Sweet Wins at Eldora During Busy Summer Schedule

Brad Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team found victory lane at Eldora Speedway during a busy week of sprint car racing that included five consecutive nights of dirt-track action in Ohio. The stacked summer schedule started Tuesday at Attica Raceway Park for the Brad Doty Classic before moving on to Eldora for races on Wednesday through Saturday.

The No. 49 team rolled into Attica for the Brad Doty Classic, an event that recognizes and honors a living legend who has contributed so much to the sport of sprint car racing. During qualifying, the four-time and defending World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion laid down a lap time of 12.761 seconds, placing him seventh overall and fourth in his heat race. Sweet held that position to the heat-race checkered flag and lined up 13th for the feature. After taking the green flag on the main event, Sweet faced an uphill battle against dirty air and tricky track conditions. The NAPA driver fought hard but ultimately finished 15th.

The team then moved on to Eldora Speedway to complete in the Eldora Million, which offered its winner a grand prize of $1,002,023, the biggest purse in dirt track racing history. The “Every Lap Matters” point system allows drivers to accumulate points each time they hit the track to set up Thursday’s main event. Sweet kicked off qualifying with a lap time of 13.099 seconds, placing him seventh overall.

After lining up in the seventh position to start his heat race, Sweet showcased his speed and precision as he passed three cars for a fourth-place finish. This moved the NAPA driver into the starting redraw, where he selected the third starting spot for the evening’s main event. Sweet ran the high line for the entire race, driving straight to the front and taking off from the field. The Big Cat struck first at Eldora, taking the win in the first night.

On Thursday, the energy at Eldora was high as one competitor among the 83 in attendance would walk away with the $1 million prize. Lining up based on overall points from Wednesday, Sweet was slated to start first in his heat race. At the signal, the NAPA No. 49 again took off from the field, picking up the heat race win. Sweet then drew the fourth starting position in the dash redraw. After the green flag dropped on the main event, Sweet was able to gain a spot and hold onto third until the checkers flew.

Eldora returned to the standard World of Outlaws format on Friday night for The Knight Before the Kings Royal. Sweet laid down a solid qualifying time of 13.201 seconds and secured the third-quickest time  in Flight A, placing him second to start his heat race. With the front-row starting spot, Sweet knew he needed to jump out to the lead. At the drop of the green flag, Sweet quickly grabbed the lead and held it to the finish. He then drew the third starting spot for the Fast Pass Dash, which would set the stage for the evening’s feature.

With competitors lined up side by side, the No. 49 was ready to strike. When the green flag flew, the NAPA No. 49 quickly made the pass for second and held the position to the finish, earning a front-row starting spot for Friday’s 30-lap main event. The Big Cat again demonstrated his determination and effort. The NAPA machine took the lead but was quickly overtaken and ultimately crossed the line in second.

Saturday marked the 40th running of the Kings Royal with record track attendance in Eldora Speedway’s 70-year history. The record crowd excited and motivated Sweet to earn another Kings Royal win to add to his 2013 and 2019 victories.

Starting the night off with qualifying rounds, the NAPA No. 49 clocked a time of 12.917 seconds, placing fifth overall. Rolling off sixth in his heat race,  Sweet found heavy air and a fast track, which quickly spread the field out. The Big Cat was nonetheless able to gain two spots, and a fourth-place finish sent him to the B-main, where he needed to finish fourth or better to make the big show.

Racing from fifth in the B-main, the NAPA driver gave it everything he could but came up just short, crossing the line in fifth. It marked the first time Sweet ever missed the Kings Royal feature race.

Start / Finish:
Tuesday, July 11, Attica Raceway Park: 13 / 15
Wednesday, July 12, Eldora Speedway: 3 / 1
Thursday, July 13, Eldora Speedway: 4 / 3
Friday, July 14, Eldora Speedway: 2 / 2
Saturday, July 15, Eldora Speedway: 5 / 5 (B-main)
Points Standing / Total: 2nd / 5,346 pts. (-2)

Next Race: Wednesday, July 19, BAPS Motor Speedway, York Haven, Penn.
How to Watch or Listen: www.dirtvision.com

NAPA: @NAPARacing
Brad Sweet: @BradSweet49
Kasey Kahne Racing: @KKRdirt