Heartbreak in Michigan as Sweet Charges to Podium before Penalty
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes nailed down his second podium result of the season at Darlington Raceway on Friday night with a third-place finish. The driver of the No. 91 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST captured his first stage win of the season and gained three positions in the championship standings with a stellar run throughout the 200-mile event.
Eckes put on a showcase in the first 45-lap stage after taking the green flag from 16th position. He wasted no time charging towards the front, cracking the top-10 by lap nine despite firing off with a snug balance. After restarting 10th on lap 19, Eckes charged up the leaderboard and into the top five by lap 27. He steadily worked the extreme bottom line in Turns 3 and 4 to perfection to chase down the leaders and claimed the lead by lap 42. He held on to capture 10 critical points and his first stage checker of the season.
After making a four-tire pit stop under the first stage caution, Eckes restarted sixth on lap 54 and quickly returned to the top-five. Unlike the first segment, he contended with an exceedingly loose balance and a lack of rear grip. The final 30 laps of the second stage ran under green-flag conditions, and Eckes padded his point total by securing six points in fifth position at lap 90.
Crew chief Dave Elenz made a small chassis adjustment to add rear grip during the No. 91 team’s second four-tire stop of the race. Eckes restarted seventh on lap 99 and returned to pit road shortly thereafter as a quick caution allowed the field to bolt on another set of sticker tires. Eckes restarted 13th on lap 109 but rapidly returned to fifth by lap 120. He took his final set of tires under a lap 120 caution and restarted fourth on lap 128. The night concluded with two frantic, green-white-checker restarts as Eckes briefly grabbed second and took the checkered flag in third position. The result advanced him to sixth in the championship standings as he has scored three top-five finishes in three races at “The Lady in Black” with MHR.
“Just needed a little more pace,” Eckes said after the race. “Really good on a long haul, especially in Stage 1. I just kind of lost the grip level and competitiveness of that stage for the rest of the race. Overall, really proud of these Adaptive One guys. It’s been a rough stretch. To get a stage win and complete all night is definitely good.”
Start / Finish: 16 / 3
Points Standing / Total: 6th / 119 pts. (-53)
Next Race: Friday, April 3, Rockingham Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 4:30 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Brad Sweet and the Kasey Kahne Racing
link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team closed out the 2025 High Limit Racing season with a laudable performance at Texas Motor Speedway, collecting a pair of top-five finishes including a podium finish in Saturday’s $50,000-to-win Championship Finale. The consistent weekend capped off another standout season for Brad Sweet and the NAPA team, who finished third in the final owners standings, just 49 points shy of the championship and only 4 points out of second.
The final week on the High Limit calendar started Wednesday at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO., where Sweet entered 30 points out of the championship lead, and the NAPA team knew every position mattered. Sweet qualified 10th overall to start third in Heat 1, where he held his ground to secure a transfer into the A-Main. Starting 10th for the 30-lap Feature, Sweet charged forward early, gaining five spots to cross the line in fifth and keeping the NAPA team within striking distance of the title heading into the Championship Weekend.
The High Limit Championship Weekend at Texas Motor Speedway kicked off Friday with Sweet qualifying ninth to start second in Heat 3. He maintained his position there to advance directly to the A-Main, where he rolled off ninth for the 25-lap event. The NAPA crew gave Sweet a fast race car, allowing him to steadily pick off positions through traffic and claim a fourth-place finish at the checkered flag.
After starting the Saturday night finale sitting third in the owners standings—40 points out of first and 15 back from second—the NAPA 49 team delivered a strong performance all night long. Sweet earned the Quick Time Award with the fastest overall qualifying lap, then led every circuit of his Heat Race to lock into the Dash. After starting fourth in the Dash, Sweet made a key pass for third to secure a second-row starting spot for the $50,000-to-win feature.
In the 30-lap Championship A-Main, Sweet kept the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 in the thick of the battle from start to finish, trading the runner-up spot multiple times in a thrilling duel with Daryn Pittman. As the checkered flag flew, Sweet brought home third-place, a podium finish to wrap up the 2025 High Limit Racing season on a high note.
Start / Finish:
Wednesday, Oct. 15, Lucas Oil Speedway: 10 / 5
Friday, Oct. 17, Texas Motor Speedway: 9 / 4
Saturday, Oct. 18, Texas Motor Speedway: 3 / 3
Final 2025 Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 2,873 pts. (-49)
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By NAPA
The Kasey Kahne Racing
link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team delivered a clutch weekend in Kansas City, posting a podium and a victory during the High Limit Racing doubleheader at Lakeside Speedway. With the season winding down and championship stakes at their highest, Brad Sweet and the NAPA crew rose to the occasion, cutting crucial points from the deficit and keeping their bid for a seventh consecutive national title alive.
Entering the weekend 52 points out of the High Limit championship lead, Sweet and the NAPA team were confident heading into one of his historically best tracks. The night started strong with a second-place effort in Qualifying Group A, placing Sweet fourth in Heat 2. He advanced two positions to secure a Dash berth, where he started and finished third and earned a second row starting spot for the 25-lap Feature.
Sweet battled inside the top three all night, ultimately driving into second late before being edged out in the final corner to finish third, his 16th podium of the season. The strong run trimmed the championship gap from 52 points to 39 heading into Saturday.
Momentum carried over into night two, where the NAPA No. 49 team was automatically locked into the fourth starting spot in Heat 2 thanks to Friday’s podium run. Sweet once again advanced two positions in Heat Race action to earn a spot in the Dash, where he drew the third starting position and finished fourth, securing another second-row starting spot, this time for the $15,000-to-win A-Main.
When the green flag dropped, Sweet immediately charged forward, moving into third within five laps. With 20 laps to go, “The Big Cat” made a stunning move on the bottom groove, passing both leaders in one corner to take command. From there, Sweet never looked back in the NAPA No. 49, leading the final 20 laps en route to a clutch victory and the team’s fourth High Limit win of the season. Sweet also collected a $17,500 payday as the “Durst Dice Roll Driver” of the race.
The Kansas triumph couldn’t have come at a better moment. The NAPA No. 49 team now sits just 30 points behind championship leader Rico Abreu and only 10 points out of second as the title fight intensifies. With only three races remaining, the team turns its attention to a championship-deciding week ahead—racing Wednesday at Lucas Oil Speedway in Missouri before the High Limit All-In Championship Weekend at Texas Motor Speedway, October 17-18.
Start / Finish:
Friday, Oct. 10: 3 / 3
Saturday, Oct. 11: 4 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 2,677 pts. (-30)
Next Race: Oct. 15, Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, MO
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By NAPA
The Kasey Kahne Racing
link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team tackled a key northeast doubleheader last weekend, traveling to New Jersey and Pennsylvania for pivotal High Limit Racing championship action. Brad Sweet and the NAPA crew delivered consistent performances, highlighted by a new track record and heat race victories, to close the championship points gap as the season nears its finish.
The NAPA team’s first stop came Saturday at Bridgeport Motorsports Park in Bridgeport, NJ. It marked the first of seven remaining races in the High Limit title chase, with Sweet entering the night ranked third, 72 points out of the lead. The NAPA No. 49 timed in fifth out of 28 cars, putting “The Big Cat” on the pole of Heat 2. Sweet drove to the heat race win, securing a spot in the Dash. After starting third in the Dash and finishing fourth, Sweet lined up on the outside of row two for Saturday’s 30-lap feature.
Just 10 laps into the main event, rain began to fall, bringing out the caution. With the track deemed un-raceable, the field was scored by running order at the time of the stoppage. Sweet was credited with a fourth-place finish and added another top-five to the NAPA No. 49’s season total.
Sunday brought a new challenge for Sweet at Path Valley Speedway Park in Spring Run, PA, a track he had never raced before. The NAPA driver wasted no time making history, setting a blistering lap in qualifying to break the track record and secure the Capitol Renegade Quick Time Award. From there, Sweet charged from fourth to first in Heat 1 and earned the “Ace in the Hole Award” to start on the pole of the Dash. He led every lap to secure the pole position for the 35-lap A-Main.
In the feature, Sweet held steady inside the top two early while navigating multiple cautions. As the laps wound down and the field hit traffic, Sweet battled fiercely but slipped back to sixth at the checkered flag. Despite the late fade, the NAPA No. 49 team left with valuable points gained toward the championship.
After the strong weekend performances, the NAPA team sits third in the High Limit Owner’s Championship standings, just 52 points behind leader Rico Abreu and 18 points back from second-ranked Aaron Reutzel. With five races remaining, the chase is still on.
The NAPA crew quickly returned to the Mooresville, NC, shop early Monday morning to regroup. The next challenge comes with a Kansas doubleheader at Lakeside Speedway on October 10-11.
Start / Finish:
Saturday, Sept. 27, Bridgeport Motorsports Park: 4 / 4
Sunday, Sept. 28, Path Valley Speedway Park: 1 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 2,532 pts. (-52)
Next Race: Friday, Oct. 10, Lakeside Speedway, Kansas City, KS
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By NAPA
It was a busy week on the road for the Kasey Kahne Racing
link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team, tackling three races in four days across Indiana and Ohio. Brad Sweet and the NAPA crew kept their momentum alive with three straight top-10 finishes, staying in the thick of the High Limit Racing championship fight.
Sweet entered Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, IN, on Wednesday with unmatched consistency, never finishing outside the top-10 in a race at Lawrenceburg for over a decade. He qualified 11th in the 23-car field, lining the NAPA No. 49 up in third for Heat 2. A strong drive netted second, locking him directly into the 30-lap feature. Starting eighth, Sweet quickly climbed into the top five. After a mid-race caution reset the field, he held steady to the checkered flag for a solid, fifth-place finish.
On Friday, the first night of the prestigious 4-Crown Nationals brought 34 cars to Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH . Sweet timed in ninth in Group B, good enough to start fifth in Heat 3. He powered the NAPA No. 49 forward to third, punching his ticket to the A-Main. Scheduled to start 13th, an ignition box issue forced Sweet to return to the pits before the green flag. Thanks to the NAPA crew’s quick work, the car fired and joined the tail of the 24-car field.
From there, Sweet put on a charge. The NAPA No. 49 sliced through traffic, advancing 15 positions to score an impressive 9th-place result — a gritty rebound that showcased the team’s speed and resilience.
On night two of the 4-Crown, event points set the lineups with Sweet starting on the front row of Qualifier 4. He finished second, locking into the A-Main with a 10th-place starting spot. Over the 30-lap feature, Sweet steadily gained ground, advancing four positions to earn a 6th-place finish.
With three more top-10s added to the tally, the NAPA No. 49 remains firmly in contention for the High Limit championship. Sweet currently sits third in the standings, just 72 points out of the lead with seven races remaining. The battle will go down to the wire, and the NAPA team is hungry for title.
This week, the crew returned to the Mooresville, NC, shop to reset before heading north to New Jersey and Pennsylvania for another pivotal doubleheader.
Start / Finish:
Wednesday, Sept. 17, Lawrenceburg Speedway: 8 / 5
Friday, Sept. 19, Eldora Speedway: 24 / 9
Saturday, Sept. 20, Eldora Speedway: 10 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 2,406 pts. (-72)
Next Race: Saturday, Sept. 27, Bridgeport Motorsports Park, Swedesboro, NJ
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