Kerry Earnhardt qualified 13th for the John Deere 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, and appeared on the verge of charging back into contention in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series standings. Earnhardt’s No. 13 ThorSport Racing Silverado was third fastest among Chevrolets in qualifying, and successful air pressure and shock package adjustments seemed to signal a strong race performance was in order.

Unfortunately for Earnhardt, he’ll never know. In a Craftsman Truck Series case of ‘what-might-have-been’, Earnhardt’s Chevy was squeezed against the wall within the first twenty laps, causing damage to the right front fender and a loss of downforce and effectively ending his evening.

Earnhardt was able to continue the race, but spent considerable time in the pit area, fell several laps down and finished in 34th place.

“It was one of those deals that we had no control over,” Earnhardt said. “That’s the unfortunate thing about it. We qualified strong, and felt like we had a fast truck. We never got the chance to show it. It’s frustrating, but it’s part of racing. We’ll move on and get ready for Martinsville.”