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


Recommended Posts

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.

  • Similar Topics

    • By NAPA
      Brad Sweet and the
      link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team had high expectations for a Kansas swing with High Limit Racing, starting with a  mid-week show scheduled for Wednesday at 81 Speedway in Park City, KS. But after severe storms crossed the area Tuesday night and forced a cancelation, the team looked ahead to Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City for two nights of High Limit Racing action at Shane Stewart’s Heartland of America Showdown. With NASCAR in town at Kansas Speedway just a short drive away, Lakeside was buzzing with racing fans on Friday night. In qualifying, Sweet made his mark in the NAPA No. 49, hitting the charts in fourth with a time of 15.354 seconds. After starting on the pole of his heat race, the Big Cat maintained his position to the checkers and secured his spot in the dash.
      The NAPA team came up with a sixth-place starting position for the dash after Sweet’s spin of the wheel, and the No. 49 team had seven laps to improve their starting position for the evening’s feature.  A strong start allowed the No. 49 to jump to fifth, and Sweet finished in that spot to earn a fifth-place start in the feature. The enthusiastic crowd was in for a treat with the main event. Sweet and the NAPA team showcased their skills as the No. 49 surged through the field. The Big Cat had the best car setup on track, and he swiftly made his way to the front before clinching his third High Limit Racing win in the Lakeside thriller.
      With Friday night’s win under his belt, Sweet wasn’t required to make a qualifying run on Saturday; he was locked into heat race action ahead of Saturday’s $50,000-to-win main event. With the pressure on, the No. 49 was second across the line after starting the heat race in fourth, again locking Sweet in to the dash. A spin of the wheel put him eighth to start.
      Despite tough competition, the Big Cat picked up two spots in the dash, placing the NAPA team sixth to start the 30-lap, final race of the Heartland of America Showdown. A $50,000 payday awaited the winner, and Sweet and the No. 49 team were determined to cash in. Sweet again found his NAPA machine to be a rocket on the Lakeside Speedway dirt. He blazed through the competition and held off Kyle Larson to surge from sixth to first. Taking the checkered flag for his second-consecutive win of the weekend,  Sweet secured the $50,000 grand prize and took over the High Limit Racing points lead.
      Start / Finish:
      Friday, May 3: 5 / 1
      Saturday, May 4: 6 / 1
      Points Standing / Total: 1st / 816 pts. (+8)
      Next Race: Friday, May 10, 34 Raceway, West Burlington, IA
      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
    • By NAPA
      Chase Elliott and the No. 9 link hidden, please login to view team qualified ninth for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. Elliott finished stage one in 10th and followed that up with an 11th-place result in stage two. The 28-year-old driver lined up fourth for an overtime restart in the final stage, driving to a third-place finish. It was Elliott’s second consecutive top-five result and his fifth top-five in the last six Cup Series races. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion ranks third in the points standings, just 55 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott started ninth in Sunday’s rain-delayed NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway and was scored in the 14th position on lap 10 when he reported that his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was tight. As the run went on, he radioed that his Chevy’s handling was coming to him. Elliott was in 15th when green-flag pit stops started near lap 30. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called the driver of the No. 9 to pit road on lap 33 for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. He was back inside the top 15 once the field cycled through pit stops. By lap 62, he found his way to 10th where he remained to end stage one on lap 80.
      After pitting for four tires and fuel during the stage break, Elliott took the green flag for stage two from the ninth position on lap 89. A chaotic restart shuffled the 28-year-old driver back to 15th, but as the run went on, he made up ground and climbed to 12th by lap 113. As green-flag pit stops were drawing near, Gustafson asked Elliott for feedback on the NAPA Chevrolet. After receiving positive comments from his driver, Gustafson radioed for Elliott to visit pit road on lap 119 for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Once the pit cycle was complete, Elliott was back up to 12th and continued to close in on the cars ahead of him. By lap 143, he re-entered the top 10. He battled hard to remain in the 10th position, but another car just barely beat him to the line to finish stage two, relegating Elliott to 11th.
      Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott reported that he really liked his NAPA Chevy’s balance. He brought the No. 9 Chevrolet to the attention of his pit crew for fuel and four fresh tires. A fast stop gained Elliott three spots on pit road. He started the final stage from the eighth position on lap 173. The early portion of the stage was plagued with cautions, with Elliott and the No. 9 team opting not to pit during the first few yellow flags. When the caution came out again on lap 198, Elliott pitted from the ninth position for four tires and fuel. Varying pit strategies put Elliott in the 20th position as the field lined up for the choose cone. He took the outside lane for the restart on lap 205 and powered his way back inside the top 15 on lap 208. Elliott continued his climb forward, reaching 10th less than 10 laps later. As the long green-flag run went on, he gained two more positions. Elliott was in eighth after a caution came out on lap 261, which sent the race into overtime. When pit road opened, Gustafson called Elliott in for right-side tires and fuel. Elliott was the fourth car off pit road, with the top nine cars all taking two tires. The 2020 Cup Series champion lined up on the outside of the second row for the overtime restart. He battled intensely in the final two laps to take the checkered flag in the third position.
      The finish was Elliott’s second consecutive top-five finish and his fifth top-five in the last six Cup Series races. The Hendrick Motorsports driver leaves Kansas Speedway third in the Cup Series points standings, just 55 markers behind the leader.
      Start / Finish: 9 / 3
      Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 412 pts. (-55)
      Next Race: Sunday, May 12, Darlington Raceway
      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
    • By NAPA
      Christian Eckes continued his remarkable consistency with a third-place finish on Saturday night at Kansas Speedway for his third-straight top-five result. The driver of the No. 19 Adaptive One Calipers Chevrolet Silverado RST led twice for 11 laps en route to his sixth-straight top-10 and continued his streak of leading laps in all eight events this season. Eckes netted 50 points on the night, second-most, and sits second in what is developing into a two-horse race for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series (NCTS) regular season crown.
      Eckes posted the fourth-fastest single lap in Saturday morning’s practice session and qualified 10th for the 134-lap event. His patented aggression was on full display in the opening lap as he made multiple three-wide maneuvers to take the fifth position. A restart on lap seven after the race’s lone natural caution allowed him to take the fourth position and he advanced to third by lap 24. Eckes was able to pocket eight points at the end of Stage 1 on lap 30.
      Crew chief Charles Denike called Eckes to pit road under the first stage caution where the No. 19 team ripped off a lightning four-tire stop to take the race lead. Eckes restarted as the race leader on lap 38 and led the field at the start of the second segment. A tight handling condition hampered Eckes’ pace, but he continued to maintain a podium position through the conclusion of Stage 2 at lap 60 to collect an additional eight points.
      Denike and the No. 19 team armed Eckes with another set of tires and track bar adjustments to improve the balance during the second stage caution, and delivered another rapid pit stop to regain the lead. Eckes jumped out to a brief advantage on the lap 68 restart, but ran fourth by lap 82 due to a lingering tight condition. He made his final pit stop of the night under green on lap 96 and was able to cycle to third position by lap 103. He maintained pace with the race leader over the final 20-plus laps and took the checkered flag in third for his fourth top-five finish of the season.
      “The Adaptive One Chevy was a little bit tight all day,” Eckes said. “We got it better at times, but just didn’t keep up with the racetrack enough. There’s a lot of race track changes that we just weren’t really anticipating and just couldn’t keep up with the racetrack. But still had a race-winning capable truck if we kept up with the balance. Definitely a lot to look forward to in the future here and just excited for the next couple races.”
      Start / Finish: 10 / 3
      Points Standing / Total: 2nd / 337 pts. (-7)
      Next Race: Friday, May 10, Darlington Raceway
      How to Watch or Listen: 7:30 p.m. ET on 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
    • By NAPA
      It was take two for High Limit Racing at Riverside International Speedway in West Memphis, Arkansas, last week after the original date of April 9 was postponed due to heavy rain in the days prior. Race fans eager to see some 410 sprint car action packed the stands, leaving standing room only by the time Brad Sweet hit the track for hot laps in the
      link hidden, please login to view No. 49 machine. Sweet was lightning-fast right away, clocking a lap time of 11.266 seconds in qualifying, putting him in the top spot and within just two-tenths of the track record. It marked Sweet’s fifth QuickTime award on the season, all achieved within a ten-race span.
      As the evening unfolded, Sweet found himself starting fourth in his heat race, where he maintained his position to the checkered flag. Though finishing fourth, the Big Cat still earned a trip to the Dash as the fastest qualifier.
      Drawing the third starting spot for the Dash, the NAPA team had seven laps to gain a better starting spot and test their setup in the feature. Sweet mounted a thrilling battle for second but ultimately crossed the line in third. He lined up in that spot for the main event, and the feature went green. The NAPA driver navigated the track to the best of his abilities as the laps ticked by. With an extended mid-race caution, the No. 49 team tried to modify their strategy. Sweet faced fierce competition and a challenging track surface but brought the NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 to the finish line in fourth place.
      Start / Finish: 3 / 4
      Points Standing / Total: 2 / 662 pts. (-17)
      Next Race: Wednesday, May 1, 81 Speedway, Park City, KS
      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
    • A-premium Auto Parts:5% OFF with Code GM5.
    • 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

×
  • Create New...