‘You’ve Got to Do Better Than Survival’ at Bristol

According to Travis Kvapil, driver of the No. 93 BK Racing Toyota Camry, Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) isn’t what it used to be since undergoing its facelift in 2007. Just don’t be fooled into thinking that the high-banked, half-mile oval is now a joy ride. Kvapil sees the track as more demanding than ever. When the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) visits BMS this Sunday, Kvapil believes that fewer wrecks, combined with more side-by-side racing, will force drivers to race harder than years past.

No driver is more aware that anything can happen at Bristol Motor Speedway (BMS) than Travis Kvapil. He got the lone win of his 2003 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship campaign at BMS. Kvapil led only two laps of the event; however, they were the two most important circuits of the race. He took the lead after a crash derailed a dominant performance by Kevin Harvick with two laps remaining. It was the Janesville, Wis., driver’s first time racing at BMS.

In NSCS competition, Kvapil has 11 starts at BMS. He carries a best finish of fifth place (2005) into this weekend and only one DNF (2006). Kvapil aims for consistency for his No. 93 BK Racing team to solidify them into the top-35 in owner point standings. His No. 93 BK Racing team is currently 28th in the NSCS owner point standings.

Comments from BK Racing Driver Travis Kvapil heading into Bristol:

“Bristol’s crazy. You just never know. It’s one of those places where you used to be able to just survive and get a good finish. The way the track is laid out now, though, you can run easily side-by-side. It’s actually not too bad to run three-wide for a little while. With the multiple grooves, the driver has a lot of options to move around and stay out of trouble. You’ve got to do better than survival. You’ve got to go run hard and have a fast race car. Typically we still see some short track beating and banging, and guys wrecking each other, but since they’ve reconfigured the track in ’07, it’s promoted more side-by-side racing versus the old bump-and-run style. It’s still tough, half-mile, short track racing, but you’ll see fewer accidents and wrecks. No matter, it’s one of the best shows on the circuit.

“Our goals over the next few weeks are to get some good solid finishes, finish the races the best we can. We don’t need to get caught up in wrecks. We need a good points foundation. I don’t feel like our performance will be an issue. I think we’ll have plenty of good runs and finishes over time, but it’s important for us in the first handful of races to get some momentum and build on it from there. These west coast races have been really tough on the teams, especially ours, with the limited time we had to prepare cars since opening our doors in February. It will be great to get everything caught up at the shop and get ahead on our race cars and we’ll be ready for some strong performances in the spring and summer time.”

Bk Racing PR