Sweet, NAPA Team Battle Fierce Competition at Famed Knoxville Nationals

Brad Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts No.49 team wrapped up an intense week of racing in Iowa, competing in the Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway last week before descending on the prestigious Knoxville Nationals at the “Sprint Car Capital of the World,” Knoxville Raceway.

Sweet kicked off the busy week Monday night at the Front Row Challenge at Southern Iowa Speedway. The NAPA driver dominated qualifying, setting the quickest time overall with a 15.989-second lap. The Big Cat maneuvered the NAPA No. 49 machine from sixth to fourth in his heat race, securing a strong starting position for Monday night’s $21,000-to-win feature. In the main event, Sweet held steady and maintained his position, crossing the finish line in fourth place.

With Southern Iowa Speedway behind him, the 2018 Knoxville Nationals champion arrived at Knoxville  ready to battle for another title. Sweet faced a tough qualifying session, though. The NAPA No. 49 was 16th-quickest with a time of 16.145 seconds. In his heat race, Sweet demonstrated his skill in moving through the field, advancing from fifth to third and earning a spot in the evening’s main event. After starting ninth, the NAPA driver pushed hard to move up to positions to seventh at the checkered flag. Unfortunately for the No. 49 team, that was one spot shy of locking in to Saturday night’s feature.

On the final night of the Knoxville Nationals, Sweet faced the challenge of starting in the B Feature in hopes of earning his place in the race for the title. Sweet dominated the B Feature, leading from start to finish to secure his spot in the main event. Slated to start 17th, Sweet faced a challenging field and intense competition. The NAPA driver fought dirty air and  battled hard throughout the race and ultimately finished 19th.

“It’s been a tough but rewarding few days of racing here in Iowa,” Sweet said, reflecting on the week. “The competition is always fierce, but I’m proud of how our team performed. We had some good moments, especially with the qualifying and heat races. We’ll take what we learned and keep pushing forward.”

Start / Finish: 
Monday, August 5, Southern Iowa Speedway: 4 / 4
Thursday, August 8, Knoxville Raceway: 9 / 7
Saturday, August 10, Knoxville Raceway: 17 / 19
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 1,904 pts. (+96)

Next Race: Thursday, August 15, Thunderbowl Raceway, Tulare, California
How to Watch or Listen: FloRacing

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