Jump to content

  • Welcome to Auto Parts Forum

    Whether you are a veteran automotive parts guru or just someone looking for some quick auto parts advice, register today and start a new topic in our forum. Registration is free and you can even sign up with social network platforms such as Facebook, X, and LinkedIn. 

     

Sweet Scores Podium Finish at Volusia

NAPA

By NAPA
in Napa Auto Parts Forum

 Share

Recommended Posts

NAPA Contributor

NAPA

Posted
Posted

The first week of March took the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series back to where the 2023 season started: Barberville, Florida. While the annual Bike Week kicked off in nearby Daytona Beach, 23 competitors arrived at Volusia Speedway Park to compete in the Spring Showdown as well as to make up a rained out race from the Dirtcar Nationals three weeks prior.

Brad Sweet, driver of the No. 49

link hidden, please login to view
sprint car, was eighth in the qualifying order and hit the charts at 13.930 seconds, placing him seventh overall. That put the Big Cat third to start in Heat Race 1. With a relatively wet track at the green flag of the first heat race, cars quickly spread out and made passing difficult. Sweet finished his heat race where he started in third place.

Brad Sweet NAPA Auto Parts 49 Spring Showdown Volusia 2023

Placed seventh to start the feature, Sweet and the No. 49 team were looking to advance. At the start, Sweet was shuffled back to ninth when his line was slower on the start. The four-time and defending series champion made every attempts to move forward, but the track was still too fast, and cars were lapping the circuit in a single lane. Battling dirty air from cars ahead, the NAPA No. 49 crossed the checkers in ninth place.

Brad Sweet NAPA Auto Parts 49 Spring Showdown Volusia 2023

The second portion of Sunday night’s event included the make-up Dash and A-main from the rained-out Saturday night of the Dirtcar Nationals three weeks prior. With a chance to improve the car for the  current track conditions, Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team saw a shot at redemption. Rolling off sixth in the six-lap Dash offered Sweet a six-lap opportunity to earn improve his starting spot in the A-main. From the drop of the green flag, Sweet’s NAPA machine came to life and launched him up to third place. Sweet looked to gain another spot but ran out of time.

Brad Sweet NAPA Auto Parts 49 Spring Showdown Volusia 2023

With 30 laps to contest in the feature, Sweet was ready to use all 900 horsepower the No. 49 car could offer to make his move to the front. With an ideal setup, Sweet proved quick as the field took off. Running the preferred line, the NAPA driver made several charges to pass the leader. Sweet ultimately crossed the line in second, the podium finish offering redemption for the team’s unremarkable outcome earlier in the evening.

Monday marked the second night of the Spring Showdown and the final night of racing in Florida for the 2023 season. With 23 cars signed into competition, Sweet went out 17th in qualifying and laid down a lap time of 13.668 seconds, good for ninth quickest overall. Starting third in Heat Race 3, Sweet knew he needed to pick up at least one spot to advance to the Fast Pass Dash. When the green flag dropped on his heat race, Sweet launched into second and held the spot, locking him into the Dash.

Brad Sweet NAPA Auto Parts 49 Spring Showdown Volusia 2023

“We are struggling a little bit, but the Dash gets you those extra laps to get your car a little better,” Sweet said during the Dash draw. “Hopefully we can have a good finish with our NAPA Auto Parts car down here at Volusia. We’ve had a lot of fun, and I’ve been down here quite a bit, so hopefully we can finish strong.”

After drawing the fifth spot to start the Dash, Sweet had six laps to improve his starting spot in the A-main. At the drop of the green, Sweet drove around the outside to claim fourth, holding the spot to the checkered flag.

Brad Sweet NAPA Auto Parts 49 Spring Showdown Volusia 2023

Sweet focused on making strides toward the front when he rolled off from fourth in the 30-lap A-main. The NAPA driver quickly advanced to third following the drop of the green flag. After a mid-race caution, the No. 49 spun its tires on the restart and fell back to sixth, where the NAPA team ultimately finished.

Brad Sweet NAPA Auto Parts 49 Spring Showdown Volusia 2023

Sweet and the NAPA Auto Parts team will enjoy some days off before they make their way to Port Royal, Penn., for the next Outlaws event.

Start / Finish: 
Sunday, Mar. 5, Spring Showdown: 7 / 9
Sunday, Mar. 5, Dirtcar Nationals make-up: 3 / 2
Monday, Mar. 6, Spring Showdown: 4 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 7th / 666 pts. (-56)

Next Race: Friday, March 10, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, Penn.
How to Watch or Listen: 

link hidden, please login to view

NAPA: 

link hidden, please login to view
Brad Sweet: 
link hidden, please login to view

Kasey Kahne Racing: 
link hidden, please login to view

The post

link hidden, please login to view
appeared first on
link hidden, please login to view
.

link hidden, please login to view

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Similar Topics

    • NAPA
      Sweet Sweeps the Weekend in Oklahoma
      By NAPA
      Last week, the high-speed action of High Limit Racing descended on the Sooner State , and Brad Sweet and the
      link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team emerged as the dominant force of the series’ Oklahoma swing. When action kicked off Tuesday at Red Dirt Raceway in Meeker, Sweet appeared quick from the start. The NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 sprint car topped the charts in Flight B qualifying, clocking in at 12.334 seconds. The Big Cat maintained his composure despite tough competition in his heat race, where he started fourth and finished fifth. Sweet earned a spot in the dash thanks to having the quickest time in his qualifying group. In just seven laps, he advanced from fifth to fourth, placing the No. 49 fourth to start the feature. There, Sweet battled fierce competition and a technical track to ultimately finish eighth.
      Undeterred, the NAPA team went on to Southern Oklahoma Speedway for a Friday night High Limit Racing show. A strong qualifying run placed the No. 49 third overall, and Sweet lined up fourth for his heat race. Despite starting in dirty air and finishing in fifth, Sweet again made the dash on his strong qualifying time. With his dash finish setting his feature starting spot, the Big Cat had seven laps to improve from his fourth-place dash draw. He crossed the line in third, and went on to deliver an outstanding performance in the feature. Sweet surged to the lead from third and claimed his first High Limit Racing victory.
      The No. 49 team carried that winning momentum into Saturday’s event at Salina Highbanks Speedway. Logging a lightning-fast lap of 11.585 seconds in qualifying, Sweet dominated the competition and secured his fourth Quick Time award of the season. In a display of his skill and experience, Sweet powered the NAPA No. 49 from fourth to third in his heat race, again earning a spot in the dash. He advanced from third to second, locking into a front-row starting spot for the feature. He successfully seized the lead in a flawless performance and took the checkered flag to sweep the weekend.
      Start / Finish: 
      Tuesday, April 16, Red Dirt Raceway: 4 / 8
      Friday, April 19, Southern Oklahoma Speedway: 3 / 1
      Saturday, April 20, Salina Highbanks Speedway: 2 / 1
      Points Standing / Total: 2nd / 597 pts. (-14)
      Next Race: Tuesday, April 23, Riverside International Speedway
      How to Watch or Listen: 
      link hidden, please login to view NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to viewBrad Sweet:  link hidden, please login to view
      Kasey Kahne Racing:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • NAPA
      Elliott Earns Top-Five Finish at Richmond
      By NAPA
      Chase Elliott and No. 9 UniFirst team qualified second for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway The 28-year-old driver led the opening five laps of the race before ending stage one in the seventh position After finishing stage two in the 13th spot, Elliott rebounded for a fifth-place finish at the Virginia short track – his best result of the season The 2020 premier series champion is now eighth in the Cup Series points standings Chase Elliott earned a front row starting position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway, taking the green flag in second. Soggy conditions required teams to start the race on wet weather tires and Elliott powered his way to the lead by the end of the first lap. He stayed out front for five laps before his Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson got by him. With the track quickly drying, NASCAR officials called for a competition caution at lap 30 so teams could make the switch to slick tires. Teams were able to maintain their positions as pit stops were deemed non-competitive. Elliott was third at the time of the caution and that is where he would restart on lap 48. He continued to battle inside the top 10 and was scored seventh when an on-track incident brought out the yellow flag on lap 63. The race stayed under caution for the remainder of stage one with Elliott gaining valuable stage points for his top-10 stage finish.
      Under the stage break, Elliott relayed that his No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was tight through the center of the turns, so the team made a chassis adjustment during its pit stop for four tires and fuel. A fast stop by the UniFirst crew gained Elliott two spots on pit road. He lined up fifth coming to the choose cone and opted for the outside lane. The 2020 Cup Series champion settled into seventh after the restart and stayed there until green-flag pit stops got under way on lap 124. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for a four-tire stop just a handful of laps later. Back out on the track, the driver of the No. 9 had to be patient as teams were on different pit strategies. Eventually, he cycled back to seventh on lap 154 and lost a position just prior to an incident forcing a yellow flag on lap 169. Elliott radioed to crew chief Alan Gustafson that he was pretty happy with the UniFirst Chevy’s handling. After pitting for four tires and fuel, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native restarted ninth and lost some momentum after a chaotic restart. When the green-and-white checkered flag waved to end stage two at lap 230, he was scored 13th.
      Elliott brought the UniFirst Chevrolet to the attention of his crew for fuel and fresh tires. He took the green flag for the final stage from the 12th position on lap 240. The Hendrick Motorsports driver settled into 13th before retaking 12th on lap 247. Elliott held steady there until Gustafson called him to pit road for a scheduled green-flag pit stop on lap 287. He found his way back to the top 10 on lap 299 and advanced to ninth before another round of green-flag stops. After pitting on lap 335, Elliott cycled back to 10th and continued to fight hard for position. He was running in seventh with less than five laps to go and that looked like that’s where he would finish, but a caution prior to the white flag sent the race into overtime. The field came to pit road under the yellow and a fast stop by the UniFirst pit crew gained Elliott a position for the restart. He restarted from sixth and picked up one more spot to earn his first top-five finish of the season.
      Following the fifth-place finish, Elliott and the No. 9 team are eighth in the Cup Series points standings, just 61 markers behind the leader. 
      “I felt like we kind of found a little pace there those last two runs, and we were able to actually pass a couple of cars under green. We got ourselves in a position to have a good pit stop there at the end. I stopped a little short in my box. I think we could have been one spot better there off of pit road, but nonetheless, had a good restart and gave ourselves a top-five. It was a solid night.”
      Start / Finish: 2 / 5
      Points Standing / Total: 8th / 209 pts. (-61)
      Next Race: Sunday, April 7, Martinsville Speedway
      How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Chase Elliott:  link hidden, please login to view
      Hendrick Motorsports:  link hidden, please login to view
      No. 9 Team:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • NAPA
      Eckes’ Late Rally at COTA Results in Top-10 Finish
      By NAPA
      Christian Eckes put on a furious rally on an overtime restart to capture an eighth-place finish on Saturday afternoon at Circuit of the Americas (COTA). The driver of the No. 19
      link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Silverado RST had an eventful, up-and-down afternoon but showcased his resilience by rebounding from two penalties to record his second top-10 result at COTA. After qualifying 10th on Friday afternoon, Eckes was forced to start at the tail of the field after the NAPA Auto Care team changed transmissions before the race. The New Yorker was undeterred by starting shotgun and rocketed to 14th on the opening lap. An early caution on lap three helped Eckes continue his rapid run to the front on a lap six restart when he cracked the top 10. He maintained his top-five position at the end of Stage 1 on lap 12 to collect six points in fifth position.
      Crew chief Charles Denike brought Eckes to pit road for four tires, fuel, and a small adjustment under the first stage caution. Eckes restarted 11th on lap 15 as several trucks stayed on track. He immediately climbed into fifth on lap 18 and took advantage of an impending caution to pit on lap 21 before the yellow flag flew. However, Eckes was nabbed with a penalty for exceeding track limits and was sent to the tail of the field. He restarted 23rd on lap 24 and hustled his way to close Stage 2 in 12th on lap 26.
      During the second stage caution, Eckes stayed on track to inherit track position and restarted eighth on lap 29. While running sixth on lap 30, Eckes incurred another track limit violation and ran 26th after serving the penalty under green. With the aid of a caution on lap 38, he restarted 10th on lap 40, but spun at the top of Turn 1 on lap 41. Denike and the NAPA Auto Care team gave Eckes four tires for the two-lap overtime as he restarted 22nd on lap 45 with two laps to go. As the OT green flag dropped, Eckes went on an all-out rampage, slicing through the field in the final two laps to take the checkered flag in eighth position.
      “We came from the back at least four times today and felt like we were a top-three truck,” Eckes said. “Our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet was pretty well balanced but just had too many mistakes on my part. Our team did a great job responding from it to get back to eighth at the end.”
      Start / Finish: 10 / 8
      Points Standing / Total: 6th / 177 pts. (-30)
      Next Race: Friday, April 15, Martinsville Speedway
      How to Watch or Listen: FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Christian Eckes:  link hidden, please login to view
      Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • NAPA
      Elliott Earns Top-12 Finish at Las Vegas
      By NAPA
      Chase Elliott and No. 9 LLumar team qualified 11th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway The 28-year-old driver finished 15th in stage one and advanced to sixth to end stage two, earning valuable stage points in the process The 2020 Cup Series champion continued to log laps inside the top 10 in the final stage before ultimately taking the checkered flag in the 12th position Elliott and the No. 9 team leave Las Vegas seventh in the Cup Series points standings Chase Elliott took the green flag in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race from the 11th position in his No. 9 LLumar Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. When the first caution flag of the race was displayed on lap 10, Elliott was running in the same position. Under the yellow flag, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native reported that his entry was secure before bringing the LLumar Chevy to the attention of his crew for four tires and fuel. During the next run, Elliott continued to battle inside the top 12. He was scored in 11th when the race fell under the caution for the second time on lap 27. Elliott reported to crew chief Alan Gustafson that his Chevrolet was a little tight. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for fuel and a set of scuff tires. With a couple teams opting not to pit and some only taking two tires, Elliott restarted in 17th. He gained two positions before taking the green-and-white checkered flag in 15th to end the first stage at lap 80.

      A fast stop by the pit crew set Elliott up with 12th-place starting position for stage two. After taking the green flag on lap 88, Elliott continued to race inside the top 15 through a long green flag run. After a round of green flag pit stops, the 2020 Cup Series champion found himself in the 11th position. Once there, he continued to methodically work his way forward, advancing to ninth on lap 134. Elliott was running in that same position when the caution came out on lap 156. After pitting for four tires and fuel, he lined up eighth for the restart and climbed to sixth to end the second stage at lap 165.

      Opting not to pit during the stage break, Elliott started the final segment in sixth on lap 172. The 28-year-old driver held his own inside the top 10 during a long green flag stint. Elliott was running in the 10th position when green flag stops got under way. He headed to pit road for four tires and fuel on lap 211. When an on-track incident brought out the yellow flag on lap 235, Elliott was scored in the eighth position. He brought his LLumar Chevy to the attention of his crew for the final time of the race, getting four fresh tires and fuel. He restarted in seventh on lap 240 and battled hard to try to keep a position inside the top 10, ultimately coming up just short with a 12th-place result.

      Elliott and the No. 9 team leave Las Vegas Motor Speedway seventh in the Cup Series points standings, just 23 markers behind the leader.
      Start / Finish: 11 / 12
      Points Standing / Total: 7th / 95 pts. (-23)
      Next Race: Sunday, March 10, Phoenix Raceway
      How to Watch or Listen: 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to view
      Chase Elliott:  link hidden, please login to view
      Hendrick Motorsports:  link hidden, please login to view
      No. 9 Team:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view
    • A-premium Auto Parts:5% OFF with Code GM5.
    • NAPA
      Eckes Claims Best Finish of the Season at Las Vegas
      By NAPA
      Christian Eckes tallied a resilient sixth-place finish on Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS) for his best finish through three races. The driver of the No. 19
      link hidden, please login to view Chevrolet Silverado RST remains ninth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) standings after his second top-10 result of the young season. Eckes has now posted top-10 finishes in six of his eight races at LVMS.
      Eckes started the day in strong fashion by posting the second-quickest laps in practice and qualifying. He got the early holeshot off the initial green flag and led the first seven circuits. However, Eckes began wrestling with an extremely tight condition throughout the opening stage. The balance issues relegated him to run in 14th position at the end of Stage 1 on lap 30.

      Crew chief Charles Denike brought Eckes to pit lane during the stage yellow to change four tires and address the handling woes. A track bar and wedge adjustment proved to be the right direction for Eckes in Stage 2, but the tight condition persisted. Eckes restarted 16th on lap 36 but immediately leaped into the top 10 by lap 38. Despite his efforts, Eckes once again ran 14th at the end of Stage 2 on lap 60.

      Denike and the NAPA Auto Care team made an even bigger swing to improve the balance with chassis adjustments during the second stage caution. Significant wedge and a front suspension changes proved to be the proper tonic to wake up Eckes’ Chevrolet. He restarted 21st on lap 67 and marched back into the top-10 in less than 20 laps. A smoothly executed green-flag pit stop cycle vaulted Eckes from ninth to sixth with roughly 30 laps remaining. The improved balance allowed him to string together consistent laps over the final run to take the checkered flag in sixth for his second top-10 result of the season.

      “We definitely made improvements throughout the night to our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet,” Eckes said. “My guys kept making swings at it and we got the balance better, but we have some work to do to get the balance where we need it. It’s good to finish better than we ran all night, but we have some work to do.”
      Start / Finish: 2 / 6
      Points Standing / Total: 9th / 85 pts. (-22)
      Next Race: Saturday, March 16, Bristol Motor Speedway
      How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
      NAPA: 
      link hidden, please login to viewChristian Eckes:  link hidden, please login to view
      Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing:  link hidden, please login to view The post
      link hidden, please login to view appeared first on link hidden, please login to view.
      link hidden, please login to view

×
×
  • Create New...