Sweet Earns Three Podiums in Five Nights on West Coast Swing

Brad Sweet, pilot of the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 sprint car, delivered a standout performance last week during the remaining races of High Limit Racing’s West Coast Swing, which included events across Oregon and Washington. The week-long journey started at Douglas County Dirt Track before heading on to Grays Harbor Raceway and Skagit Raceway, where the highly anticipated Skagit Nationals offered a massive, $102,626 payday.

On Monday at Douglas County Dirt Track in Oregon, Sweet set the tone early with a solid qualifying effort, clocking in at 11.926 seconds for the fourth-quickest time of Flight A. That put the No. 49 on the pole for Sweet’s heat race. Despite a fierce battle for the win, the five-time World of Outlaws champion had to settle for second, which locked him in to the evening’s feature. The NAPA machine was 11th to start in the feature, and Sweet knew he had his work cut out for him. When the green flag dropped, he wasted no time picking off cars in dirty air. He continued his march forward lap by lap and ultimately netted three positions to finish eighth.

Two days later at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington, Sweet encountered adversity early when he clocked in 19th overall with a 13.268-second lap. Facing a seventh-place starting position in his heat race, the NAPA driver remained undeterred. He launched an aggressive charge through the field to reach third at the finish. That put the Big Cat eighth to start in the evening’s feature, and Sweet was again up to the task of working his way through traffic. Showcasing his skill at the wheel, he passed competitors one-by-one with precision, eventually muscling his way to third and taking the checkered flag with a flat right rear tire.

When the series moved up the coast to Skagit Speedway on Thursday, the NAPA No.49 machine was back in top form for Skagit Nationals qualifying. Sweet set the third fastest time with an impressive, 11.844-second lap, placing him sixth to start in his heat race. The NAPA driver again demonstrated his skill, maneuvering up to third at the line. Thursday night’s feature event, though, proved a battle of attrition. After starting seventh, Sweet found himself in the thick of intense competition and was collected in a mid-race incident. He eventually finished tenth, a result that failed to reflect the fierce effort he put forth throughout the evening.

On Friday, then NAPA team returned to Skagit with renewed determination. The NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 qualified fourth overall with an 11.973-second lap, placing Sweet sixth to start his heat race. The Big Cat battled hard for a third-place result, securing a spot in the feature. When the main event went green, Sweet quickly made his presence felt from his fourth-place starting spot. He steadily gained on the leaders as he navigated through traffic, surging into second in the closing stages of the race. He nearly caught the leader but settled for a runner-up finish.

The climactic end to the week came Saturday night at the Skagit Nationals finale, and Sweet and the NAPA team were already locked into Dash competition. Sweet started the Dash sixth and picked up a spot to finish fifth, earning a solid starting position for the A Feature. Once the main event went green, Sweet immediately began working his way forward from fifth. With every driver pushing the limits for the $102,626 prize on the line, competition was fierce. Sweet remained calm and focused, though, and steadily advanced through the pack. When the checkered flag dropped, Sweet was third to the line, marking his third podium of the week and capping off an exciting two weeks of racing on the West Coast Swing.

Sweet’s consistent performance solidified his High Limit Racing points lead. With 2,435 points, he now holds a comfortable, 208-point advantage over the second-place driver.

Start / Finish: 
Aug. 26, Douglas County Dirt Track: 11 / 8
Aug. 28, Grays Harbor Raceway: 8 / 3
Aug. 29, Skagit Speedway: 7 / 10
Aug. 30, Skagit Speedway: 4 / 2
Aug. 31, Skagit Speedway: 5 / 3

Next Race: Thursday, September 5, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, PA
How to Watch or Listen: FloRacing

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