Dale Earnhardt Jr. Casts Doubt On Carson Kvapil's NASCAR Future: "Not Guaranteed"
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has cast doubt on Carson Kvapil's NASCAR future as he confirmed it is "not guaranteed."
Kvapil joined JR Motorsports, owned by Earnhardt Jr., in 2022. He started in the Late Model Stock Tour in the No. 8 Chevrolet before moving up the ranks to the ARCA Menard Series and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 2023.
The 21-year-old driver moved up to the Xfinity Series in 2024. He impressed in his part-time role with the team last year, securing him a full-time seat for 2025. In 17 race starts in the Xfinity Series, he has secured 7 top-10 finishes.
After a difficult weekend for the team in Texas, Earnhardt Jr. has compared Kvapil to his teammate Justin Allgaier. He explained on the Dale Jr Download podcast.
Carson Kvapil, driver of the #1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet, (L) and Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 Jarrett Logistics Chevrolet, talk on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy's Frozen Custard 300...
Carson Kvapil, driver of the #1 Carolina Carports Chevrolet, (L) and Justin Allgaier, driver of the #7 Jarrett Logistics Chevrolet, talk on the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series Andy's Frozen Custard 300 at Texas Motor Speedway on May 02, 2025 in Fort Worth, Texas. More"I can move past Justin because Justin's won a championship. He's going to win races. Justin is fine. He's established. Carson has to win. Carson's future is not guaranteed.
"I think we can all agree that he's got potential, and there's something there," Earnhardt said. And if the right things happen the right way, that he [Kvapil] could have a 20-year career, but it easily could go the opposite way."
Comparing him to his other teammate, Connor Zilisch, Earnhardt Jr. added:
"Connor Zilisch has a runway in front of him. A plan, right? He's got Trackhouse support. Everybody in this industry thinks that, golly, dude, this guy's incredible with the road courses, [if] he figures the ovals out. It'll be wildly popular, what he will be able to do going forward."
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