

Investigators aren't releasing many details, but said the two men did not know each other and it appeared the two got into an altercation when Flowers showed up at Sprinkle's residence.

Mechanic murdered at N.C. home

Jimmy Sprinkle, a 44-year-old mechanic for Team Red Bull's No. 83 Nextel Cup organization, was shot and killed on his North Carolina farm.

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Flowers has a criminal record, but told WSOC-TV in Charlotte he did not shoot Sprinkle.

"I don't know the man. I wasn't involved in it. I didn't shoot him," Flowers said. "I didn't know Jimmy Sprinkle. I never met him in my life, never have."

The suspect's criminal past includes felony convictions for possession of stolen goods, rape, kidnapping and escaping prison.

Flowers is scheduled to appear in court on Monday and authorities said the investigation is ongoing.

On March 31, Sprinkle saw someone coming down the driveway of his hone at approximately 10:30 p.m. ET and went outside to investigate. That's when Sprinkle was shot in the chest one time. He died later that night at Iredell Memorial Hospital.

"We are shocked and deeply saddened by the unfortunate loss of Jimmy Sprinkle's life," Team Red Bull vice president and general manager Marty Gaunt said in a statement. "We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to Jimmy's family and friends.

"Jimmy was one of those hard-working crew guys with great personality that don't come around very often."

Sprinkle had been with the No. 83 team for a year and previously worked as a mechanic in the Craftsman Truck Series with Addington Racing and Morgan Dollar Motorsports.