Carson Kvapil experienced a difficult lesson in the business side of racing during his rookie full season in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series last year. Approaching the end of the 2025 season, Kvapil found himself without a guaranteed full-time ride for 2026, despite his efforts on the track to secure his future.
Reflecting on his struggles, Kvapil admitted the pressure weighed heavily on him throughout the year.
“We were going to the racetrack and trying to win races so I could solidify my spot in this series and consistently we couldn’t do it. So it was tough,”
he said.
Turning Point at Martinsville Revives Championship Hopes
As morale waned, a crucial performance at Martinsville reshaped Kvapil’s season and outlook. That race secured his position in the Championship 4, dramatically shifting the trajectory of his career.
“It definitely took a toll on the season last year. How we raced and how we thought of stuff. The mood? It kind of killed it in a certain way,”
Kvapil shared about the prior difficulties.
But just a day later, the situation changed.
“Literally the next day we were back in,”
Kvapil said, “We were going full-time racing,” marking the moment when his status solidified and opportunities grew.
Adapting to a Split Schedule with Multiple Teams
Despite earning a spot for full-time competition, Kvapil’s 2026 campaign is unconventional. His primary ride, the No. 1 car, is partly driven by teammate Connor Zilisch, who also stood out last season. Kvapil himself will be competing in a mix of vehicles: four races behind the wheel of the No. 91 car, which JR Motorsports prepares in collaboration with DGM Racing, and five events in JR Motorsports’ No. 9 car. His recent race at Texas saw a strong showing end in misfortune due to a late incident, dropping him to 19th place. He is slated to start his No. 9 appearances next weekend in Las Vegas.
At 22 years old, Kvapil approaches these challenges with composure and pragmatism. He recognizes this setup is far from ideal but sees the benefits it offers for his growth.
“Not really the perfect way,” he admitted.
“Not all in one car and all that stuff, splitting it with a few different cars, but I really don’t think it’s going to slow us down much.”
“Obviously, it’s going to be a little tough switching from this car to that car, this crew chief to that crew chief, but I think it’s going to actually be a learning experience getting to work with a few different teams, crew chiefs, and stuff like that.”
“It’s going to be kind of a cool experience. At the same time, it’s not ideal, I don’t think, but we’re going to take what we’ve got and run with it.”
Guidance from Veteran Crew Chief Rodney Childers
Throughout most of the season, Kvapil benefits from the expertise of seasoned crew chief Rodney Childers, who manages the No. 1 car. Childers brings a wealth of knowledge from his championship-winning 2014 campaign alongside Kevin Harvick.
Sharing how the support feels, Kvapil commented,
“I feel pretty good about that. Obviously, I’m still kind of a new guy, I guess you could say. I have a year under my belt now, so I kind of have an idea, but at the same time, I’m still a little bit green on some of the things. Just cool having that experience.”
He appreciates the depth of Childers’ insight, saying,
“Yeah, he’s smart. You can tell that. I feel like you ask him anything and he has an experienced answer. They did this in 2014 and this or that happened. There’s not really a lot of question marks.”
Kvapil’s Honest Assessment of His Skills and Development Areas
Despite gaining confidence behind the wheel, Kvapil acknowledged areas where he still needs improvement. By the end of last year’s season, he felt much more comfortable handling the cars and communicating effectively with his team about adjustments.
“By the end of last season, I felt pretty comfortable in these cars,”
he said.
“I felt like I knew what they needed to do and knew what they needed to feel like and could help with changes and stuff like that, and I could confidently say everything I was feeling.”
Still, he admitted that the mile-and-a-half tracks remain a challenge.
“There’s definitely some stuff we could do better at. Probably the mile-and-a-half stuff for me is kind of the question mark. I feel like the tracks are just different.”
Short tracks and road courses are more familiar territory for Kvapil, and he is building experience there.
“Short track stuff is what I’m used to, and the road course stuff, I’ve done it here and there, so I feel good about that. Even the speedways, honestly, I don’t feel too bad about it. I feel like I’ve kind of got speed on that and figured it out.”
Still, he reiterated,
“But the mile and a half stuff is just a little bit different than what I’m used to and just not really up to speed on it yet.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Hands-On Support From Team Ownership
Kvapil receives direct encouragement from JR Motorsports team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr., especially on superspeedway events.
“Honestly, I like it when he jumps on the radio,”
Kvapil said.
“It kind of makes us all get our crap together, you know. And our speedway track record so far has been pretty good.”
The Pursuit of His First NASCAR Win Continues
Having competed in 33 races last year without a single victory, Kvapil remains steadfastly focused on breaking through.
“I mean, getting a win was something we couldn’t do, which was a bummer,”
he reflected.
“It was kind of one of those things I circled on the season and we couldn’t do it. I’ve been waiting for it, that’s for sure. I’ve been sitting here driving the race cars for 33 races last year and starting 33 races this year and that’s just the biggest thing I’ve circled.”
He emphasized the importance of consistency alongside the pursuit of victory:
“We’ve got to do what we’ve got to do week in and week out to finish the races and to run good, but the biggest thing is just getting a win right now. Just got to get a win and hopefully they keep coming.”
Building Momentum from Last Season’s Gritty Championship Appearance
Although winning was elusive, Kvapil’s determination propelled him to the Final 4 in the series championship under highly challenging conditions.
“We just grinded it out and got the points we needed to make the Final 4, which was definitely an accomplishment,”
he said.
“It was definitely the hardest way we could have done it, so if we can do it that way, I’d say we can do even better this year.”
His ability to overcome adversity and secure a spot among the title contenders, combined with his ongoing development under the mentorship of Rodney Childers and the support of JR Motorsports and Dale Earnhardt Jr., sets a promising foundation as Carson Kvapil continues his NASCAR journey.
