Brad Sweet Playing High Limits, New Purses In 2023?

ONE: Brad Sweet Playing High Limits

Anyone seeking answers as to what the High Limits Sprint Car tour that Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson are building for 2023 is going to look like need to watch an exhaustive interview Sweet gave to DirtTrackr earlier this week.

The series will not be racing on the West Coast, despite Sweet and Larson having taken over promotions at Silver Dollar Speedway this season. The tour will contest 12 races in 2023 for a $120,000 points fund in addition to the c. $23,000-to-win feature purses. The schedule is being built to avoid all conflicts with both the World of Outlaws and All-Star Circuit of Champions.

And most importantly, Sweet, the soon-to-be four-time WoO champion, stated that an agreement has not been reached with the World Racing Group that would allow Outlaw teams to race High Limits events; Outlaw teams with “platinum” status are limited in races they’re allowed to contest outside the WoO schedule.

I don’t agree with everything Sweet had to say over the course of his interview and it’s very obvious his is only one side of a multi-side story. But there is no real rationale for sprint car teams not to have the same shot at big money mid-week that super late model drivers get, especially if there’s tracks ready and willing to host said events. 

The entrepreneurial spirit behind High Limits is admirable. And considering over in NASCAR-land Tyler Reddick, Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick all acting like trolls is what passes for leadership and boldness, to hear Sweet speaking like an adult businessman about how to handle conflicts is very refreshing.

And it must be said, credit to DirtTrackr’s Justin Fiedler for doing a bang-up job conducting this interview. Watch the entire thing, it’s a fascinating look into sprint car racing from Sweet’s perspective as a driver/promoter. Would love to hear a second one of these with a major track owner.

TWO: High Limits Has to Figure the Streaming Piece Out, Like Everyone Else

Now, if there’s one place this interview fell a little short, it’s diving into the most critical piece of making this mid-week races work long term: streaming revenue.

As much as race fans, myself included, have embraced Flo Racing Night in America with arms wide open, there’s a harsh reality about these shows. $22,000-to-win with at least $1,000 to start is a huge purse. Keeping the programs timely enough on a work night…