Draft:High Limit Racing

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High Limit Racing
SportSprint car racing
Jurisdiction United States
Founded2022
Regional affiliationUnited States
ChairmanKyle Larson & Brad Sweet, co-founders
Official website
www.highlimit.com
United States

The High Limit Racing series, currently known as the Kubota High Limit Racing Series for sponsorship reasons, is an American touring sprint car racing series. It was founded in 2022 by five-time World of Outlaws sprint car series champion Brad Sweet and former NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.

History[edit]

Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson first announced the creation of the series in July 2022.[1] The inaugural season in 2023 consisted of 12 events, which were all held mid-week so as not to conflict with the World of Outlaws Sprint Car series (in which Sweet was still a full-time competitor at the time) or the NASCAR Cup Series (in which Larson competed full-time), both of which hold the majority of their races on weekends. In an unusual move, the World of Outlaws agreed to relax their strict rules prohibiting their full-time drivers from racing in other series, allowing them to compete in up to eight non-World of Outlaws-sanctioned events in a year, which in turn allowed Sweet to race part-time in his own series.[2] Kyle Larson was crowned the series' first champion, winning five of the 12 races scheduled.[3]

On October 23, 2023, High Limit announced that it had acquired the All Star Circuit of Champions sprint car racing series from former owner Tony Stewart and would be contesting a full schedule of 59 events in 2024, including events held on weekends.[4] The combined series presents the first challenge to the World of Outlaws' long-standing position as the dominant national touring sprint car racing series since the National Sprint Tour folded in 2006. Many well-known sprint car drivers committed to racing full-time with the series in 2024, including Sweet, Rico Abreu, Kasey Kahne, Brent Marks and James McFadden.[5]

Rules and Format[edit]

The High Limit Racing series competitors race sprint cars with 410cc V8 engines (popularly known as "410s"), the fastest and most powerful type of sprint cars. Currently, 17 drivers compete full-time in the series, with the remainder of the field at each event filled by independent and/or locally-based teams.[5]

A typical High Limit event is structured similarly to that of the World Of Outlaws, with practice sessions (known as "Hot Laps") followed by a two-lap qualifying attempt for each driver. All drivers are ranked according to the faster of their two qualifying laps, which then determines their starting positions in the heat races. A specified number of the top finishers in each heat--typically four, five or six depending on the amount of competitors--automatically lock into the Feature race, with the remainder of the drivers relegated to the shorter "B-Main" race held prior to the Feature. The specified number of highest finishers in the B-Main (typically the top four or six) then start the Feature at the back of the field.

In the inaugural 2023 season, the two highest finishers in each heat race--in addition to locking into the Feature--also participated in a "Dash" race, with a line-up determined by a random draw of oversized playing cards. The finishing order of the Dash determined the starting order of the first few rows in the Feature. In 2024, the format was altered slightly to have the driver with the fastest qualifying time in each respective heat (if they finish in a transfer position), along with the heat race winner, qualify for the Dash; if the fastest-qualifier also wins their heat race, they are the only driver from that heat to race in the Dash. In addition, the drivers now spin a Big Six wheel--made to resemble a roulette wheel--to determine their starting position instead of drawing cards.

Media[edit]

All High Limit Racing events are livestreamed in their entirety on FloRacing, who also serves as a co-sponsor of the series.[6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Gluck, Jeff. "Kyle Larson, Brad Sweet starting dirt racing series". The Athletic.
  2. ^ "DIRTRACKR | World of Outlaws add money, lower restrictions for 2023; plus reacting to David Gravel's livestream | Daily 12-9-2022". dirtrackr.com.
  3. ^ "Larson wins 2023 High Limit Sprint Car Series championship | Hendrick Motorsports".
  4. ^ Staff, FloRacing (October 23, 2023). "High Limit Sprint Car Series Acquires All Star Circuit of Champions". FloRacing.
  5. ^ a b Staff, FloSports (February 2, 2024). "Meet The 17 Full-Time High Limit Racing Drivers In 2024". FloRacing.
  6. ^ Staff, FloRacing (November 7, 2023). "Kyle Larson And Brad Sweet Announce Major Plans For High Limit Racing". FloRacing.

External links[edit]

Category:Auto racing series in the United States Category:Dirt track racing in the United States Category:Open wheel racing