Dale Earnhardt Jr. was overcome with emotions following Carson Kvapil’s first career NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series win. Piloting the No. 1 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Kvapil captured the victory in Saturday’s Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Amid his second full-time season driving for Earnhardt Jr. ‘s team, Kvapil nabbed his first career victory in his 64th start. With the win, Kvapil moved up to second in the NOAPS points standings with just two races remaining until The Chase.
As Kvapil celebrated his victory on the frontstretch, Earnhardt Jr. tried to hold his emotions back when talking about his young driver’s journey.
Earnhardt Jr. on Kvapil’s win: ‘He’s like a son almost’
As Kvapil rolled down the frontstretch to the spot where his team was waiting to celebrate, Earnhardt Jr. was interviewed by The CW about the anticipated first win for his driver.
“Oh man, this has been a long time coming,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
Earnhardt Jr. proceeded to take a deep breath and patted his chest as he tried to fight back tears when reflecting on Kvapil’s journey to his first career victory.
It was a tough road for the 23-year-old of Mooresville, North Carolina to finally grab the checkered flag in a NOAPS race, and Earnhardt Jr. was there every step of the way.
“He’s like a son almost. You work with these guys for so long and you work so hard. We worked so hard with Josh Berry and all our drivers. You just want them to have success and he’s (Kvapil) got to win to keep going. You got to win if you want to stay in this deal. Man, he got so close. I’m just so, so happy for him, for Travis — his dad,” Earnhardt Jr. said.
Following the interview, Earnhardt Jr. and Kvapil shared an embrace as the young driver relished in his first career victory.
JR Motorsports finished 1-2-3-4 in Saturday’s race with Kvapil taking the win. Justin Allgaier finished second, followed by Ross Chastain in third, and Chase Elliott in fourth.
Chastain dominated most of Saturday’s 100-lap race, pacing the field for a race-high 31 laps. However, Kvapil overtook his JR Motorsports teammate with 22 circuits remaining and held the lead until the checkered flag.
Allgaier threatened in the late laps, but could not catch the son of former NASCAR driver Travis Kvapil for the victory.
Kvapil moves into championship contention after Indianapolis win
The win not only checked the box of his first career victory, but it also moved Kvapil into the championship conversation.
With two races left until the NOAPS Chase, Kvapil moved from fifth in the standings to second. Although he is 265 points behind teammate Justin Allgaier, the points reset once The Chase begins.
If Kvapil can maintain second place, he will begin The Chase 25 points behind Allgaier.
Allgaier has been the man to beat in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series this season. The driver of the No. 7 has a series-high six wins and 17 top 10s in 22 races.
However, with the point reset, it will be interesting to see if Kvapil can give his veteran teammate a run for the title.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Gets Emotional Over Driver’s First Win: ‘Like a Son Almost’