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10 Questions: Kvapil

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Travis Kvapil is experiencing a season that has been typical for Cup rookies through the years.

The former Craftsman Truck Series champion has a best finish this season of seventh place -- at Bristol -- and currently sits 33rd in the standings.

During a break in pre-season testing at Daytona International Speedway, Kvapil sat down to answer 10 questions with NASCAR.COM.

1. What's your dream vehicle that you don't already own?

Travis Kvapil recalls the time he had to shower with his socks on Sign up for TrackPass now BUY YOUR NEXTEL DRIVER PHONE

Travis Kvapil: I don't own hardly any cars at all, so that's not hard. Ever since I was a little kid I've always wanted the Ford Cobra -- Carroll Shelby's Cobra.

I always thought those cars were really cool. I've wanted a Viper since they came out with them, but definitely the Carroll Shelby Cobra because I think those are pretty awesome.

Can't Dodge hook you up with Viper?

Maybe if I win. I'm not going to go asking for one at this point. Maybe if I get a couple wins under my belt first.

2. If time on the road weren't an issue, what would be your ideal pet?

A dog, for sure. I grew up in a family with dogs. We had a couple cats, but I enjoyed playing with the dogs and having that bit of companionship, I guess.

So probably a chocolate Lab or a yellow Lab -- maybe something like that, because I like Labs.

3. What's your biggest pet peeve while driving on the road?

That's easy -- people that go slow in the fast lane. I can't stand it.

It always seems like I'm running late, so I got to be in the hammer lane and I got to go. So I can't stand it when they're all stacked up behind somebody and just putting along at 65 side-by-side with the car next to them.

That drives me crazy.

4. Racing means travel, so what's your worst hotel experience?

It was probably one of my first hotel experiences back when I was racing in the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series.

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	TRAVIS KVAPIL •   Driver Page •   2005 Stats •   Dodge Fast Track

It was the first time we went to Gateway International Raceway outside St. Louis. We let my dad find a hotel room for us, and of course we didn't have the money to go to anything real fancy.

He got us this hotel room and we got there and I'm like, "No way -- this place is a dump." There were cockroaches and the shower was all moldy and stuff like that.

I remember taking a shower with my socks on and I slept in the bed that night with all my clothes on, too. It was just gross.

Q: I bet that was the last time you let your dad do the hotel rooms?

Definitely. We fired him from that job, that's for sure.

5. What's your favorite food?

I'll say Italian. I can't really say which type of Italian, but I love fettuccini Alfredo, garlic bread, cheese bread and things like that -- pizza. I just like Italian.

Q: Since you're from Wisconsin, what's your favorite type of cheese?

All of 'em. Actually, probably my favorite, I don't even know if it's a type of cheese, but I like cheese curds. Not many people know what cheese curds are, but I like cheese curds and string cheese.

Everything with cheese on it is a little better. Even the Easy Cheese, for crackers.

6. If you had to choose, would it be being honest, or being nice?

I think honest, because I guess even if I was mean to somebody, but I was honest they'd still respect me for being honest, I think.

So definitely being honest.

7. What's your fondest childhood memory?

Probably just going to the racetrack Friday and Saturday nights and just hanging out there and just in general, just being around racing.

It was something that I really enjoyed. I loved it and I didn't feel like it was something I had to do or it was "Oh man, I have to go to the races."

It was "Man, I can't wait 'til next Saturday night so I can go to the racetrack." I just really loved going to the races and being around it.

8. What would your dream date be? Where and with whom?

It has to be with my wife, for sure -- and now that we have children it would probably be with my kids.

I'd love to do that. My eight-year-old daughter has been begging to go to Disneyland, or something like that.

We've never had the chance to do that, so to gather up the family and go do that for a weekend -- or four or five days would be fun.

9. Racing and pranks seem to go hand in hand, so what's your worst prank, either perpetrated by you, or done to you?

I've never really had anything really bad or crazy happen either way, I guess.

But it seems like every time I go out to dinner, it's always "Oh, it's your birthday." So you get all the cheers and clapping.

I remember twice. One was pretty good. In Texas at a steakhouse they bring the fake horse out there and you have to act like you're riding it. It was a little embarrassing.

That seems to happen once or twice a year to me.

Q: Do you ever get those people back?

Yeah -- but shoot, it's always like 10 against one because it's usually the race team ganging up on the driver. So it's hard to get them all back.

10. What would you consider your "Welcome to NASCAR" moment?

Maybe it was my first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race in 2001. We had done some testing in the off-season and things were going really good. I was with a great team, Addington Racing.

The third lap of my first race was at Daytona, and the next thing I know I was turned around and wrecked before I even knew what had happened.

It was my very first race and we had high expectations. Everybody, of course -- my family and friends -- had taken time off from work Friday to watch the race.

Shoot, I only made it three laps and I wrecked, so it was a big disappointment.