Carson Kvapil Wins First Race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Carson Kvapil won the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This is the 23-year old’s first career victory, the third of the season for the No. 1 team, and the team’s 14th of the season.

“It means the world to me. It’s very emotional, I rode around on that lap backwards and sat there and thought about all the hard work to get to this point and the faith Dale Jr and Kelley Miller put behind me to get this opportunity to come back at it this year,” Kvapil said. “This group of 1 guys is amazing. I knew we were gonna get one, and I’m hoping we can chase some more near the end.”

Justin Allgaier kept Kvapil honest and stayed in contention for the win until the checkered flag. Full-time Cup Series drivers Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott capped off a 1-2-3-4 finish for JR Motorsports.

With 10 laps to go, the race looked like a three car dogfight between the JRM teammates of Kvapil, Chastain, and a flying Allgaier. Allgaier was faster, but needed to make up time on Chastain and Kvapil. Allgaier cleared to P2 with seven laps to go. With 3.5 laps to go, Kvapil approached the lap cars of Josh Bilicki and Ryan Ellis but both allowed the leaders through. Allgaier got to his teammate on the final lap, but Kvapil drove off to his first victory.

Kvapil had finished runner up five times and contended in multiple other races before earning his first win. This is the fourth first win of the season, as Sheldon Creed, William Sawalich, and Corey Day have all also won their first race this season.

“This has been a long time coming, he’s like a son almost. You work with these guys so long and we work so hard on all our drivers, you just want them to have success,” team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr, who was holding back tears, said. “He’s got to win to keep going and he’s got to win to stay in this deal, and man he’s gotten so close. I’m just so so happy for him.”

Rest of the Race

Creed took the lead from the pole at the start with a strong push from teammate Sam Mayer and alliance team driver Jeremy Clements. Creed dominated a majority of the first stage, but fell to 4th-pace with seven laps to go. This handed Clements the lead and ultimately his second career stage win. Ross Chastain, Carson Kvapil, William Sawalich, Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sheldon Creed, Taylor Gray, Brent Crews, and Sammy Smith also earned stage points.

Chastain and Sawalich led the field to green for Stage 2. The two battled for the lead in the early laps, with Chastain eventually clearing. Chastain led until the caution with seven laps to go in the stage for a spin from Garrett Smithley, one race out from his first top-10 of the season. Every car on the lead lap except for Dean Thompson and Rajah Caruth pit, therefore leading the field back to green with three laps to go in the stage. Like Clements, Caruth held on to win his second career stage. Allgaier, Chastain, Creed, Kvapil, Thompson, Mayer, Sawalich, Austin Hill, and Chase Elliott also earned stage points.

Allgaier and Chastain led the field to the green in Stage 3. The JRM teammates battled before Chastain once again cleared. With 22 laps to go, Kvapil took the lead after following the No. 9 for several laps and never relinquished it.

Results