Track Specs: Caraway (N.C.) Speedway, .455-mile oval/200-lap feature
Kvapil's finish: 1st
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 14, 2022) -- Carson Kvapil's countdown to victory for the JR Motorsports Late Model team reached zero on Sunday night at Caraway Speedway.
The 18-year-old driver, who had finished fourth, third and second in his first three starts for JRM last year, moved one spot up the order in the CARS Tour's annual Old North State Nationals for Late Model Stock Cars, holding off Kaden Honeycutt over the final 60 laps to earn the $30,000 winner's paycheck.
It was also the first victory for sponsor iRacing as the primary backer of the No. 8 Chevrolet. The online racing leader spent the past two seasons as a co-primary sponsor on the car.
Kvapil's victory was the third straight for JRM in four runnings of the extra-distance, extra-purse event, as Josh Berry took the top prize last season at Orange County Speedway and in 2020 at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.
Kvapil, who was named the full-time driver of JRM's storied No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet for 2022, qualified 16th for the 200-lap grind and held his ground at the start, maintaining position in the top 15 over the first 50 laps when the first controlled caution waved.
In order to give teams time to make changes without live pit stops, the controlled cautions were for fuel or tires, not both. Tires were limited to six per car, including the four on which the teams started the race.
Telling crew chief Bryan Shaffer that his iRacing Chevrolet was tight in the center of the tight corners and that he was having trouble getting it pointed coming off, Kvapil came to pit road under the controlled caution flag to fill the car with fuel, with Shaffer deciding to save his two fresh tires until later in the race.
When racing resumed, Kvapil maintained his position in the top 15 until a rash of caution flags hit around the halfway point. At lap 100, Shaffer and Berry, who was on hand after a late-night flight from Phoenix Raceway after competing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series event there on Saturday, brought Kvapil down under controlled conditions to add the two tires, which would have to last the young driver the rest of the way.
Kvapil maintained a steady pace, saving fuel and tires and riding out the laps until around lap 140, when the final controlled caution waved. Several of the front-running cars—including Honeycutt--put their fresh tires on at that point, setting the stage for the final run.
The action on pit road moved Kvapil up to third position, with the only other cars on the same strategy around him. On the restart with 60 laps remaining, Kvapil got the jump to the inside off Turn 4 and took the lead, with Jared Fryar and Honeycutt trailing. A quick caution for a spin slowed the action, and put Honeycutt right behind Kvapil for the restart.
When the green flag waved again, Kvapil put the iRacing Chevrolet on the bottom lane and raced away from Honeycutt, Fryar and Deac McCaskill. Despite thick lapped traffic, Kvapil maintained his gap over Honeycutt and won going away as fuel became a concern. Several drivers ran out in the final laps, including McCaskill, and Kvapil was nearly dry when the checkered flag waved.
Kvapil crossed the finish line .865 seconds ahead of Honeycutt. Fryar was third, with Jason York and Corey Heim rounding out the top five in the 34-car field.
In the first race of the day, Kvapil's brother Caden won the inaugural CARS Tour Pro Late Model feature in the Kvapil family car to give the brothers a sweep of the events. The Pro Late Models are new this year to the CARS Tour, replacing the Super Late Model class. Ironically, Carson Kvapil was the final Super Late Model champion for the series, winning the title last season.
Next action for Kvapil and the No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet team will be at Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, when the CARS Tour competes there on March 26.
Carson Kvapil, driver No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet team
"I can't thank Bryan (Shaffer), Josh (Berry) and everyone on the crew for making that (strategy) call. We knew on the long run there that we were facing fresher tires and fuel. I didn't know if it would work out or not, but it did.
"I didn't think about our own fuel situation. We pitted at lap 100 to take right-side tires, and at the end, several of the other guys had tires to put on at lap 150. We took the risk that we could get out front, go caution-free and run away with it and not get run down by those fresher tires. We got a really good restart. After we put the tires on and before we were racing them, I was riding pretty good, taking care of it and making sure I had something for the end. Luckily, I held on to the end and we were fast at the finish. On the win, I called it over the offseason, saying that the next one would be the $30,000-to-win show and statistics showed we should finish first, so...it worked out."