Race: VisitHampton.com at Langley (Va.) Speedway
Track Specs: .400-mile oval / 125 laps
Race Winner: Connor Hall
Kvapil's finish: 3rd
Carson Kvapil fell just short of another zMAX CARS Tour Late Model Stock Car victory on Saturday at Langley (Va.) Speedway, losing out on a last-corner lunge on race leader Connor Hall and Brent Crews to finish third. Hall won the race--by 0.007 seconds--over Crews with Kvapil a tick of the clock behind the top two.
The race boiled down to a green-white-checkered finish after a caution waved just before the leaders were set to take the white flag. On the ensuing restart, Kvapil lined up on the outside of the front row and kept his No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet glued to the right side of Hall's machine through Turns 1 and 2. As the cars bore down on the flat Turn 3 of the .400-mile oval, Kvapil made a lunge to the inside to get alongside.
Crews also made that lunge, a bit later, and the trio exited Turn 4 three-wide with Kvapil in the middle. Hall's momentum off the top line proved the difference as the series point leader nipped Crews, running the extreme inside, with Kvapil a half-car-length--0.064 seconds--behind.
During practice, Kvapil focused on getting his Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Camaro to handle on the flat layout at Langley and qualified ninth for the 125-lap grind. Biding his time and saving tires, Kvapil advanced to the top echelon as the laps wound down.
With 10 laps remaining, Kvapil sat in third place with an eye toward catching Hall and Crews. Jockeying for position with Crews and keeping a close eye on the leader, Kvapil made his move on the green-white-checkered into Turn 1 and fended off a closing lunge from Crews prior to entering Turn 3.
Once on the inside under Hall, Kvapil got sandwiched between the two when Crews dived even deeper for the bare strip of asphalt underneath and contact was made. The three crossed the finish line in contact, with Hall a nose in front of Crews and a quarter-length up on Kvapil. Matt Waltz and Treyton Lapcevich rounded out to the top five.
The zMAX CARS Tour will return to action on June 15 at Virginia’s Dominion Raceway.
Carson Kvapil, driver No. 8 Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet team
"We spent practice getting our Chevrolet dialed in with good speed and handling and qualified ninth for the feature. I wasn't worried about our handling when the race started. I tried to maintain position in the top 10 and not fall back much, and that worked. With about 25 laps to go, we had a few caution periods and I was able to move up the order. This Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER Boats & ATVs Chevrolet was fast all day and we had a chance to end the night in Victory Lane. I can't thank Bryan (team manager Bryan Shaffer) and the whole crew enough for their hard work and dedication every week, and a big thank-you to Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops and JR Motorsports for letting me drive this No. 8 Chevrolet."