Travis Kvapil

Infobox_NASCAR_driver
Name = Travis Kvapil


Birthdate = birth date and age|1976|3|1 | Cup_Car_Team = #28 - Yates Racing| Truck_Car_Team = #09 - Roush Fenway Racing
Birthplace = Janesville, Wisconsin
First_Cup_Race = 2004 Subway 500 (Martinsville Speedway)
Cup_Top_Tens = 5
Cup_Poles = 1 | First_Busch_Race = 2001 Outback Steakhouse 300 (Kentucky Speedway)
Last_Busch_Race = 2007 Food City 250 (Bristol Motor Speedway)
Best_Truck_Pos = 1st - 2003
Truck_Wins = 7
Truck_Top_Tens = 48
Truck_Poles = 4
First_Truck_Race = 2001 Florida Dodge Dealers 250 (Daytona International Speedway)
First_Truck_Win = 2001 Silverado 350 (Texas Motor Speedway)
Last_Truck_Win = 2007 Smith's Las Vegas 350 (Las Vegas Motor Speedway)

Achievements = 2003 Craftsman Truck Series Champion
Awards = 2001 Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year

Updated_On = October 3, 2008

Travis Kvapil (pronounced "kwah-pil") (born March 1, 1976 in Janesville, Wisconsin)cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/news/headlines/cup/kvapil.bio/|title=Travis Kvapil's Biography|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2008-03-19|accessdate=2008-06-18] is an American race car driver. He currently drives the #28 Ford for Yates Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the #09 Ford for Roush Fenway Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series on a part-time basis.cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/headlines/cup/09/07/ryates.tkvapil.rrudd/index.html|title=Yates to retire, hand team to son at end of season|last=Rodman|first=Dave|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2007-09-08|accessdate=2008-06-18] [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/truck/03/05/tkvapil.roush.lineup/index.html|title=Kvapil among three drivers to pilot Roush's Truck entry|publisher=Team Press Release|date=2008-03-05|accessdate=2008-06-15]

Early career

Travis Kvapil began racing at the age of 16 at Rockford Speedway in 1992 by competing in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Weekly Series. Kvapil won the American Short Tracker division track championship in 1994 at Rockford. [cite web|url= http://www.wirace.com/news.html|title=Rockford Speedway is a "NASCAR home track"|last=Ramsell|first=Kevin|publisher=wirace.come|date=2007-03-06|accessdate=2007-10-22] He then moved up to super late models at Madison International Speedway in 1995 and was the track Rookie of the Year. He also became the track's Late Model champion a year later in 1996. Soon there after, Kvapil moved up to the ARTGO Series. He finished in the tenth and fourth spots in the series' point standings in 1999 and 2000, respectively.

NASCAR career

Craftsman Truck Series

In 2001, Kvapil made his debut in the Craftsman Truck Series driving for Addington Racing in their #60 Chevrolet, sponsored by CAT Rental Stores. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/1/data/results_official.html|title=2001 Official Race Results: Florida Dodge Dealers 250|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2001-02-16|accessdate=2008-06-17] In his twenty-first start, right before the season concluded, at Texas Motor Speedway, he won his first Truck Series race in the Silverado 350. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/21/data/results_official.html|title=2001 Official Race Results: Silverado 350|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2001-10-05|accessdate=2008-06-17] Once the 2001 NASCAR Season had finished, his eighteen top-10s contributed him to a fourth place in the driver standings. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/data/standings_official.html|title=2001 Official Driver Standings: Auto Club 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-17] He was also awarded as the Craftsman Truck Series Rookie of the Year. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2001/data/standings_rookie.html|title=2001 Rookie Standings|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-17] For the next season, in 2002, Kvapil managed to match his win total, from the previous season, by winning the O'Reilly Auto Parts 200 at Memphis Motorsports Park. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2002/8/data/results_official.html|title=2002 Official Race Results: O'Reilly Auto Parts 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2002-06-22|accessdate=2008-06-17] However, his top-10 count dipped down to fourteen, to which he was located in at the ninth spot in the final driver standings. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2002/data/standings_official.html|title=2002 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-17]

For the upcoming season, Kvapil switched to the #16, "IWX MotorFreight" sponsored, Chevrolet for Steve Coulter's XPress Motorsports team. He once again won one race, with this time being at Bristol Motor Speedway for the O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/16/data/results_official.html|title=2003 Official Race Results: O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline Maxlife|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2003-08-20|accessdate=2008-06-18] Kvapil, however, improved in his top-10 amount by getting one 88% of the time (Twenty-two in a total of a twenty-five race season). [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/25/data/standings_official.html|title=2003 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-18] Because of these finishes, and largely because of the struggles of the drivers in front of him in the standings, Kvapil was in position to overtake two drivers, Brendan Gaughan and Ted Musgrave, in the driver standings, at the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. After Gaughan crashed out of the race and Musgrave was black flagged, Kvapil became the 2003 Craftsman Truck Series champion. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/24/data/standings_official.html|title=2003 Official Driver Standings: Chevy Silverado 150|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-18] [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2003/25/data/standings_official.html|title=2003 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-18] He also completed every lap except for one throughout the entire season, which recorded a 99.9% lap completion rate for him. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tkvapil00/truck/data/2003/index.html|title=Travis Kvapil|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-18]

Before the next season arised, Kvapil again changed teams, this time for "Alexander Meshkin" in the #24 Bang! Racing Toyota, which was sponsored by Line-X-Benders and Ebay. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/13/data/results_official.html|title=Travis Kvapil|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2008-03-19|accessdate=2008-06-18] In the thirteen race of the 2004 Craftsman Truck Series Season, he won his first race of the year during the Line-X Spray-on Truck Bedliners 200 at Michigan International Speedway. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/13/data/results_official.html|title=2004 Official Race Results: Line-X Spray-on Truck Bedliners 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2004-07-31|accessdate=2008-06-18] The win gave Toyota their first win in the top tiers of NASCAR. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/truck/08/02/tkvapil_toyota/index.html|title=Kvapil gives Toyota first Truck Series victory|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2004-08-02|accessdate=2008-06-18] Two months later, Kvapil won once again at New Hampshire International Speedway during the Sylvania 200 presented by Lowe's. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/18/data/results_official.html|title=2004 Official Race Results: Sylvania 200 presented by Lowe's|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2004-09-18|accessdate=2008-06-18] Not long after his win in New Hampshire, during qualifying for the American Racing Wheels 200 at California Speedway, he won his first Bud Pole Award in the Truck Series. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/20/data/results_official.html|title=2004 Official Race Results: American Racing Wheels 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2004-10-02|accessdate=2008-06-18] After winning the championship in the previous year, Travis Kvapil dropped down to the eighth spot in the final driver standings of the season. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2004/data/standings_official.html|title=2004 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-18]

For the 2007 NASCAR Season, Kvapil returned to the Truck Series to drive the #6 Ford for Roush Racing, replacing Mark Martin, who moved to MB2 Motorsports, and David Ragan, who was promoted by Roush to replace Martin in the #6 Ford in the Cup Series. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/truck/11/14/tkvapil.roush.2007/index.html|title=Kvapil will return to Trucks with Roush in '07|publisher=Team Press Release|date=2006-11-15|accessdate=2008-06-15] [cite web|url= http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=32161|title=2007 MB2 Lineup Complete|publisher=RacingOne Report|date=2006-11-10|accessdate=2008-06-18] [cite web|url= http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=31568|title=Ragan Tabbed for No. 6|publisher=RacingOne Report|date=2006-10-11|accessdate=2008-06-18] About the signing, Roush owner Jack Roush added, "We are pleased beyond measure that we were able to get a driver the caliber of Travis Kvapil. At only 30 years old with a truck championship and two years of Nextel Cup experience under his belt, Travis brings great long and short term potential to and for Roush Racing." [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/truck/11/14/tkvapil.roush.2007/index.html|title=Kvapil will return to Trucks with Roush in '07|publisher=Team Press Release|date=2006-11-15|accessdate=2008-06-15] During the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series Season, he won four races, including the Toyota Tundra 200 at Nashville Superspeedway and the Smith's Las Vegas 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and recorded twelve Top-10 finishes. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/drivers/dps/tkvapil00/truck/data/2007/index.html|title=Travis Kvapil|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-15] Once the season had finished, Kvapil was located in at the sixth spot in the driver standings. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/truck/2007/data/standings_official.html|title=2007 Official Driver Standings: Ford 200|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-15] He returned to Roush Fenway as a part-time driver in 2008 after Joey Clanton was released from the #09 Ford. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/truck/02/20/tkvapil.california/index.html|title=Clanton out; Kvapil to drive Roush No. 09 at California|publisher=Team Press Release|date=2008-02-20|accessdate=2008-06-15] [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/truck/03/05/tkvapil.roush.lineup/index.html|title=Kvapil among three drivers to pilot Roush's Truck entry|publisher=Team Press Release|date=2008-03-05|accessdate=2008-06-15]

Sprint/NEXTEL Cup Series

Towards the end of the 2004 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Season, Kvapil made his first NEXTEL Cup Series start at Martinsville Speedway, driving a fourth Dodge from the Penske Racing stable. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/10/20/tkvapil_martinsville/index.html|title=Kvapil gets Nextel Cup ride for Martinsville|last=Rodman|first=Dave|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2004-10-20|accessdate=2008-06-14] Penske Racing co-owner Don Miller added, "This is a continuation of our driver development program." [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/cup/10/20/tkvapil_martinsville/index.html|title=Kvapil gets Nextel Cup ride for Martinsville|last=Rodman|first=Dave|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2004-10-20|accessdate=2008-06-14] Before the 2005 NASCAR Season started, he was chosen by Penske Racing to drive their #77 Dodge, replacing Brendan Gaughan. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2004/news/headlines/official/12/10/tkvapil_qa/index.html|title=Q&A: Travis Kvapil|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2004-12-10|accessdate=2008-06-14] At Bristol Motor Speedway, Kvapil scored his first ever NEXTEL Cup Series top-10 by finishing in seventh place during the Food City 500. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/5/data/results_official.html|title=2005 Official Race Results: Food City 500|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2005-04-03|accessdate=2008-06-14] Before the season concluded, he picked-up another top-10 at Phoenix International Raceway during the Checker Auto Parts 500, which gave Kvapil a total of two top-10s during his freshman Cup Series year. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/35/data/results_official.html|title=2005 Official Race Results: Checker Auto Parts 500|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2005-11-13|accessdate=2008-06-14] Once the 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Season wrapped-up, he was thirty-third in the driver standings. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2005/data/standings_official.html|title=2005 Official Driver Standings: Ford 400|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-14] However, soon after the season ended, Penske Racing folded the #77 team after Kodak pulled out of its sponsorship, to which Kvapil had to look for other opportunities. [cite web|url= http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=40977|title=Waltrip meets with France, prospective sponsors|last=Spencer|first=Lee|publisher=Sporting News|date=2005-12-04|accessdate=2008-06-14] [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2005/news/headlines/cup/12/08/tkvapil_opportunities/index.html|title=Kvapil free to explore other opportunities|publisher=Team Press Release|date=2005-12-10|accessdate=2008-06-14]

Soon after his departure from Penske, Travis Kvapil signed with PPI Motorsports for the 2006 NASCAR Season, to which he drove the #32 Chevrolet, which was sponsored by Tide. [cite web|url= http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=46982|title=Kvapil to take over PPI's No. 32|last=Spencer|first=Lee|publisher=Sporting News|date=2005-12-22|accessdate=2008-06-14] Kvapil's best finishes came at Kansas Speedway, during the Banquet 400, Pocono Raceway, during the Pocono 500, and Talladega Superspeedway, during the Aaron's 499; all three were nineteenth-place finishes. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/29/data/results_official.html|title=2006 Official Race Results: Banquet 400 presented by ConAgra Foods|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2006-10-01|accessdate=2008-06-14] [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/14/data/results_official.html|title=2006 Official Race Results: Pocono 500|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2006-06-11|accessdate=2008-06-14] [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/9/data/results_official.html|title=2006 Official Race Results: Aaron's 499|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2006-05-01|accessdate=2008-06-14] After the 2006 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Season ended, he was found to be located at thirty-sixth in the driver standings. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2006/data/standings_official.html|title=2006 Official Driver Standings: Ford 400|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-14] However, just like at the end of the previous season, Kvapil had to find a new ride for the upcoming season, since his PPI contract only lasted for one season. [cite web|url= http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/kvapil_wimmer_still_unsigned_for_2007.html|title=Kvapil, Wimmer still unsigned for 2007|last=Pockrass|first=Bob|publisher=SceneDaily.com|date=2006-08-20|accessdate=2008-06-14] Also, PPI Motorsports slowly closed its shop soon after the conclusion of the 2006 NASCAR Season due the inability of finding a sponsor (to replace Tide) and not having a manufacturer commitment for the 2007 NASCAR Season. [cite web|url= http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=bm-montoyanotes092206&prov=yhoo&type=lgns|title=Notes: Montoya ready to roll|last=Margolis|first=Bob|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|date=2006-09-22|accessdate=2008-06-14] [cite web|url= http://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/sprintcupseries/ppi_motorsports_continues_to_downsize.html|title=PPI Motorsports continues to downsize|last=Ashenfelter|first=Mark|publisher=SceneDaily.com|date=2006-11-30|accessdate=2008-06-14]

For the upcoming NASCAR Season, after spending one season in the Craftsman Truck Series, Kvapil was signed by the newly re-named Yates Racing as one of its drivers for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He was one part of the team that Doug Yates had recently just taken over from his father, Robert, that had a goal, as stated by Doug, of, "By the 2008 Daytona 500, Yates Racing wants to be in an elevated position where we are competing successfully against any race team in the sport." Kvapil's new car number was 28, instead of the previously used 88 by Yates Racing, because the 88 was given to Hendrick Motorsports to be used for their new driver, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. [cite web|url= http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=2&id=3117554|title=RYR hoping Kvapil will continue successful tradition of No. 28|last=Newton|first=David|publisher=ESPN.com|date=2007-11-18|accessdate=2008-06-14] Before the season started, he, along with his teammate, David Gilliland, did not have full-time sponsorship on either of their Yates Racing Fords. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/01/08/yates.racing.testing.dgilliland.tkvapil/index.html|title=Sponsorless Yates moves forward with clean slate|last=Aumann|first=Mark|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2008-01-08|accessdate=2008-06-14] However, for the Daytona 500, K&N Filters sponsored his team. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2008/news/headlines/cup/02/09/tkvapil.d500.sponsor/index.html|title=K&N to sponsor Kvapil's No. 28 for Daytona 500|publisher=Team Release|date=2008-02-09|accessdate=2008-06-14] Two weeks later, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, during the UAW-Dodge 400, Kvapil scored an eighth place finish, giving him his third top-10 of his career, in an unsponsored ride. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/3/data/results_official.html|title=2008 Official Race Results: UAW-Dodge 400|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2008-03-02|accessdate=2008-06-14] Later that week, Zaxby's decided to sponsor the #28 team for the next race, which was the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. [cite web|url= http://www.racingone.com/article.aspx?artnum=40785|title=Kvapil Lands Atlanta Sponsor|publisher=RacingOne Report|date=2008-03-06|accessdate=2008-06-18] A couple of races later, in the Aaron's 499, he finished in the sixth position with a one race sponsorship deal from Northern Tool and Equipment, which gave him his career best finish in the Cup Series. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/9/data/results_official.html|title=2008 Official Race Results: Aaron's 499|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2008-04-27|accessdate=2008-06-14] [cite web|url= http://www.teamyatesracing.com/details.aspx?id=320|title=Travis Kvapil Talladega Advance|publisher=Yates Racing|date=2008-04-23|accessdate=2008-06-14] Just a few weeks after his career best run, Kvapil picked-up another top-10 finish, this time at Darlington Raceway, during the Dodge Challenger 500. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/11/data/results_official.html|title=2008 Official Race Results: Dodge Challenger 500|publisher=NASCAR.com|date=2008-05-10|accessdate=2008-06-14] Despite the lack of a full-time sponsorship, Travis Kvapil currently stands in at the eighteenth spot in the driver standings. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/races/cup/2008/data/standings_official.html|title=2008 Official Driver Standings: Pocono 500|publisher=NASCAR.com|accessdate=2008-06-14]

Personal Life/Other Media

Travis Kvapil is currently married and has three kids with his wife. [cite web|url= http://www.racingone.com/driver.aspx?driverid=877&seriesID=1&subID=1|title=Travis Kvapil|publisher=RacingOne.com|accessdate=2008-06-18] The three reside in Mooresville, North Carolina. While building-up his racing career, he competed against Wisconsin native, and future NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion, Matt Kenseth at Madison International Speedway. Kvapil, like Kenseth, is an avid Green Bay Packers fan. During the 2006 NASCAR Season, Travis Kvapil, along with his #32 Tide team from PPI Motorsports, appeared on an episode of Guiding Light. [cite web|url= http://www.nascar.com/2006/news/headlines/cup/06/08/tkvapil.soaps/index.html|title=Kvapil gets cameo role on 'Guiding Light'|publisher=Team Press Release|date=2006-06-08|accessdate=2008-06-18]

References

External links

* [http://www.traviskvapil.com/ Official website]
* [http://racing-reference.info/driver?id=kvapitr01 Kvapil at racing-reference.info]