Stolen NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Car Found
Missing race car forced driver to withdraw from Sunday's race.
— -- Police in Georgia found a NASCAR Sprint Cup car that was stolen from a hotel parking lot days before the driver was scheduled to race.
Travis Kvapil's No. 44 race car was found today in Loganville, Georgia, according to Team Xtreme Racing. It had been stolen early Friday morning.
Before police found the car, Kvapil told ABC News that he thought his race team was playing a joke on him when they called him about it.
"When I got texts and voicemails this morning [Friday] from the guys, I kind of thought they were messing around," said Kvapil.
Surveillance video shows a black pickup truck speeding off with a 15-foot trailer, which had the car inside. Team Xtreme racing owner John Cohen said today he believed the thieves were only after the trailer and did not realize the car, an extra engine, and $100,000 worth of spare parts were also inside.
"When you get a car stolen, you don't go out and buy another one," Cohen had said before the car was found.
Despite finding the car, Kvapil will not be able to race in Sunday's Sprint Cup race. His team was forced to withdraw when it missed NASCAR's mandatory inspection on Friday.