DOVER, Del. — There was no denying that Dover Motor Speedway would be a tricky track for Carson Kvapil.
The reasoning seemed simple enough. Although the 20-year-old North Carolina native turned heads during his dazzling fourth-place running at Martinsville Speedway nearly three weeks prior, the Virginia short track brought at least some familiarity. After all, two titles in the CARS Late Model Tour provided Kvapil with a touch of semblance when tackling the half-miler.
The Monster Mile, however, was a different animal that would take more getting used to, and there wouldn’t have been any shame in working through the aches and grinding through Saturday’s BetRivers 200 in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
RELATED: Race results | At-track photos
Instead, Kvapil took the challenge in stride and wheeled the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet to second place at the 1-mile Delaware facility.
“I felt like our car was really good all day. I felt like we were a top-five car all day on speed,” Kvapil said. “We were able to drive through the field there. Just, I don’t know. I felt like our car really wasn’t that good on the outside, but I felt like the top was so dominant on the starts that you kind of had to be there. Just got a little too tight there running the top and he got around us going into [Turn] 3 and just had track position on us to move us up the hill. It’s just how it is. It sucks we couldn’t come off 4 in front of him there, but all in all, it was a very good day for these JR Motorsports guys, and I’m happy.”
Attempting to conquer an unfamiliar track didn’t come without a little bit of homework beforehand. Finishing with the best 10-lap average run during Friday’s practice session, combined with a third-place triumph during Friday’s General Tire 150 in the ARCA Menards Series, provided the framework, while a 26th-place starting position for Saturday’s Xfinity contest showed there was still work to be done.
Carson’s father, Travis Kvapil, understood the tall order that loomed ahead. For the 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion, the opportunity to see how his son could fare against adversity presented itself.
“Stayed consistent. Pit crew guys did a great job. Coming down to the end, we’re standing here now disappointed in a second-place finish, but gosh, he did such a great job,” Travis told NASCAR.com. “I don’t think he made any mistakes, and with the rain, at one point, you’re thinking you did the wrong thing, and then it pays off to be the right thing, and then you’re in contention for the win. Fought track position all day long, finally got him up front at the end in clean air, and the car was a rocket. Give all the credit to [crew chief] Andrew Overstreet and the JR Motorsports guys for giving him a fast Camaro. Just a lot to digest there for everybody, and for Carson to do this in his second race. Just a huge learning curve. He did a great job. He’s gonna have more opportunities to win, I think.”
After finishing 13th in each of Saturday’s Xfinity contest’s first two stages, Carson’s speed began to show itself during the latter portions of the final stage as weather began to creep into the picture. This speed came to a head on Lap 193, when a three-wide battle with Austin Hill and Sheldon Creed saw Kvapil pull ahead and lead 14 laps total. However, an inside run from Ryan Truex saw the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota pull clear of Kvapil’s No. 88 and hold fast to the race’s conclusion.
WATCH: Truex passes Kvapil in OT for race win
“I was pretty nervous the whole time,” Carson said. “I just didn’t know if we were gonna get the race in or not. I really wanted to keep the green flag because I felt like we had a really good car for the last few laps, and fortunately, that all went to plan. Like I said, just didn’t defend out of there going into [Turn] 3.
“You don’t want to put three-wide, right? But I feel like that was my only opportunity to get clean air for the lead, so I felt like I kind of had to do it. I had such a good run, so I felt like we really put ourselves in a good spot. Just came up a little short.”
Although a win couldn’t be achieved, plenty of momentum remains in Carson’s favor. And while the young racer might not be racing Xfinity full-time, the opportunity to make a lasting impression has been accomplished in full.
As a former racer himself, Travis certainly believes as much.
“You gotta try to make the most of these opportunities when they come,” Travis said. “There’s a lot of weight on your shoulders to perform and not screw it up, and I felt like he just did a masterful job of working through the traffic starting from where [he] did, on and off pit road. All those things are new that experienced guys like myself, we take it for granted, where he’s still learning lap-by-lap out there, so huge things to come from him in his future I think, but we just keep taking advantage of these opportunities when we get them.”
For Carson, the name of the game will be to continue making the most out of every opportunity that presents itself. And after almost conquering Dover during his first dose of Xfinity action at the track, it’s entirely likely more opportunities could come about.
And to call Saturday a success? There’s simply no denying it.
“I feel like I really know what I need to do here going next time,” Carson said. “Like I said at Martinsville, I just wish I could do this again tomorrow, right? I feel like I’d be so much better and wouldn’t have to drive back to the front I feel like. I feel like after running that ARCA race, I had a pretty good idea. These cars just drive a little bit different, so just had to adapt to that, but that’s really about it.”
Dustin’s pick last week:
