Carson Kvapil Claims CARS Tour Pole at Wilkesboro

For most of Tuesday at North Wilkesboro Speedway, the faster car of the two in the JR Motorsports stable belonged to the team's namesake, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt, Jr. However, it was the team's Late Model Stock Car mainstay that claimed the pole for Wednesday's Window World 125.

Carson Kvapil, the points leader on the CARS Late Model Stock Tour, logged fast time in the qualifying session which took place in the wee hours of Wednesday morning, turning a lap of 19.485 seconds around the 0.625-mile facility.

After Earnhardt, Jr. had been one of the fastest cars on the property in nearly every practice session on Tuesday, Kvapil's fast time even caught him by surprise.

"This JR Motorsports iRacing Chevy was quick tonight," said Kvapil. "I actually wasn't expecting that. I thought the bossman was going to get us there and lead us to the green. We made some good adjustments from our mock run, and here we are."

The return to racing at North Wilkesboro is a special event for everyone, with many considering this the biggest race in the CARS Tour's eight-season history. However, the event takes on particular importance for JR Motorsports due to Earnhardt's involvement in returning racing to the venue.

READ MORE: Why Wilkesboro is the Biggest Race in CARS Tour History

"It's awesome. If it weren't for my boss, Dale, obviously, we wouldn't be out here, so I've got to thank him. RaceXR, everyone who has done anything to make this possible."

Corey Heim qualified second, followed by Kaden Honeycutt, Carter Langley and Brenden Queen. Earnhardt, Jr. will start sixth in his return to Late Model competition.

Racing will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET for the Window World 125 Wednesday night, followed by racing for the Street Stocks and Limited Late Models.

READ MORE: How to Watch North Wilkesboro’s Racetrack Revival on Racing America

Starting Lineup - CARS Tour at North Wilkesboro

1. Carson Kvapil
2. Corey Heim
3. Kaden Honeycutt
4. Carter Langley
5. Brenden Queen
6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
7. Chad McCumbee
8. Jared Fryar
9. Mike Looney
10. Mini Tyrrell
11. Bobby McCarty
12. Stefan Parsons
13. Katie Hettinger
14. Connor Hall
15. Braden Rogers
16. Jonathan Shafer
17. Jacob Heafner
18. Conner Jones
19. Andrew Grady
20. Mason Diaz
21. William Sawalich
22. Brandon Pierce
23. Connor Mosack
24. Dylon Wilson
25. Bryan Reedy
26. Chase Burrow
27. Zack Miracle
28. Pat Rachels
29. Janson Marchbanks
30. Hayden Swank