Dale Earnhardt Jr. choked for words after Carson Kvapil earned his maiden NASCAR win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The team owner shared his thoughts on the feat with a teary-eyed interview.
On Saturday’s Pennzoil 250, Kvapil began in second and captured the lead by lap 79. He battled teammate Justin Allgaier on the final laps and was separated by just 0.283 on the white flag.
Kvapil managed to outlast the season leader and finished 0.643 seconds ahead, marking JR Motorsports’ 14th win of the season with six different drivers. The triumph comes after Kvapil was left without a full-time seat this year, as he splits his time between multiple rides in hopes of reaching victory lane.
Nonetheless, winning it at the famed IMS had Earnhardt emotional.
“Oh man, this has been a long time coming. He’s like a son almost you know, you work with these guys for so long and you work so hard. We worked so hard with Josh Berry and all our drivers and you just want him to have success and he’s got a win to keep going. You got to win if you want to stay in this deal and man he got so close so I’m just so so happy for him,” Earnhardt said.
With Saturday’s win, Carson Kvapil moves into second place in the series standings, trailing Justin Allgaier by 265 points. He has also clinched his Chase spot with two races left in the regular season.
JRM’s Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott rounded out the top-4, making it a series-first four-driver sweep by a team.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares heartbreak with Josh Berry’s departure
Josh Berry is being replaced by reigning O’Reilly Series champion Jesse Love in the No.21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford. Berry is currently struggling outside the top-30 with five DNFs to his name.
The 35-year-old made his way from grassroots racing, Truck and O’Reilly Series, before reaching the Cup division and earning his maiden win last year. In a recent podcast episode, Dale Earnhardt Jr. sounded the alarm on Berry’s future.
“It’s heartbreaking for me because I think of Josh as a family member. I do not know what has happened. I really don’t. I don’t bug Josh too much about it. I think the world of the Wood Brothers. I idolise Leonard and them, but I don’t know what has happened. It’s unfortunate because I don’t know where this goes for Josh. I don’t know what opportunities even exist,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said.
Josh Berry recently admitted that this was his most difficult season to endure. After wrecking at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Berry shared how people now view him differently with such losses.
Notably, the No.21 driver was running among the top-15 before going two laps down during a pit-stop caution.
Read More:
NASCAR Could Bring the Clash Back to Daytona After Six-Year Hiatus: Report
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in NASCAR, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
