Carson Kvapil
(Photo: NASCAR)

Carson Kvapil all set for ARCA, Xfinity doubleheader at the Monster Mile

www.arcaracing.com April 25, 2024

One of the busiest drivers in the Dover Motor Speedway garage this weekend will be Carson Kvapil.

The son of 2003 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Travis Kvapil, the second-generation competitor is competing in Friday’s General Tire 150 with Pinnacle Racing Group before participating into a JR Motorsports car before the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Saturday. Both events are serving as Kvapil’s second start in each respective series.

Pulling a doubleheader at the Monster Mile would normally intimidate young drivers, but Kvapil believes the equipment at his disposal will allow him to gradually adapt to all of Dover’s challenges as the weekend progresses.

“I’m pretty excited,” Kvapil said. “The Xfinity race is obviously the biggest priority, but being able to run the ARCA car is a great opportunity, so that’s going to be a really big help before jumping into the Xfinity car. Hopefully [Friday] will give me a much better idea of what I need to do before [Saturday].”

Success has followed Kvapil in nearly every avenue of racing. Along with having a Super Late Model title on his resume, Kvapil is also fresh off two consecutive Late Model Stock championships with JR Motorsports.

The cohesion Kvapil displayed on short tracks helped him earn his first start with the ARCA Menards Series platform at Kansas Speedway last year. Despite making early contact with the wall, Kvapil kept PRG’s No. 28 competitive all afternoon and ended up securing an impressive second-place finish.

Kvapil carried the momentum over from Kansas into his Xfinity debut at Martinsville Speedway last month.

Unlike Kansas, Kvapil had plenty of familiarity with Martinsville, having tallied two top five finishes in the prestigious ValleyStar Credit Union 300. Kvapil utilized that experience to maintain top 10 track position nearly all evening with the Xfinity regulars, placing fourth in the 38-car field.

Nothing about either start came easy for Kvapil. Kansas remains the biggest track Kvapil has competed on in his career to date, while the Xfinity race at Martinsville required him to be patient and gain the respect of series veterans like defending champion Cole Custer and teammate Justin Allgaier.

Carson Kvapil
Carson Kvapil mixed it up with the NASCAR Xfinity Series regulars at Martinsville Speedway to finish fourth in his debut. (Photo: NASCAR)

With full races logged in both ARCA and Xfinity, Kvapil believes he is finding a comfort zone in both cars and has an idea of what to expect on Friday and Saturday.

“The biggest difference is the motor,” Kvapil said. “The chassis are quite similar honestly, but the ARCA car has a little less motor and more downforce. Dover will have a lot of off-throttle time with the ARCA car, but I think you’ll be off the gas more with the Xfinity car and use a little more brake.”

Kvapil knew the established relationships at JR Motorsports would help him ahead of his Xfinity debut, but he has also been grateful for tutelage of everyone at PRG.

Led by Shane Huffman, who briefly raced for JR Motorsports from 2006-07, PRG was actively involved in preparing Kvapil for how different a race at an intermediate would be compared to a short track event. This included using the distinct grooves around Kansas’ progressive banking and learning to pass in dirty air.

There are many nuances that Kvapil is still trying to ascertain when it comes to racing on larger facilities, but he said every upcoming start with PRG and JR Motorsports will get him closer to where he needs to be in that aspect.

“[PRG and JR Motorsports] are great teams to learn from,” Kvapil said. “I’ve figured out a lot about aerodynamics, but there’s always so many little things that you can learn too. The biggest thing for me has been air and how to race people on a big track like [Kansas].”

Carson Kvapil
After finishing second with Pinnacle Racing Group in his ARCA Menards Series debut, Carson Kvapil seeks to finish one spot better at Dover Motor Speedway this weekend. (Photo: Edd Zurga/ARCA Racing)

Kvapil added Dover is a perfect facility for him to apply what he has learned in ARCA and Xfinity so far, comparing its design to a mixture between an intermediate and a short track.

Expectations are high for Kvapil in each event, but he also intends to log laps and learn more about Dover. The concrete, high-banked layout of Dover has led to numerous unforced errors from even experienced drivers during the track’s history, so Kvapil’s goal is to cross the start-finish line with two intact cars.

With plenty of accomplishments already to his name, Kvapil has plenty of optimism entering a hectic weekend of racing and is ready to build upon the strong impression made through short tracks and into national competition.

“You want to go out there and run the best you can, but I’m just trying to figure out the cars so I can be prepared to drive to the front at the end of the race,” Kvapil said. “I don’t really know what I want to get out of [this weekend] but I just want another good run.

“Hopefully I can make the most of this opportunity.”

Kvapil’s doubleheader weekend at Dover starts Friday with practice and qualifying for both ARCA and Xfinity. The General Tire 150 wraps up a busy day at the track for Kvapil, with the green flag set to wave at 5 p.m. ET.

FS2 has coverage of Friday’s ARCA race at Dover, while the BetRivers 200 for Xfinity is set to get going at 1:30 p.m. ET Saturday on FS1.