Travis Kvapil having hard time watching NASCAR Sprint Cup races

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor

Thursday, April 09, 2009

Yates Racing's Travis Kvapil has made 110 starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series during his career.

David Griffin
NASCAR Scene

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Travis Kvapil went to Martinsville Speedway a couple of weeks ago and saw some of his friends in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage, but it’s hard to be in the garage or even watch his fellow Cup drivers on television as his No. 28 cars sit parked at Yates Racing.

“It’s not doing me any good sitting on the couch on Sunday,” Kvapil said in a phone interview Wednesday.

Kvapil finished 23rd in the points last year on a Yates Racing team that had minimal sponsorship. He didn’t have sponsorship this year and has now found himself out of a full-time ride.

Yates Racing pledged to run the team the first five races (although Kvapil would not have any owners points from 2008 because of some internal team moves). Kvapil qualified for four events before Yates Racing suspended the team’s operations after the March event at Bristol.

“It’s just hard to not be a part of it,” Kvapil said. “I definitely want to be out there and my goal is to be to get back out there and hopefully it’s with the 28. … I’ve been spending some time at the shop, spending time with the family and the kids – it was spring break this week and I was just kind of hanging out.”

While his first goal would be to see Yates Racing revive the No. 28 car, Kvapil said he didn’t think the Yates Racing team would keep him from other opportunities.

“Obviously I want to be racing,” Kvapil said. “I don’t like sitting on the couch. I don’t like not being there, not competing. It’s really hard to watch it on Sunday just knowing that I feel like I should be out there. It has just not worked out.

“I want to race, and if there were other opportunities that came up, we’d have to look at them as they come and cross that bridge when it comes. The Yates group told me if something did come up, they wouldn’t necessarily hold me back from competing, we’d just have to work it out.”

Kvapil said he wouldn’t rule anything out, but would like to find something at the Cup level where he feels as if he still has a lot to prove. The 2003 Truck champion, Kvapil has 244 career starts in national NASCAR series, including 110 at the Cup level. He isn’t too concerned about sitting out as far as his abilities deteriorating while he is out of the seat.

“We didn’t do any testing in the offseason and we showed up at [Auto Club Speedway in] California and I felt comfortable with the car and we had good speed,” Kvapil said. “And that was just being out of the seat for a few months. [Missing] a couple of months, it wouldn’t be a real big deal.”

If Yates Racing does find sponsorship, Kvapil said the team wouldn’t need much time to get ready to get to the track.

“In a matter of two or three days we could probably be ready to go to the race track,” Kvapil said. “They took my handful of race cars and pushed them over in the corner and the hauler is all ready to go. They didn’t scavenge any parts or pieces from the 28 bunch to go to any other team. The 28 is ready to go. we’d have to hire a few people back right away, but a number of people we had on the 28 came from within the company already, so they’re there.”

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Comments

8 responses to "Travis Kvapil having hard time watching NASCAR Sprint Cup races ". Post a Comment.

1

David Hillier said:
Apr 9, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Travis got hosed. He is sitting on the couch on sundays while other guys with less talented and big funded cars are out at the track wrecking every lap.
2

Pat Draper said:
Apr 9, 2009 at 1:05 PM
I really feel bad for Travis. He is one of the good guys in nascar and i wish he had a ride this season. I doubt of Yates will find a sponsor for the number 28 car at this late date. I wish Travis all the best and hope to see him in a car or truck in the near future.
3

david larison said:
Apr 9, 2009 at 2:55 PM
He doesn't have a rich daddy like Paul Menard.
4

Werner Boehmert said:
Apr 9, 2009 at 4:29 PM
remember a time when you didn't need a gizillion dollars to go racing...are these super teams all that good for the sport...just look at how many low buck teams could be running if they didn't have to spend money on wind tunnel time,7 post shakers,hi-buck pit crews, new tires every caution flag,testing, motorhomes and helicopters...ya don't need $25 million a year to go racing...
5

Trisha Robertson said:
Apr 9, 2009 at 5:46 PM
Somebody give Travis a ride!!! I walked with him at the NASCAR Foundation Track Walk in Atlanta last October and instantly became a fan. He's one of those nice, humble drivers we like to see. Why don't we throw him in the 20 and let Joey do Nationwide full-time until he's REALLY ready to be in the Cup series (no offense to Joey...I just don't think he's ready). Or replace Scott Riggs...maybe Travis could actually qualify that car for a race.
6

sandra gresham said:
Apr 9, 2009 at 10:22 PM
I agree with #4 & #6 I miss seeing Travis I work and don't get to see the truck or nationwide races. I want Travis back in the cup ,[but not in Scott's car].
7

sandra gresham said:
Apr 9, 2009 at 10:23 PM
I don't agree with #4. I agree with #2.
8

Jim Bayliss said:
Apr 10, 2009 at 12:26 AM
I was hoping Roush would find at least a part time sponsor for Travis. Maybe something will come up yet.