Travis Kvapil, No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford
Starting Position: 35
Finishing Position: 16
Travis Kvapil and the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford team gave Front Row Motorsports their best finish ever at the Martinsville Speedway on Sunday. Kvapil finished 16th in a dramatic race that saw Tony Stewart win and the team gain more soild ground in the top 35 in owner points.
Sunday's starting line-up was determined by owners' points after qualifying was cancelled on Saturday due to inclement weather. Kvapil and the No.38 Long John Silver's team started 35th and ran consistently throughout the 500-lap event. The team stayed in or around the top 25 for most of the day and even led a lap under caution before making their late-race surge into the top-20.
The first caution came with just seven laps into the race with Kvapil reporting a "tight" handling car. The No. 38 team made adjustments to the Long John Silver's Ford throughout the day, improving the car with each stop. Despite running in the 27th position the leaders caught up to Kvapil on Lap 241 and he was put another lap down on Lap 300.
A caution on Lap 397 allowed the No. 38 team a chance to take the wave around and gain a lap back. Another break came for the team on Lap 457 after receiving the Lucky Dog Free Pass. Kvapil restarted in the 23rd position and continued to earn spots through the end of the race to finish in the 16th position.
It is Kvapil's career-best finish at the track which allowed him to gain 11 points over 36th place and a cushion within the top-35 in owner points going into Texas Motor Speedway.
Comments from Long John Silver's Ford team driver Travis Kvapil after the Martinsville race:
"We had a pretty solid day. The car was pretty good. It started out too tight but the crew was able to make it better throughout the race. We were able to run near the top-25 all day and just be around for the end. That made the difference. We made a big push in the final 100 laps and ended up with a top-20.
"We were able to gain 11 points on the No. 71 today which gives us a pretty good cushion going into Texas. That means a lot for us. You never know what can happen at Martinsville, but today was a good day for our team.
Our jackman, Sean Irvan, was hit during an early pit stop, but I understand that he'll be OK. That's good too. I'm proud of all the guys for their work this weekend."
About Front Row Motorsports:
Front Row Motorsports is a Statesville, N.C.-based race team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins, the team has competed in NASCAR racing in each year since its inception, expanding full-time to the premier Sprint Cup Series in 2009. The team partners with Ford Racing and Roush-Yates Racing Engines to field the No. 34 Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland, the No. 38 Long John Silver's Ford driven by Travis Kvapil and the No. 55 Front Row Motorsports Ford driven by J.J. Yeley.