Sweet Adds Fourth Win to September Tally

Brad Sweet earned his fourth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series victory in the month of September on Saturday at the National Open at Williams Grove Speedway. It was the three-time and defending champion’s second win at Williams Grove for the 2023 season, and it helped the driver of the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 for Kasey Kahne Racing extend his points lead with six races remaining on the schedule before the start of the World Finals on November 1.

The team rolled into Mechanicsburg, PA, for the Friday start of the crown jewel National Open. Qualifying proved a promising start for the Big Cat as he secured the fourth-quickest time in Flight A with a lap time of 16.184 seconds. This set the stage for heat race action.

Sweet continued to shine in the heat races. The NAPA driver started from the second spot and maintained his momentum to the finish, earning a guaranteed spot in the Fast Pass Dash. In the draw for starting positions, Sweet walked away with the No. 2 spot, placing him on the front row. Sweet again maintained his position to the checkered flag to earn another front row starting spot for Friday’s 25-lap main event. But as anticipation grew, Mother Nature intervened. Rain began to fall, and the feature race was postponed to Saturday night.

Williams Grove Speedway was alive with fans ready for an exhilarating night of sprint car racing on Saturday, and the evening commenced with qualifying. Sweet and the NAPA team showcased their speed by securing the quickest lap in Flight B with a time of 16.812 seconds. The qualifying time set a strong foundation for the evening as Sweet set his sights on the National Open’s $75,000 top prize.

Sweet’s dominance continued through the heat race, where he started from the pole position and went on to secure the heat race win. In the dash, Sweet started fourth and faced tough competition, but he relied on his skill to improve to third at the finish, earning a spot close to the front of the pack to start the 40-lap feature race.

As the main event unfolded, the Big Cat navigated challenging track conditions and fierce competition. He slipped back to finish fifth when the checkered flag dropped, but still had a shot at securing another Williams Grove win on the season in the makeup main event from Friday night.

Sweet lined up second for the 25-lap makeup feature race after the team made subtle changes to the setup of the No. 49 machine. The field took the green flag, then an early caution gave Sweet a chance to take the lead. He was able to get to the front, where he took command and never looked back. Sweet put the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 in Williams Grove victory lane for his tenth Outlaws win and 12th overall of the 2023 season.

Start / Finish:
Friday, September 29: 2 / 1 (feature postponed to Saturday due to rain)
Saturday, September 30: 3 / 5
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 8,536 pts. (+90)

Next Race: Friday, October 6, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA
How to Watch or Listen: www.dirtvision.com

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