Just a short while back, Brad Sweet, fresh from clinching his fifth straight World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series title, decided to depart from “The Greatest Show on Dirt.” The Grass Valley native is now shifting gears to High Limit Racing, a venture he co-owns with racing compatriot Kyle Larson. In a similar twist, Rico Abreu, initially set to race in the outlaw circuits in 2024, has switched lanes to High Limit Racing too.

These moves have stirred up quite a storm among fans and series owners alike. There’s a talk that Kyle Larson’s series might be pulling some smart moves to woo drivers away from the World of Outlaws. The two dirt car series had been sharing the track since 2022, with High Limit wrapping up its inaugural season with a dozen races. But now, with Rico Abreu’s latest decision, there’s a bit of a stir in the racing community. However, Abreu recently set the record straight and dispelled any lingering doubts about Kyle Larson’s series.

Rico Abreu sheds light on his High Limit Racing preference

Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet are turning up the heat in the racing world, bumping up their series from 11 to a whopping 60 races and boosting the prize pot to a cool $4 million. They’re also rolling out a charter system, mirroring NASCAR’s 2016 playbook, where 36 charters were handed out to the top full-time teams. High Limit is putting its spin on it, planning to award 10 charters over the next two seasons- 2024 and 2025- starting with the top five full-timers in 2024 based on points.

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Amidst the word that Larson and crew might be sweetening the pot to attract drivers and rival the World of Outlaws, Abreu took to Twitter to set the record straight. He pointed out that neither Larson nor Sweet are stirring the pot for controversy. Instead, drivers are flocking to High Limit for the perks and the vision it offers.

In a lengthy tweet, Abreu highlighted how the series is a launchpad for career growth, citing “We have a pit reporter that’s found his way to becoming an announcer and ELEVATE his career to the next level. We have racers staying with the brand they love and pursuing life long dreams driven by the core goals they set to be a World of Outlaw Champion so they can ELEVATE their brands and achieve greatness with their car owners, crews members and sponsors.” He also underscored the allure of High Limit’s approach – its transparency, innovative charter ownership ideas, and a fair format offering new opportunities. “This change is a clear opportunity to ELEVATE one’s team compared to any previous model,” Abreu revealed.

We’re in a fantastic time in sprint car racing and I still see negativity and closed mindedness. Our sport is on a legit path for growth and all we have to do is embrace the challenge in front of us. We all can have a role to play in this. If we really look close an opportunity…

— RICO (@Rico_Abreu) December 19, 2023

Abreu summed it up: with two sanctioning bodies now vying for fans, drivers, and events, the end result is a win for the fans – a top-notch, elevated racing experience. According to Rico, it’s a classic case of competition breeding excellence, a phenomenon that’s universal in our society. However, High Limit owners Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet aren’t too far from the conversation either as the duo are often seen discussing the series.

Brad Sweet iterates their bid to stay away from politics as Kyle Larson tries his hand at his series’ publicity

The dynamic duo of Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson isn’t looking to create any controversy, according to Sweet himself. He mentioned, “We try not to get too caught up in the politics of it and try to stay focused. … Obviously, (the politics) is there and anytime you’re trying to make a positive change in any industry, there’s always going to be people who are concerned or don’t like change or just happy with the status quo. This definitely isn’t the status quo.”

Meanwhile, High Limit Racing is itself drawing in big names for 2024, but that didn’t stop Larson from casting his net towards NASCAR’s new sensation, Shane Van Gisbergen (SVG). Larson spotted an opening in SVG’s mid-week calendar and couldn’t resist the urge to tempt him over to High Limit Racing. His pitch? “Looks like plenty of free time to run the Midweek Money Series with @HighLimitRacing,” Larson playfully nudged SVG on Twitter, hinting at the spare time he could fill with the Midweek Money Series.

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SVG might bite, but his primary goal for now is getting up to speed with NASCAR, particularly mastering the oval tracks. He’s eager and ready for the challenge. But this whole approach of Kyle Larson actively wooing drivers – it seems a bit like they’re fishing in troubled waters many have opined. Or it might simply be a genius marketing strategy! What do you think?