HAMPTON, Ga. – A week after qualifying for their biggest race in their NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career, Team Xtreme Racing suffered a major setback Friday morning when their trailer and dually were stolen from a Morrow, Georgia hotel.
Team officials confirmed to CATCHFENCE.com of the theft which occurred approximately 25 minutes north of the Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway (AMS), site of Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500.
The trailer also contained the team’s primary Atlanta car scheduled to be driven by Travis Kvapil in the second NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race of the season. According to a police report from Morrow Police Sgt. Larry Oglesby, the part of the theft was captured on surveillance cameras around 5:25 a.m. at the Drury Inn & Suites.
According to a story by Jeff Gluck of USA Today Sports, Oglesby went on to say that a newer model silver or grey Jeep Cherokee was observed driving into the Drury Inn parking lot. It was seen returning at 5:32 a.m.; two minutes later, the trailer and the car inside were seen leaving the property.
“Sometimes what happens when thieves see trailers, they might just assume there’s something in the trailer they can go off and sell,” Morrow Police Sgt. Larry Oglesby told USA TODAY Sports. “Sometimes when things like this occur, they will drop off the items in a parking lot somewhere — like a Walmart parking lot — once they realize what they have.”
Gluck’s story also mentioned that Team Xtreme crew chief Peter Sospenzo then called police at 5:52 a.m. to report the trailer missing.
The team’s race hauler and tractor were on the grounds of AMS Friday morning, but the final touches of their No. 44 Phoenix Warehouse Chevrolet had not been completed before Cup Series haulers were scheduled to arrive Thursday morning.
Planning to stay in sync with the other Cup teams, Team Xtreme sent their tractor and trailer to the track while a smaller trailer would bring the team’s primary car to the track Friday morning.
Team Xtreme Racing owned by entrepreneur John Cohen finished 32nd in last Sunday’s Daytona 500 with driver Reed Sorenson at the helm. Making the Daytona 500 proved to be a true Cinderella story after Sorenson lost his primary car during Daytona 500 qualifying on February 15.
Without a backup on the grounds at the “World Center of Racing,” the Mooresville, North Carolina-based team worked fiercely to prepare a second No. 44 Golden Corral Chevrolet SS in preparation for the qualifying races held the following Thursday. Sorenson raced his way into a transfer spot, earning the 14th starting spot.
As for Atlanta, Team Xtreme Racing did not participate in Thursday’s sanctioned open test session at the 1.5-mile oval. It also does not appear that the team has a second car on the grounds of the facility ahead of Friday’s first practice session slated for 1:00 p.m.
Reportedly, the team’s unmarked Sunbeam white trailer and 2004 Ford F-350 black dually with New Jersey plates current whereabouts are unknown.
As of 11:00 a.m., Cohen confirmed to multiple media outlets that they will withdraw from Sunday’s Honor QuikTrip 500 and prepare to go to Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway next weekend.
Wow. Anyone near Atlanta find my stolen Cup car let me know! Unreal
— Travis Kvapil (@TravisKvapil) February 27, 2015
I bet when whoever has it, opens the trailer and is going to be like 'oh snap'
— Travis Kvapil (@TravisKvapil) February 27, 2015
Here it is……New Jersey plates pic.twitter.com/YayDb2Ya6u
— Travis Kvapil (@TravisKvapil) February 27, 2015
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
