NAPA’s 100-Year Legacy on Display at Season-Opening DIRTcar Nationals

The eye-catching paint scheme for the 2025 NAPA No. 49 featuring the 100-Year NAPA Auto Parts logo made its debut at the 54th annual DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park this week (Feb. 5 – 8) in Bunnell, FL. Brad Sweet and the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 team competed in four consecutive nights of racing, vying for nightly winnings and the coveted Gator trophy.

Sweet’s DIRTcar Nationals effort started Wednesday night with a 16th-place qualifying run. The Big Cat was held the eighth position when the green flag waved on his heat race, and he needed to finish fourth or better to advance to the feature.  In the first lap, the NAPA driver leapt to fifth and ultimately finished fourth, securing a 16th-place start in the first competitive action of the season. Sweet didn’t stop there. During Wednesday night’s feature, he charged from 16th up to fifth, claiming four of those positions in just the first lap.

Thursday night, Crew Chief Tye Wolfgang was still looking for improvements and made qualifying adjustments in the right direction. Sweet timed fifth in his qualifying group, placing him third to start in the first heat race of the night. The track was wider and the earth slicker than the night before. Sweet kept his position in his heat race and earned a spot inside of the top ten for the feature. The No. 49 machine started ninth and met the checkers at P5 after a mostly clean and green race.

Friday night was Sweet’s strongest qualifying performance; he was second quickest in his qualifying group and started from the pole position in Heat 4. During his heat, the Big Cat lost the first spot but not the front row, and he advanced to the dash race to set the front rows of the feature. Sweet started sixth in the dash and drove to fourth in the first lap, where he finished. In a hard-fought, 25-lap battle to defend his track position or take a better one, Sweet held off the field and finished fourth, inching his way closer to the podium.

Saturday night action was the last chance to clinch a prized Gator trophy, and after three consecutive nights of competitive racing, Sweet had a chance at the big win.

Sweet locked into his fourth consecutive feature, finishing fourth in the third heat race. He started 14th in the feature and jumped to tenth in the first lap. However, the second lap had other plans. A race incident ahead left debris on the track, which punctured the No. 49’s left rear tire. While there was plenty of time to change it, Sweet was now starting from the back and faced a tough battle through the 26-car field. At the halfway point, Sweet ran 18th, and with four laps to go, Sweet clawed back to 14th, where he finished the night. Sweet and the No. 49 team finished the week in the Sunshine State fifth overall in event points.

Next up for the reigning High Limits Racing champion is the series’ season opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 13, marking the first return of a national sprint car series to the surface of The Dirt Track at LVMS in six years.

Start / Finish:
Wednesday, February 5: 16 / 5
Thursday, February 6, 9 / 5
Friday, February 7: 4 / 4
Saturday, February 8: 14 / 14

Next Race: Thursday, March 13, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: FloRacing

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