FLORENCE, S.C. — Reigning Solid Rock Carriers CARS Tour champion Carson Kvapil won Saturday night’s late model stock Aaron’s 125 at Florence Motor Speedway.
With drivers implementing a variety of tire strategies on an abrasive track surface, Kvapil ran near the front throughout the event and passed Brenden Queen on a late restart to claim the victory for JR Motorsports.
It was Kvapil’s first victory at Florence.
“We just had a pretty strong car there at the end,” Kvapil said. “We were a little faster than Butterbean (Queen) and (Mini) Tyrrell during the last 40 laps. I was trying to get around them but couldn’t really set it up. Those restarts helped me out and my car could fire off really good. I’m just glad I finally won one at Florence.”
Kvapil admitted his triumph came as a major relief after both JR Motorsports cars were non-factors in Florence’s season-opening Icebreaker back in February.
Despite the poor showing, Kvapil was not overly concerned with how the team performed in that event, as he knew everyone at JR Motorsports would work diligently to find the necessary speed that would allow him to defend his LMSC Tour title from 2022.
The first two races for Kvapil showed him the commitment his team put in to bounce back from their slow start.
“It just shows how much we can rebound,” Kvapil said. “We were [18th] in the IceBreaker but went to Southern National and finished second. [The IceBreaker finish didn’t influence] too much of what we were thinking [on Saturday]. We made a few changes but were just more prepared for how we wanted to run this race.”
Just over three months removed from a win in Florence Motor Speedway’s prestigious South Carolina 400, Queen entered Saturday’s Aaron’s 125 with confidence on his side.
Queen managed to lead a good portion of the 125-lap feature but could not fend off Kvapil on the final restart of the night.
“I’m known for dropping to the back in these races, but I learned a lot [on Saturday] by staying forward all night,” Queen said. “This is a big confidence booster for myself. [Kvapil] was a little better there at the end but it felt like a [South Carolina] 400 rematch between us. Hopefully, I can be the guy to battle him all year.”
Third place was a sentimental victory for Ronnie Bassett Jr.
After starting 20th, Bassett gradually worked his way through the field to position himself inside the top five with only a few laps remaining. Although Bassett did not claim the win, he took pride in knowing he could still hold his own with the best.
“I felt like we had a pretty good car all weekend,” Bassett said. “We wanted to qualify a lot better and didn’t want to ride around in 20th all night but it kind of worked out. We kept the fenders on it this week and we were there at the end.”
The finish:
Carson Kvapil, Brenden Queen, Ronnie Bassett Jr., Conner Jones, Jacob Heafner, Mini Tyrrell, Bobby McCarty, Ryan Glenski, Cody Kelley, Bryant Barnhill, Chad McCumbee, Jared Fryar, Connor Hall, Zack Miracle, Carson Brown, Brandon Pierce, Deac McCaskill, Dylon Wilson, Lanie Buice, Joshua Dickens, Landon Pembleton, Andrew Grady, Tate Fogleman, Cale Gale, Chase Burrow, Blake Lothian, Ryan Millington, Cameron Bolin, Isabella Robuston, Ryan Wilson, Jason Kitzmiller, Mason Diaz.
Keyword: Tire Strategy Pushes Kvapil To CARS Tour Glory