In the first time in weeks, Yates Racing’s Fords of Travis Kvapil and David Gilliland both had sponsors and both ran well. Kvapil – whose No. 28 had Northern Tools + Equipment on board this week – scored his second top-10 of the season by bringing his Ford Fusion home in sixth spot, a career best.

Running in the lead pack for much of the afternoon, Kvapil was able to keep his nose clean and avoid trouble for much of the day. The wreck on lap 172 collecting Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, and Bobby Labonte gave Kvapil a much unnecessary scare as he was forced to go high to avoid the wreck.

“The wreck with the 88 [Earnhardt Jr.] over here in turns 1 and 2, I saw that coming and I felt it, and then I just tried to get as high as I could and get the heck by it,” Kvapil explained to the SceneDaily.com. “But we got tangled up there a little bit and scraped the side. Really, no harm, no foul. It was just a good day, staying out of trouble.”

A top-10 finish for the No. 28 Yates Racing Ford at Talladega was definitely a sight for sore eyes. Made famous by the late Davey Allison, the Yates program has struggled over the last year in keeping pace with the ever-changing sport. A poor economy and top-20 runs have left the Yates organization in search of sponsors and good runs.

Sunday proved to be the perfect day, as both Yates cars had sponsors (Gilliland’s No. 38 carried the familiar FreeCreditReport.com) and finished in the top-15.