Travis Kvapil makes the jump to Cup this season as one of two high-profile rookie of the year candidates. Credit: Autostock

Rookie welcomes chance to compete, and he's eager to perform

By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
January 29, 2005
12:01 PM EST (17:01 GMT)

MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Brendan Gaughan had a disappointing rookie season in 2004 and was promptly shown the door at Penske Racing.

Travis Kvapil realizes the same thing could happen to him.

If anything, there might be more pressure on the soft-spoken 28-year-old from Wisconsin, because he will be getting better cars (the all-new Dodge Charger) a more experienced crew chief (Shane Wilson) and a new shop (arguably the biggest and most advanced on tour).



And one other thing: He is trying to do what Gaughan did -- advance to the Nextel Cup level with barely a hint of Busch Series experience.

No driver who raced the full schedule in 2004 -- other than Kurt Busch -- ever made a successful jump to Nextel Cup without a stopover in the Busch Series. Even in Busch's case, it took him more than a year to get up to speed.

"A little time in the Busch Series probably would have helped a little bit, but I feel I am ready and I know the team is ready," said Kvapil, speaking at last week's Nextel Cup Media Tour, which showcased Penske's sparkling-new 425,000 square foot facility.

The good thing for Kvapil is that the team had to re-skin for the new Charger body style for 2005, which means Penske enters the season with the same cars for all three teams, which includes Rusty Wallace and Ryan Newman.

"I just know I have the equipment to win races," Kvapil said. "I am sitting in the same racecars that Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace are sitting in.

"I know if there is a struggle and I am not performing, the first place they are going to look at is me or the team."

Which is exactly what happened to Gaughan, who finished 28th in points with just four-top-10 finishes.

Ironically, Gaughan performed best with his job on the line, scoring three top-10s in the final eight weeks as he rallied to finish second in a strong rookie class.

But it wasn't enough to save his job.

"At the end of the season had some pretty good runs, but we had made the decision to look elsewhere," team owner Roger Penske said. "We'll see if it was the right decision.

"This is a business. We're looking for final performance."

Of course, that puts tremendous pressure on Kvapil, but he's used to it. Kvapil owns one of the more incredible feats in NASCAR history -- he completed all but one lap of the 2003 season, when he won the Craftsman Truck Series title.

"So far, I have not felt the pressure, and hopefully, I won't," Kvapil said. "No one is putting more pressure on myself then I am. I am definitely my worst critic. If not, my wife is right there."

Pressure or not, Kvapil is smart enough to know that a top-10 finish in the Cup Series is several times more difficult to attain than one in the Truck Series.

Kvapil found that out last fall when he had a cup of coffee in the Cup Series. Making his debut at Martinsville, Kvapil qualified fifth but finished 21st partly due to a bad pit stop.

"I realized the level of competition right away," Kvapil said. "We're off a second on our pit stop and we lost 10 spots. I am back there racing my guts out and I am running 25th.

"It's crazy. The guy leading the race and the guy running 20th are running the same lap times."

With two drivers running for rookie of the year in 2005, Kvapil knows it will be a head-to-head battle with Hendrick Motorsports's Kyle Busch, who is nearly 10 years younger.

"It will be a great battle with Kyle," said Kvapil. "I think we can finish top 15 in points. If we don't, I will be disappointed."

So will Roger Penske.

NASCAR.com

redriderbob