Saturday, April 25, 2009

Travis Kvapil

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Travis Kvapil
Born March 1, 1976 (1976-03-01) (age 33)[1]
Hometown Janesville, Wisconsin[1]
Achievements 2003 Craftsman Truck Series Champion
Awards 2001 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics
Car #, Team #28 - Yates Racing
2008 Sprint Cup Position 23rd
Best Cup Position 23rd - 2008 (Sprint Cup)
First Race 2004 Subway 500 (Martinsville)
Last Race 2009 Food City 500 (Bristol)
Wins Top Tens Poles
0 6 1
NASCAR Nationwide Series Statistics
2007 NNS Position 111st
Best NNS Position 111st - 2007 (Busch series)
First Race 2001 Outback Steakhouse 300 (Kentucky)
Last Race 2007 Food City 250 (Bristol)
Wins Top Tens Poles
0 0 0
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Statistics
2008 NCWTS Position 28th
Best NCWTS Position 1st - 2003
First Race 2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Daytona)
Last Race 2008 Ford 200 (Homestead)
First Win 2001 Silverado 350 (Texas)
Last Win 2007 Smith's Las Vegas 350 (Las Vegas)
Wins Top Tens Poles
9 82 4
Statistics current as of April 1, 2009.

Travis Kvapil (pronounced kwah-pil) (born March 1, 1976 in Janesville, Wisconsin)[1] is an American race car driver. He currently drives the #28 Ford Fusion for Yates Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.[2][3]

Contents

Early career

Kvapil began racing at the age of 16 at Rockford Speedway in 1992 by competing in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series.[1] Kvapil won the American Short Tracker division track championship in 1994 at Rockford.[4] He then moved up to super late models at Madison International Speedway in 1995 and was the track Rookie of the Year.[1] He also became the track's Late Model champion a year later in 1996.[1] Soon there after, Kvapil moved up to the ARCA RE/MAX Series.[1] He finished in the tenth and fourth spots in the series' point standings in 1999 and 2000, respectively.[1]

NASCAR career

2001 - 2004

Kvapil raced for Roush Fenway Racing in their #6 Ford truck during the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series Season. Sponsorship came from K&N Filters.

In 2001, Kvapil made his debut in the Craftsman Truck Series driving for Addington Racing in their #60 Chevrolet, sponsored by CAT Rental Stores.[5] In his twenty-first start, right before the season concluded, at Texas Motor Speedway, he won his first Truck Series race in the Silverado 350.[6] Once the 2001 NASCAR Season had finished, his eighteen top-10s contributed him to a fourth place in the driver standings.[7] He was also awarded as the Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year.[8] For the next season, in 2002, Kvapil managed to match his win total, from the previous season, by winning the O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park.[9] However, his top-10 count dipped down to fourteen, to which he was located in at the ninth spot in the final driver standings.[10]

Due to funding issues at Addington, Kvapil switched to the #16 IWX MotorFreight sponsored, Chevrolet for Steve Coulter's Xpress Motorsports team for 2003.[1] He once again won one race, with this time being at Bristol Motor Speedway for the O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife.[11] Kvapil, however, improved in his top-10 amount by getting one 88% of the time (Twenty-two in a total of a twenty-five race season).[12] Because of these finishes, and largely because of the struggles of the drivers in front of him in the standings, Kvapil was in position to overtake two drivers, Brendan Gaughan and Ted Musgrave, in the driver standings, at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After Gaughan crashed out of the race and Musgrave was black flagged, Kvapil became the 2003 Craftsman Truck Series champion.[13][14] He also completed every lap except for one throughout the entire season, which recorded a 99.9% lap completion rate for him.[15]

Before the next season arose, Kvapil again changed teams, this time for Alexander Meshkin in the #24 Bang! Racing Toyota, which was sponsored by Line-X-Benders and Ebay.[16] In the thirteen race of the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series Season, he won his first race of the year during the Line-X Spray-on Truck Bedliners 200 at Michigan International Speedway.[17] The win gave Toyota their first win in the top tiers of NASCAR.[18] Two months later, Kvapil won once again at New Hampshire International Speedway during the Sylvania 200 presented by Lowe's.[19] Not long after his win in New Hampshire, during qualifying for the American Racing Wheels 200 at California Speedway, he won his first Bud Pole Award in the Truck Series.[20] After winning the championship in the previous year, Travis Kvapil dropped down to the eighth spot in the final driver standings of the season.[21]

2005 - 2009

Kvapil is currently driving for Yates Racing in their #28 Ford CoT for the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season. K&N Filters sponsored the team during the Daytona 500.

Towards the end of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Season, Kvapil made his first NEXTEL Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway, driving a fourth car, the #06 Mobil 1 Dodge, from the Penske Racing stable.[22] Penske Racing co-owner Don Miller added, "This is a continuation of our driver development program."[23] Before the 2005 NASCAR Season started, he was chosen by Penske Racing to drive their #77 Eastman Kodak Dodge, replacing Brendan Gaughan.[24] At Bristol Motor Speedway, Kvapil scored his first ever NEXTEL Cup Series top-10 by finishing in seventh place during the Food City 500.[25] Before the season concluded, he picked-up another top-10 at Phoenix International Raceway during the Checker Auto Parts 500, which gave Kvapil a total of two top-10s during his freshman Cup Series year.[26] Once the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Season wrapped-up, he was thirty-third in the driver standings.[27] However, soon after the season ended, Penske Racing folded the #77 team after Kodak pulled out of its sponsorship, causing Kvapil to look for other opportunities.[28][29]

Soon after his departure from Penske, Travis Kvapil signed with PPI Motorsports for the 2006 NASCAR Season, driving the #32 Chevrolet, which was sponsored by Tide.[30] Kvapil's best finishes came at Kansas Speedway, during the Banquet 400, Pocono Raceway, during the Pocono 500, and Talladega Superspeedway, during the Aaron's 499; all three were nineteenth-place finishes.[31][32][33] After the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Season ended, he was found to be located at thirty-sixth in the driver standings.[34] However, just like at the end of the previous season, Kvapil had to find a new ride for the upcoming season, since his PPI contract only lasted for one season.[35] Also, PPI Motorsports slowly closed its shop soon after the conclusion of the 2006 NASCAR Season due the inability of finding a sponsor (to replace Tide) and not having a manufacturer commitment for the 2007 NASCAR Season.[36][37]

For the 2007 NASCAR Season, Kvapil returned to the Truck Series to drive the #6 Ford for Roush Racing, replacing Mark Martin, who moved to Ginn Racing, and David Ragan, who was promoted by Roush to replace Martin in the #6 Ford in the Cup Series.[38][39][40] About the signing, Roush owner Jack Roush added, "We are pleased beyond measure that we were able to get a driver the caliber of Travis Kvapil. At only 30 years old with a truck championship and two years of Nextel Cup experience under his belt, Travis brings great long and short term potential to and for Roush Racing."[41] During the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series Season, he won four races, including the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway and the Smith's Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and recorded twelve Top-10 finishes.[42] Once the season had finished, Kvapil was located in at the sixth spot in the driver standings.[43] He returned to Roush Fenway as a part-time driver in 2008 after Joey Clanton was released from the #09 Ford.[44][45]

For the 2008 season, after spending one season in the Craftsman Truck Series, Kvapil was signed by the newly re-named Yates Racing as one of its drivers for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.[2] He was one part of the team that Doug Yates had recently just taken over from his father, Robert, that had a goal, as stated by Doug, of, "By the 2008 Daytona 500, Yates Racing wants to be in an elevated position where we are competing successfully against any race team in the sport."[2] Kvapil's new car number was 28, instead of the previously used 88 by Yates Racing, because the 88 was given to Hendrick Motorsports to be used for their new driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.[46] Before the season started, he, along with his teammate, David Gilliland, did not have full-time sponsorship on either of their Yates Racing Fords.[47] However, for the Daytona 500, K&N Filters sponsored his team.[48] Two weeks later, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, during the UAW-Dodge 400, Kvapil scored an eighth place finish, giving him his third top-10 of his career, in an unsponsored ride.[49] Later that week, Zaxby's decided to sponsor the #28 team for the next race, which was the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.[50] A couple of races later, in the Aaron's 499, he finished in the sixth position with a one race sponsorship deal from Northern Tool and Equipment, which gave him his career best finish in the Cup Series.[51][52] Just a few weeks after his career best run, Kvapil picked-up another top-10 finish, this time at Darlington Raceway, during the Dodge Challenger 500.[53] Despite the lack of a full-time sponsorship, Travis Kvapil finished 23rd in the driver standings.[54] After the 2009 Food City 500 Kvapil's team closed up due to lack of sponsorship.

Personal life

Travis Kvapil is currently married and has three kids with his wife.[55] The three reside in Mooresville, North Carolina. While building-up his racing career, he competed against Wisconsin native, and future NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion, Matt Kenseth at Madison International Speedway.[1] Kvapil, like Kenseth, is an avid Green Bay Packers fan.[1] During the 2006 NASCAR Season, Travis Kvapil, along with his #32 Tide team from PPI Motorsports, appeared on an episode of Guiding Light.[56]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Travis Kvapil's Biography". NASCAR.com. 2008-03-19. http://www.nascar.com/news/headlines/cup/kvapil.bio/. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  2. ^ a b c Rodman, Dave (2007-09-08). "Yates to retire, hand team to son at end of season". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/09/07/ryates.tkvapil.rrudd/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  3. ^ "Kvapil among three drivers to pilot Roush's Truck entry". Team Press Release. 2008-03-05. http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/truck/03/05/tkvapil.roush.lineup/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
  4. ^ Ramsell, Kevin (2007-03-06). "Rockford Speedway is a "NASCAR home track"". wirace.come. http://www.wirace.com/news.html. Retrieved on 2007-10-22.
  5. ^ "2001 Official Race Results: Florida Dodge Dealers 250". NASCAR.com. 2001-02-16. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/1/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
  6. ^ "2001 Official Race Results: Silverado 350". NASCAR.com. 2001-10-05. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/21/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
  7. ^ "2001 Official Driver Standings: Auto Club 200". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
  8. ^ "2001 Rookie Standings". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/data/standings_rookie.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
  9. ^ "2002 Official Race Results: O'Reilly Auto Parts 200". NASCAR.com. 2002-06-22. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2002/8/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
  10. ^ "2002 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2002/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-17.
  11. ^ "2003 Official Race Results: O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife". NASCAR.com. 2003-08-20. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/16/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  12. ^ "2003 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/25/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  13. ^ "2003 Official Driver Standings: Chevy Silverado 150". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/24/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  14. ^ "2003 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/25/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  15. ^ "Travis Kvapil". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tkvapil00/truck/data/2003/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  16. ^ "Travis Kvapil". NASCAR.com. 2008-03-19. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/13/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  17. ^ "2004 Official Race Results: Line-X Spray-on Truck Bedliners 200". NASCAR.com. 2004-07-31. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/13/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  18. ^ "Kvapil gives Toyota first Truck Series victory". NASCAR.com. 2004-08-02. http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/truck/08/02/tkvapil_toyota/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  19. ^ "2004 Official Race Results: Sylvania 200 presented by Lowe's". NASCAR.com. 2004-09-18. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/18/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  20. ^ "2004 Official Race Results: American Racing Wheels 200". NASCAR.com. 2004-10-02. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/20/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  21. ^ "2004 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  22. ^ Rodman, Dave (2004-10-20). "Kvapil gets Nextel Cup ride for Martinsville". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/10/20/tkvapil_martinsville/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  23. ^ Rodman, Dave (2004-10-20). "Kvapil gets Nextel Cup ride for Martinsville". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/10/20/tkvapil_martinsville/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  24. ^ "Q&A: Travis Kvapil". NASCAR.com. 2004-12-10. http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/official/12/10/tkvapil_qa/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  25. ^ "2005 Official Race Results: Food City 500". NASCAR.com. 2005-04-03. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/5/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  26. ^ "2005 Official Race Results: Checker Auto Parts 500". NASCAR.com. 2005-11-13. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/35/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  27. ^ "2005 Official Driver Standings: Ford 400". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  28. ^ Spencer, Lee (2005-12-04). "Waltrip meets with France, prospective sponsors". Sporting News. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=40977. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  29. ^ "Kvapil free to explore other opportunities". Team Press Release. 2005-12-10. http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/cup/12/08/tkvapil_opportunities/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  30. ^ Spencer, Lee (2005-12-22). "Kvapil to take over PPI's No. 32". Sporting News. http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=46982. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  31. ^ "2006 Official Race Results: Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods". NASCAR.com. 2006-10-01. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/29/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  32. ^ "2006 Official Race Results: Pocono 500". NASCAR.com. 2006-06-11. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/14/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  33. ^ "2006 Official Race Results: Aaron's 499". NASCAR.com. 2006-05-01. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/9/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  34. ^ "2006 Official Driver Standings: Ford 400". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  35. ^ Pockrass, Bob (2006-08-20). "Kvapil, Wimmer still unsigned for 2007". SceneDaily.com. http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/kvapil_wimmer_still_unsigned_for_2007.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  36. ^ Margolis, Bob (2006-09-22). "Notes: Montoya ready to roll". Yahoo! Sports. http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=bm-montoyanotes092206&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  37. ^ Ashenfelter, Mark (2006-11-30). "PPI Motorsports continues to downsize". SceneDaily.com. http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/ppi_motorsports_continues_to_downsize.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  38. ^ "Kvapil will return to Trucks with Roush in '07". Team Press Release. 2006-11-15. http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/truck/11/14/tkvapil.roush.2007/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
  39. ^ "2007 MB2 Lineup Complete". RacingOne Report. 2006-11-10. http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=32161. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  40. ^ "Ragan Tabbed for No. 6". RacingOne Report. 2006-10-11. http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=31568. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  41. ^ "Kvapil will return to Trucks with Roush in '07". Team Press Release. 2006-11-15. http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/truck/11/14/tkvapil.roush.2007/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
  42. ^ "Travis Kvapil". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tkvapil00/truck/data/2007/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
  43. ^ "2007 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2007/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
  44. ^ "Clanton out; Kvapil to drive Roush No. 09 at California". Team Press Release. 2008-02-20. http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/truck/02/20/tkvapil.california/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
  45. ^ "Kvapil among three drivers to pilot Roush's Truck entry". Team Press Release. 2008-03-05. http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/truck/03/05/tkvapil.roush.lineup/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-15.
  46. ^ Newton, David (2007-11-18). "RYR hoping Kvapil will continue successful tradition of No. 28". ESPN.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=2&id=3117554. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  47. ^ Aumann, Mark (2008-01-08). "Sponsorless Yates moves forward with clean slate". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/01/08/yates.racing.testing.dgilliland.tkvapil/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  48. ^ "K&N to sponsor Kvapil's No. 28 for Daytona 500". Team Release. 2008-02-09. http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/02/09/tkvapil.d500.sponsor/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  49. ^ "2008 Official Race Results: UAW-Dodge 400". NASCAR.com. 2008-03-02. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/3/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  50. ^ "Kvapil Lands Atlanta Sponsor". RacingOne Report. 2008-03-06. http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=40785. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  51. ^ "2008 Official Race Results: Aaron's 499". NASCAR.com. 2008-04-27. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/9/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  52. ^ "Travis Kvapil Talladega Advance". Yates Racing. 2008-04-23. http://www.teamyatesracing.com/details.aspx?id=320. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  53. ^ "2008 Official Race Results: Dodge Challenger 500". NASCAR.com. 2008-05-10. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/11/data/results_official.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-14.
  54. ^ "2008 Official Driver Standings: Pepsi 500". NASCAR.com. http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/data/standings_official.html. Retrieved on 2009-03-21.
  55. ^ "Travis Kvapil". RacingOne.com. http://www.racingone.com/driver.aspx?driverid=877&seriesID=1&subID=1. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.
  56. ^ "Kvapil gets cameo role on 'Guiding Light'". Team Press Release. 2006-06-08. http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/06/08/tkvapil.soaps/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-06-18.

External links

Preceded by
Mike Bliss		 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion
2003		 Succeeded by
Bobby Hamilton
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travis_Kvapil"
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