Catchfence

Kvapil Gives Two Reasons for Higher Expectations

Statesville, N.C. (August 31, 2010) - Nothing has changed about the Atlanta Motor Speedway since the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series raced there in March. But Travis Kvapil and the No. 34 Long John Silver’s team expect a much different outcome at the 1.54-mile oval this weekend than they had in the track’s spring race. Kvapil cites new set-up information from a teammate and better Long John Silver’s Fusions as two solid reasons why he expects a better result for Sunday night’s Emory Healthcare 500 in Hampton, Ga.

Kvapil has enjoyed some good runs at Atlanta in the past. In five truck series starts, he earned a top-five and a top-10 finish. He also has eight starts in the Sprint Cup Series at the track with a best finish of 23rd. He finished 30th in the spring race.

Comments from Long John Silver’s Racing team driver Travis Kvapil on Atlanta Motor Speedway:

“I’m excited to go to Atlanta. It’s a night race, and Atlanta night racing is always fun. The track will have a little bit more grip in it and will carry a little more speed through the center of the corner. The first time we were there in the spring, we really didn’t run very well. But our teammate, David Gilliland, ran really well. So, we’re going back with a completely different approach. We’re using the information and the set-up that David’s team had as a baseline for our car.

“I feel like our cars now are better than what we had earlier in the season. We feel like our set-ups and just our overall team is stronger now than what it was back in March. So, we’ll look back at what worked well for David and, combined with the growth of our own team, I think we’ll have a much better outcome at Atlanta our second time around.

“People might forget that we were a new team getting together at the beginning of this season. It was our first time working together as a group. But we’ve definitely come a long way since then. I can’t say enough how much this team has improved in terms of how we’re able to prepare for a race. We’ve just got a lot more to go on in terms of notes and just overall experience working together as a team.

“Typically, our schedule has us practicing on Friday and Saturday afternoons and we race on Sunday afternoon. But a schedule like this weekend’s is a little tougher. Our practice is going to be in the heat of the day and then the race is at night. So, that’s going to change some things. A lot of times, you’ll actually travel the car more at night when it’s faster and the tires have more grip. You might bottom the car out more.

“Typically when we go into race mode from qualifying, we’ll change the settings in the car to let the car travel more. It might actually be the opposite when we go to race at night at Atlanta because the car has more grip and will be carrying more speed through the center of the corner. It’s just an added challenge. You just look back on your experience and notes on what worked well in the past and use your best judgment.”

About Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing:

Front Row Motorsports was formed in 2005 by restaurant entrepreneur Bob Jenkins. Since that time, the team has entered a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series. In 2010, Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing will partner with Ford and Roush/Yates Engines to field a three-car operation based in Statesville, N.C. The team fields the Long John Silver’s Ford driven by Travis Kvapil, the Taco Bell Ford driven by David Gilliland and the A&W All American Food Ford driven by Dave Blaney.

- Breaking Limits Marketing for Front Row Motorsports with Yates Racing, Press Release