From Nebraska to Knoxville, NAPA No. 49 Stays Hot

Fresh off a $20,000 win in Wisconsin, Brad Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team carried momentum into a busy stretch of racing with both the High Limit Series and the World of Outlaws. It was a week of high stakes and valuable notebook building.

As the highest-paying single-day event of the season, the Eagle Nationals offered a $55,555 payday in the High Limit Series. The NAPA No. 49 team came in with confidence — not only from their recent win, but also from their impressive 13th-to-second charge at last year’s Eagle Nationals.

Sweet got the night off to a fast start, qualifying fourth of 22 cars in Group A. That effort put him on the pole of Heat 2, where he cruised to a convincing win and locked into the Dash. After a favorable spin of the High Limit Roulette Wheel, Sweet rolled off from the top spot in the Dash and finished second, earning a front-row start for the 40-lap Feature.

As the race unfolded, Sweet held strong inside the top three for most of the event before slipping to fourth in the final laps after a hard charge from Anthony Macri. Still, the fourth-place effort was a strong performance that earned critical High Limit points. Sweet now leads the High Limit championship standings by 10 points.

After a midweek haul from Nebraska to Iowa, the team turned their attention to Knoxville Raceway, the “Sprint Car Capital of the World.” With the Knoxville Nationals just two months away, the two-night World of Outlaws weekend provided a key opportunity to dial in setups and gather data.

On Friday night, Sweet qualified seventh in Group A and finished fourth in his heat to lock into the A-Main. Starting 13th, he picked his way through a tough field and challenging track conditions to secure a top-10 finish.

Saturday night saw the NAPA No. 49 firing on all cylinders. Sweet set Quick Time among 32 cars in Group B, then went on to win Heat 3 from the pole and advance to the Dash. Pulling the #3 chip, Brad made key passes to win the Dash and earn the pole for the Feature.

Leading early, Sweet paced the field before being overtaken by a hard-charging Corey Day. Despite battling back, he eventually came home fifth. The strong showing proved the team’s speed at Knoxville and showed they will be on point heading into August’s  Knoxville Nationals.

The KKR NAPA No. 49 crew now heads to Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, SD, for one of the richest events in sprint car racing. The High Bank Nationals kick off Wednesday night and are highlighted by a $250,000-to-win finale Saturday night — preceded by a $100,000 main event Thursday night. It’s a huge opportunity for Sweet and the NAPA No. 49 team to deliver on the sport’s biggest stage.

Start / Finish:
June 11, Eagle Raceway: 2 / 4
June 14, Knoxville Raceway: 13 / 10
June 15, Knoxville Raceway: 1 / 5
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 1,151 pts. (+10)

Next Race: Wednesday, June 18, Huset’s Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: FloRacing

NAPA: @NAPARacing
Brad Sweet: @BradSweetRacing
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt