Track Specs: Goodyear All-American Speedway, .400-mile oval/125-lap feature
Kvapil's finish: 4th
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (April 25, 2022) -- Carson Kvapil has made seven starts for JR Motorsports in the team's No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet Late Model and has never finished worse than fourth. On Saturday at Goodyear All-American Speedway, Kvapil had to overcome a crash on a restart with 44 laps remaining to keep that streak intact.
Starting third, Kvapil jumped to second on the initial break and held it for the first 15 laps before cars started coming to the front. The abrasive surface on the .400-mile oval meant that saving tires was paramount, and Kvapil was taking care of his from the start.
At the second competition caution at lap 80, Kvapil was still third and felt good about his iRacing-backed Chevrolet and the amount of rubber he had left. As the green flag waved, Kvapil felt an issue with the clutch and immediately started falling back. He was still in the top 10 when he tangled with another car, and the contact triggered an eight-car pileup. In the crash, Kvapil's right-front tire went flat and there was some damage to the body panels. On pit road, crew chief Bryan Shaffer and the JRM team changed the right front and cleaned up the clutch, sending their driver back out near the tail of the field.
The clutch issue went away on the restart, and Kvapil found himself 20th with not a lot of laps left until the checkered. The young driver put his head down and charged, eventually getting to fourth position with five laps remaining, but the right rear tire was worn too far to move farther up the order.
Despite the troubles, Kvapil maintained his advantage in the CARS Tour LMSC point standings, losing just a single marker to second-place Chad McCumbee.
Next action for Kvapil and the No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet team will be in the CARS Tour event on May 6 at Ace Speedway in Altamahaw, N.C.
Carson Kvapil, driver No. 8 iRacing Chevrolet team
"I qualified well, starting third, and we were in a really good spot with a lot of tire left on that second competition caution. I thought our iRacing Chevrolet had a really good chance to win at that point. On that restart, the clutch started slipping and I was able to hold my position for about a lap before I started going backwards. I got tangled up with a guy ahead of me and it just caused a big pileup. It got my right front tire and my steering was way off.
"Goodyear All-American Speedway is rough on tires, and I was 20th with around 40 laps to go, so I had to get going and I was 100 percent the rest of the way just trying to get as much as I could. By the time I was trying to get third with five to go, my right rear tire was gone. I used all of it up trying to get back through the field.
"All in all, it was still a solid day in the points, and we only lost one point. We've not finished worse than fourth so far this year, but we've only got one win. I have to pick it up!"