No. 49 Team’s Rollercoaster Weekend Ends with Runner-Up at Tri-City

After a silver and bronze weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team entered a busy race week with confidence and momentum. While rain forced the cancellation of Wednesday’s event at 81 Speedway, the team quickly shifted focus to a doubleheader weekend in Kansas and Illinois with High Limit Racing.

Returning to a track where Brad Sweet had previously swept a two-day show last year, expectations were high for Lakeside Speedway on Friday night. The NAPA team delivered right out of the gate. Sweet set quick time in qualifying Flight B, leading his group of 16 and locking in a solid, fourth-place starting spot in Heat 3. He maintained position in his heat race, securing a place in the Dash as the fastest qualifier from his heat.

A favorable Dash redraw gave Sweet the third starting spot. He ultimately finished fourth, setting up a second-row start in the 30-lap, $20,000-to-win Feature.

Sweet quickly charged to third and held steady, stalking the leaders as they entered lap traffic. However, 10 laps in, the two cars in front of him tangled in a battle for the lead. With no room to escape, Sweet was collected in the wreck and flipped multiple times.

The NAPA 49 crew showed their trademark determination, getting the car back on track for a lap before the damage proved too extensive to continue. The team was scored 21st — Sweet’s first DNF in 60 career High Limit starts.

Just one night later at Tri-City Speedway, the NAPA No. 49 team proved why they’re always championship contenders. Sweet rebounded instantly, qualifying second out of 24 cars and starting fourth in Heat 2. Holding his ground, he advanced to the Dash as the fastest qualifier in his heat.

This time, the redraw went perfectly, giving Sweet the pole for the Dash. He won it commandingly to earn the top starting spot in Saturday night’s Feature.

The 30-lap main event was a thriller, with the top three trading punches through heavy lap traffic. Sweet battled hard but ultimately crossed the line second behind a stellar drive from Corey Day — a very strong recovery after Friday night’s misfortune.

With his second-place run on Saturday, Sweet and the NAPA No. 49 team remain in control of the High Limit championship battle. Despite the DNF, he continues to lead the standings by 49 points over Tyler Courtney as the series heads into a grueling stretch of four races in the next six days — a pivotal moment in the High Limit Racing season.

Start / Finish:
Friday, May 9, Lakeside Speedway: 4/ 21
Saturday, May 10, Tri-City Speedway: 1 / 2
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 670 (+49)

Next Race: Tuesday, May 12, Kokomo Speedway
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NAPA: @NAPARacing
Brad Sweet: @BradSweetRacing
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt