NAPA No. 49 Kicks Off High Limit Title Defense in Las Vegas
The bright lights of Las Vegas set the stage for the highly anticipated season opener of the High Limit Racing series. After a long haul from the Kasey Kahne Racing shop in Mooresville, NC, the defending series champion NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team arrived at Las Vegas Motor Speedway ready to take on the best in the business.
Driver, High Limit co-owner and six-time sprint car champion Brad Sweet wasted no time getting into the Vegas spirit, starting his week alongside NASCAR champion and High Limit co-owner Kyle Larson for an autograph session before the premiere of DIRT:2 – A Season with High Limit. The documentary showcased the High Limit series last year and brought together the biggest names in the sport for an exclusive first look.
Thursday marked High Limit’s first race day of the year, and the energy was electric. Media day set the tone, with interviews with Sweet and content to hype up the season. But in true Las Vegas fashion, luck played its hand as well. High winds and storms swept through, forcing the cancellation of both Thursday’s and Friday’s attempts.
With a clean slate on Saturday, the NAPA No. 49 team came out fast. Brad Sweet qualified fourth in Group B, earning the pole position for Heat 4. A battle with Brian Brown saw Sweet finish second in his heat, narrowly missing a spot in the Dash. That put the NAPA driver 11th to start the A-Main feature. Sweet had his work to do, but the No. 49 team has proven they’re always up for a challenge.
With 30 laps to make a statement, the NAPA No. 49 was ready to put on a show. Sweet charged from 11th to third, picking off competitors one by one. In sprint car racing vernacular, the NAPA machine was hooked up. In the closing laps, Sweet found himself in a fierce podium battle with Larson. When the checkered flag flew, the defending champion had delivered a strong, third-place effort. The NAPA team proved they are ready to defend their High Limit crown.
Sweet is third in championship points heading into the next three races on the High Limit schedule, all of which are in his home state of California.
Start / Finish: 11 / 3
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 68 pts. (-9)
Next Race: Wednesday, March 19, Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, Calif.
How to Watch or Listen: FloRacing
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Brad Sweet: @BradSweetRacing
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt
Categories
Kasey Kahne Racing View All
Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR), located in Mooresville, NC, was formed in 2005 and employs more than ten people dedicated to sprint car racing. The organization fields two entries in the High Limit Sprint Car Series; Brad Sweet (NAPA No. 49) and former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne (No. 9). Collectively, KKR has 7 World of Outlaws and High Limit Racing Championships (Daryn Pittman in '13 and Brad Sweet in '19, '20, '21, '22, '23 & ‘24). In addition, Eric Prutzman has won Crew Chief of the year 3x (’19,’23 & ’24). Since the team's inception, KKR has amassed over 290+ national dirt car wins.