Sweet Continues Strong West Coast Run with Gold Cup Podium

The Kasey Kahne Racing NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team rolled into Chico, Calif., last week chasing one of the sport’s most coveted crown jewels,  the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway. For California-native Brad Sweet, the Gold Cup remains one of the few marquee trophies that elude him, and his hunger to capture it in his 20th attempt, was evident all weekend.

With the field split into two preliminary groups, Sweet and the NAPA No. 49 took to the track Thursday night and came out strong from the start. Qualifying fifth-quickest out of 30 entries set the tone, and a fourth-place Heat finish locked the team into the preliminary A-Main. Starting fourth after the invert, Sweet surged to the lead early and paced the field for the first 17 laps before settling for a runner-up finish to Corey Day. The podium effort earned 387 points — third overall in Thursday’s points — and guaranteed the NAPA No. 49 a locked-in spot for Saturday’s finale.

When prelim points were tallied, Sweet ranked fifth overall, placing him in the fifth starting spot for Saturday’s $100,071-to-win feature. The NAPA No. 49 was fast from the drop of the green. Sweet quickly surged to third in the first two laps, then into second with 35 laps remaining. Battling among the best, he kept the pressure on throughout the 40-lap finale, ultimately taking the checkered flag in third.

Though the long-awaited Gold Cup victory narrowly slipped away, the podium capped a strong weekend and continued a solid West Coast stretch for the NAPA crew. The No. 49 team has not finished outside the top five since returning to California, creating momentum that builds even more confidence heading into the weeks ahead.

The schedule offers no time to rest as the NAPA No. 49 hauler immediately pointed north to Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, Ore., for Monday night’s race. From there, the focus shifts to Skagit Speedway in Washington for the Skagit Nationals, where three nights of racing culminate in a $126,000-to-win finale. While the Gold Cup did not count toward High Limit points, the upcoming stretch presents another major opportunity in the chase for the series championship.

Start / Finish:
Thursday, August 21: 4 / 2
Saturday, August 23: 5 / 3
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 1,704 pts.

Next Race: Monday, Aug. 25, Douglas County Dirt Track, Roseburg, Ore.
How to Watch or Listen: FloRacing

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