Team Xtreme confirmed that its No. 44 Chevrolet, driven by Travis Kvapil, was stolen early Friday morning outside of the team’s hotel and that the team will not compete in this weekend’s Sprint Cup race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
The small budget team reported the stolen truck and trailer just before 6 a.m. ET to local authorities.
Sunday was set to be Kvapil’s first Sprint Cup start of the 2015 season at the 1.54-mile track.
The Team Xtreme hauler left its Mooresville, NC headquarters ahead of schedule to avoid the inclement weather due to hit the Charlotte area on Wednesday evening, leaving the team to apply the final preparations to the car and deliver it at a later time.
The team did not have a second car prepared, and was forced to withdraw.
The untimely incident comes after Team Xtreme made their first start in the Daytona 500 last weekend, with Reed Sorenson finishing 32nd. The organization is planning to run the entire 2015 Sprint Cup schedule, and remains set to race next weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Image: Robert Laberge/NASCAR via Getty Images
