NASCAR Daytona Auto Racing
Reed Sorenson drove the No. 44 Chevrolet at last weekend's Daytona 500, but Travis Kvapil is scheduled to drive it at this weekend's QuikTrip 500 in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Graham)
Travis Kvapil
Getting your car stolen in a major American city is not that unusual an occurrence.
However, getting a professional racecar inside a trailer and attached to a heavy-duty hauling truck stolen is a new one. But that's exactly what happened to NASCAR veteran Travis Kvapil and his No. 44 Chevrolet Sprint Cup car overnight Friday.
NASCAR comfirmed Friday afternoon that Kvapil had withdrawn from Sunday's QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Kvapil and Team XTreme Racing will look to compete at the March 8 Cup race in Las Vegas on March 8.
"Real setback for Team Xtreme, (team owner) John Cohen and all the guys that worked so hard to get us here coming off a decent Daytona race," Kvapil said, via NASCAR.com. "This is a big setback for this little team."
Kvapil reported the theft through his Twitter account, which was later confirmed by his race team. Kvapil said the car had stayed behind at the team shop in North Carolina before being hauled to Georgia, where the drivers spent the night at a hotel in Morrow.
Kvapil and the rest of the team were already at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Reed Sorenson drove the No. 44 car to a 32nd-place finish in last weekend's season-opening Daytona 500.
According to NASCAR.com, Team XTreme Racing will announce plans for this weekend earlier in the day. Kvapil, a 10-year NASCAR veteran, has apparently kept his sense of humor about the situation:
A NASCAR fan and prominent Texas auto dealer said he's offering a reward for whomever finds Kvapil's race car: