CATAWBA, N.C. – Brothers Carson and Caden Kvapil stamped their family name all over the second annual Nitro Karting Clash at the Creek presented by QRC with a clean sweep of the event on Sunday night.
Carson Kvapil banked the $2,000 winner’s check by taking the headlining 25-lap Open division feature, taking advantage of a lap-two restart to slide his younger brother for the race lead in turn three.
Once he got out front, there was no one who had anything for Carson Kvapil, as the Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist led the final 24 laps despite a slew of restarts to notch the victory.
After climbing from his car, Carson Kvapil noted that his move for the top spot was one he was determined to make work, whether his sibling was quite prepared for it or not.
“I was inside of him going down the backstretch, so really all I was thinking was, ‘Move, or you’re going to get moved,’” admitted Carson Kvapil. “Either way, he was going to get passed (laughs). We were able to drive away after that, though. I was surprised with how much bite my kart had on that dusty track. That thing rocketed down the straightaway and I just rode from there.”
Caden Kvapil ran second to his brother for virtually the entire distance, but thanks to four caution flags in the closing stages of the race, he was forced to pull in when his fuel tank ran dry under yellow with three laps remaining.
It was heartbreaking for the 12-year-old, who was hoping to complete a sweep of the night after setting a new Open division track record of 10.431 seconds in qualifying and winning his heat race.
“It’s just a bummer,” said Caden Kvapil. “I don’t know that we would have had anything for him, because my kart had a ton of wheel spin on the restarts … but you always want to be able to try. He was just really, really good tonight. All the caution laps definitely hurt me at the end.”
Once Caden Kvapil was out of the picture, Carson Kvapil said he was “a little nervous” during the final three-lap dash to the checkered flag, originally set up by a Daniel Whitley spin in the fourth corner.
“When I knew my brother wasn’t behind me, that’s when I started to think about things a little bit before that final restart,” noted Carson Kvapil. “I didn’t know what anyone else might do to me. I knew my brother wouldn’t take me out for the win, but I wasn’t sure about any of the others.”
The elder Kvapil brother didn’t falter, however, running out to a 1.041-second victory over runner-up Max Mittry in the final three revolutions. Oregon’s Tanner Holmes completed the podium.
After an opening-lap spin on the frontstretch, Kyle Beattie – who earned the pole during the revenge draw earlier in the night – rallied back to finish fourth, followed by Chase Majdic.
While he couldn’t quite run the table in the Open division, Caden Kvapil left nothing to chance in the night’s $500-to-win Intermediate division main event.
The younger Kvapil brother set fast time in qualifying, won his heat race and then led every lap from the pole to secure the win, in a race shortened from 25 laps to 20 laps due to a myriad of caution flags.
Trevor Cline finished a distant second, seven seconds adrift at the checkered flag, followed by Brett Norman, Matt Francis and Laci Ferno.
In total, it was a $2,500 haul for the Kvapil family between the two Sunday night wins.
“We’re happy,” said father Travis Kvapil. “This is a really great performance for us.”
Landon Sartain topped the 20-lap Box Stock feature – beating out Ryan Zima, Kolson Nelson, Aidan Turner and Addie Rice – while Nelson roared to victory in the Beginner Box Stock main event, leading all 15 circuits and besting Tyler Buzze and Karter Beattie.
Steven Blackwelder won a rough-and-tumble 20-lap Mini Cup feature over Will Gibbs.
The finish:
Clash at the Creek (25 laps): 1. Carson Kvapil, 2. Max Mittry, 3. Tanner Holmes, 4. Kyle Beattie, 5. Chase Majdic, 6. Carson Sousa, 7. Carly Holmes, 8. Anissa Curtice, 9. Demo Mittry, 10. Austin Reed, 11. Lucas Sipka, 12. Caden Kvapil, 13. Daniel Whitley, 14. Zach Daum, 15. Jesse Colwell, 16. Dylan Smith, 17. Brent Crews, 18. Michael Madill, 19. Mark Pollardi.