Carson Kvapil might’ve scored a top-five in a rather unorthodox way in Saturday’s Sci Aps 200, but that doesn’t mean it was an unimpressive drive for the young prospect.
After making his way up through the field from his 38th starting spot, Kvapil found himself mired towards the back of the pack with the final quarter of the race approaching. Fortunately for Kvapil, however, the yellow flags fell his way, enabling him to restart on the front row with just 26 laps remaining.
Kvapil took the advantage on the restart, but was forced to battle for the lead on the next restart with defending Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer. With Justin Bonsignore spinning on Lap 182, Custer was ruled the leader at the moment of caution, putting the No. 00 Ford in control of the race.
While Kvapil slipped back to fifth on the ensuing restart and remained there for the rest of the day, it was still impressive to see the 21 year-old maintain composure when faced with a late-race restart. Saturday’s loss likely won’t sting as much as his runner-up finish at Dover, but Kvapil once more proved why Dale Earnhardt Jr keeps giving him opportunities in the No. 88 car.
Kvapil’s 24 laps led at Loudon on Saturday mark the most he’s led so far in an Xfinity Series race. His fifth-place effort marks his third top-five in his first four Xfinity Series races, with the lone outlier being a 19th-place finish at Darlington – not a bad mark for a debut at the toughest track on the circuit.
Kvapil might not have had the car or track position he needed to truly contend for the win on Saturday, but he put himself in position to snag a good finish. If he keeps finding himself inside the top-five, that first victory will come – and it could open the floodgates for a slew of wins in the near future.
Kvapil has four races remaining on his 2024 Xfinity Series schedule with JR Motorsports, with the Xfinity Series’ return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval on July 20 being the next event on Kvapil’s calendar.