After an impressive fourth-place run in his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut at Martinsville earlier this month, Carson Kvapil is getting another chance in the second-tier series.
On Monday, JR Motorsports announced that Kvapil, the defending champion of the CARS Tour Late Model Stock Division, will once again get behind the wheel of the No. 88 Chevy Truck Month Chevrolet, competing in Saturday’s Bet Rivers 200 at Dover Motor Speedway. The announcement was made via the organization’s social media channels:
Back in ????.
Carson Kvapil returns to the No. 88 Chevrolet this week at Dover. pic.twitter.com/fKjtQU56zd
— JR Motorsports (@JRMotorsports) April 22, 2024
The Mooresville, North Carolina-native will find himself in an even more difficult situation than in his Xfinity Series debut, having never competed at the one-mile oval in Dover, Delaware.
Saturday’s 200-lap contest will mark the third start of the year for the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro, a fifth entry fielded on a part-time basis by JR Motorsports, which also fields entries for Sam Mayer, Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Brandon Jones.
Both times the No. 88 has graced the second-tier series this season – once with Bubba Pollard at Richmond and then the following week at Martinsville with Kvapil – the entry has recorded a top-six result.
After his Xfinity debut at Martinsville, team owner Dale Earnhardt, Jr. had some high praise for the 20-year-old driver, commenting on his racecraft and how its better than a significant portion of the field that competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series each week.
Two-time NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is scheduled to pilot this entry later in the season at Bristol Motor Speedway, as is up-and-coming talent Connor Zilisch, who will get behind the wheel for four races, starting at Watkins Glen this Summer.
Entering Dover, the No. 88 Chevrolet currently sits 36th in NASCAR Xfinity Series Owner Points, only ahead of the two full-time entries out of the JD Motorsports stable. Should more than 38 drivers enter, Kvapil will likely need to qualify his way into the show.
