Sweet Stacks High Limit Points on the West Coast
Brad Sweet and the Kasey Kahne Racing NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team headed west this past weekend, locked in for this stretch of High Limit Racing on the Pacific Coast. After a short break since the last High Limit points race in Pennsylvania, Brad Sweet and the crew returned with eyes on extending their championship lead.
Thunderbowl Raceway has long been a prime track for Sweet, who entered Friday competition with a 3.6 average finish over his last 10 appearances here. The NAPA No. 49 showed speed from the start, qualifying fourth-quickest out of 31 entries. That placed Sweet fourth in Heat 4, where he held his position to advance directly to the Dash as the fastest qualifier in his group.
A tough spin on the redraw wheel put Sweet seventh to start the Dash, but the NAPA No. 49 charged forward, gaining three spots to finish fourth and secure a second-row starting position for the 30-lap Thunderbowl main event. Sweet battled inside the top five the entire distance, ultimately crossing the line fourth and marking another strong points night to kick off the weekend.
The tour then shifted north to Placerville Speedway, Sweet’s hometown track. Known as the 49er Gold Rush Classic, the event carried extra meaning as Sweet looked to repeat his 2018 victory in front of a crowd that included his family and friends.
In a stout, 40-car field split into two groups, Sweet timed in eighth in Group A, lining up him up third to start Heat 2. A steady run kept the NAPA No. 49 in transfer position and locked Sweet into the evening’s 35-lap feature. Rolling off from 15th, Sweet had work to do on the tight California bullring. Sweet wasted no time. With the car hooked up to run every line, Sweet sliced through traffic, advancing 11 positions to finish fourth. Though just one spot shy of the podium, the charge electrified the hometown crowd and delivered another big points haul.
After back-to-back fourth-place finishes, Brad Sweet extended his High Limit Racing championship lead to 71 points. The NAPA No. 49 team now turns its focus to one of the crown jewels of this West Coast swing — the Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, CA. The three-day event culminates Saturday night with the High Rollers chasing a $100,071 payday.
Start / Finish:
Aug. 15, Thunderbowl Raceway: 7 / 4
Aug. 16, Placerville Speedway: 15 / 4
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 1,704 pts.
Next Race: Thursday, Aug. 21, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, CA
How to Watch or Listen: FloRacing
NAPA: @NAPARacing
Brad Sweet: @BradSweetRacing
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt
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Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR), based in Mooresville, NC, was formed in 2005 and employs more than ten people dedicated to sprint car racing. The organization competes full-time in High Limit Racing and is led by team owner and former NASCAR Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne. For the 2026 season, KKR fields the NAPA Auto Parts No. 9, driven full-time by Daison Pursley in High Limit Racing. KKR has 7 World of Outlaws and High Limit Racing Championships (Daryn Pittman in ’13 and Brad Sweet in ’19, ’20, ’21, ’22, ’23 & ’24). Since its inception, KKR has earned 295+ national dirt car victories, solidifying its status as one of the most successful teams in modern sprint car racing.