Sweet Completes Drive for Five

Brad Sweet burnished his record in the history of sprint car racing at World Finals in Charlotte by winning his fifth-straight World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championship. The driver of the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 for Kasey Kahne Racing entered the event with the points lead and won the final race of the season in dramatic fashion, adding an 11th win to his 2023 tally.

After qualifying for Thursday and Friday night’s races on Wednesday, teams returned to The Dirt Track at Charlotte Motor Speedway to face fierce competition in the final races of the season. Sweet qualified third in Flight B, placing him second to start in his heat race. The Big Cat advanced from second to first, earning a spot in the Fast Pass Dash.

Although Sweet drew the fifth starting spot for the dash and fell back to sixth by the end, he dramatically improved during Thursday night’s feature race. Starting from sixth, Sweet had one goal: keep moving forward. He did just that, climbing from sixth to fourth by the time the checkered flag waved.

Friday night brought a new set of challenges as Sweet qualified ninth in Flight A, placing him fourth to start in his heat race. The NAPA driver continued to move forward each time the No. 49 machine hit the track surface. He jumped up to third in his heat race, narrowly missing the dash, but Sweet and crew chief Eric Prutzman took advantage of the time by studying the ever-changing track surface to prepare for the feature.

When the main event arrived, Sweet and the NAPA team proved they were ready. The No. 49 made an impressive climb, starting from the 11th spot and reaching fourth by the finish.

Saturday night marked the grand finale of the World Finals, and Sweet proved his mettle once again. With the lineup set by combined points from Thursday and Friday shows, Sweet started first in his heat race, dominating to the finish and earning a spot in the Fast Pass Dash. Sweet’s daughter Savannah made the draw with luck on her side, selecting the first starting spot in the dash for the No. 49 team. The Big Cat crossed the line in second, setting the stage for the final race of the 2023 season.

Just 25 laps separated Sweet from his fifth-consecutive championship. Sweet started second and fell back early, but he later caught up and eventually began to battle his competitor side-by-side for the lead. The NAPA No. 49 eventually captured the lead, and Sweet never looked back. He raced across the finish line to earn his first-ever win at Charlotte and add a fifth World of Outlaws championship trophy to his case alongside his other four.

Start / Finish:
Thursday, November 2: 6 / 4
Friday, November 3: 11 / 4
Saturday, November 4: 2 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 9,660 pts.

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