Kvapil Walks Away from Violent Kansas Crash

TL;DR

Carson Kvapil survived a violent crash at Kansas Speedway during the Kansas Lottery 300, where his car flipped and barrel rolled on lap 2. He escaped without injury and was able to exit his vehicle after the incident.

Key points

Carson Kvapil's car flipped during the Kansas Lottery 300.
The crash occurred on lap 2 while racing for the lead.
Kvapil's car barrel rolled before landing on its roof.
He escaped without injury and exited the car after the crash.
The race was stopped for over 12 minutes for rescue operations.

Mentioned in this story

Kansas Speedway

Carson KvapilJR MotorsportsKansas Lottery 300

auto: apr 11 nascar o'reilly auto parts series suburban propane 300

Kvapil Walks Away from Violent Kansas CrashIcon Sportswire - Getty Images

Carson Kvapil escaped injury Saturday night in an airborne crash that sent his JR Motorsports Chevrolet barrel rolling down Kansas Speedway’s backstretch on lap 2 of the Kansas Lottery 300.

The accident occurred while Kvapil and teammates Justin Allgaier and William Byron were racing for the lead. After Kvapil and Byron collided, Kvapil turned head-on into the wall. While he was sideways, Parker Retzlaff hit Kvapil in his car’s right rear. The angle launched Kvapil’s car into the air. It sailed through the air for a short distance and then barrel rolled before stopping on its roof. The race was stopped for 12 minutes 9 seconds while rescue personnel turned the car back onto its wheels. Kvapil then climbed from his car.

“I actually didn’t think it was going to flip over like that, but once it started doing that, it didn’t really seem too bad,” Kvapil said after walking from the infield care center. “I was just hoping to get through the first couple of laps and then kind of sort it out and kind of fall in line. We didn’t really get to that point.

“All-in-all, it was one heck of a ride. I was not ready for that. I really hate rolling.”

Inclement weather on Friday prevented the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series drivers from practicing and qualifying, and Kvapil said he thought everyone was “pretty aggressive” at the race’s start.

“It seemed like the top really had some good grip and I was just trying to get through the first lap or two,” Kvapil said. “I was probably going to move up the next corner and block runs, but the 7 (Allgaier) got outside of me there off of (turn) two and I guess the 88 (Byron) didn’t realize we were three wide.”

Retzlaff said he didn’t have time to react before hitting Kvapil.

“Just a very aggressive start that caused a wreck that really wasn’t necessary to happen that early in the race,” Retzlaff said outside the infield care center. “We knew we had a competition caution in 20 laps in the race.”

Kvapil, who was in contention for a $100,000 bonus in the Dash for Cash, finished last in the 37-car field. Retzlaff placed 36th.

Q&A

What caused Carson Kvapil's crash at Kansas Speedway?

The crash was caused by a collision between Carson Kvapil and William Byron, which resulted in Kvapil hitting the wall and being struck by Parker Retzlaff.

How did Carson Kvapil escape injury after his car flipped?

Carson Kvapil was able to walk away uninjured after his car barrel rolled, thanks to the safety measures in place and his quick exit from the vehicle.

What happened during the Kansas Lottery 300 race on lap 2?

On lap 2, Carson Kvapil's car collided with another vehicle, causing it to flip and barrel roll down the backstretch, leading to a 12-minute race stoppage for rescue efforts.