Carson Kvapil gives his hot take on the COTA nightmare that sealed his fate against Connor Zilisch: “It just got worse and worse”

NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Carson Kvapil didn’t hold back on his disappointment after a tough outing in the Focused Health 400 at COTA. Battling hard with his JR Motorsports teammate Connor Zilisch, Kvapil pushed his limits throughout the race. However, after blowing out a tire, Kvapil's race ended with a disappointing result despite his dominant drive.

Carson Kvapil drives the #1 Chevrolet for Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. At just 21 years old, he's embarking on his rookie full-time season in NASCAR after an impressive grassroots racing career. The North Carolina native has dominated the Late Model and Super Late Model divisions, securing 14 race wins and three championship titles while driving for Earnhardt Jr.

Following the end of the race, Kvapil spoke with the media, where he reflected on his performance in the race. (via Frontstretch on X)

"We were trying to get some stage points and if we had speed we'd try to set up for the end of the race, but get turned around there. We kind of had to sacrifice all our stage points and go for the win really, which we kind of concluded is what we would be able to do," the #1 driver said [00:34 onwards]

"So I felt like right there, if you made some mistakes we might be able to get back to them, but at the worst we were going to finish second. Just a flat spot at the right front tire and just got worse and worse over time and just couldn't get it back. A little bit of mistakes on my end, but at the same time this is my first road course with these XFINITY cars," he added

Meanwhile, Kvapil's teammate and rising NASCAR star Connor Zilisch continued his impressive run, securing his second Xfinity Series victory in just seven starts. Zilisch previously captured his first win at Watkins Glen International—the same track where he made his NASCAR debut.

Now, both young and talented drivers are part of JR Motorsports, the reigning Xfinity Series champions following Justin Allgaier’s long-awaited first title.

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Carson Kvapil's teammate Connor Zilisch reveals the mindset behind COTA triumph

Connor Zilisch, in his rookie full-time Xfinity Series season, pilots the #88 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports and has already secured a victory, locking himself into the playoffs early. His dominant run at COTA saw him battle Carson Kvapil in the closing laps before sealing the win.

In a post-race interview, Zilisch revealed how the only way to win is if you 'keep doing it,' and you will get your results.

"You just can't let the noise get to you, you got to keep doing your thing no matter what, whether its a good talk or bad talk, you got to keep doing it. Prepare the same way and the results will come." (0:49) said Carson Kvapil's teammate

Meanwhile, Zilisch's victory in the NXE will indefinitely boost his confidence, as the JRM driver is all set to make his debut in the Cup Series tomorrow. Catch him live at 3:30 PM Eastern time.