Devon HenryFor the first time in half a dozen years, big league winged sprint car racing returned to Arizona with the High Limit Sprint Car Series making their first visit to the Grand Canyon State.
The series, founded by 2021 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson, and his brother-in-law, five-time World of Outlaws Champion and defending High Limits Champion Brad Sweet, added Central Arizona Speedway, located in Casa Grande, to their 2025 slate as the fifth and sixth races of the season for the Avanti Duel in the Desert.
Arizona showed up and showed out last night! 🤩
Brad Whitfield, Jerry Petty, and all involved at Casa Grande’s Central Arizona Raceway are determined to bringing major events back to the dirt track scene in AZ.
What a welcome to a new state for @Kubota_USA High Limit Racing! 📈 https://t.co/CAoSEKXTfu
— High Limit Racing (@HighLimitRacing) March 30, 2025
Former NASCAR star, Kasey Kahne, dominated the dash and set himself on pole for the feature event. A winner at Phoenix Raceway for the Red Bull Racing Team in 2011, the Enumclaw, WA native was on the hunt for his first career High Limit Racing victory. Kahne led the first ten laps of the A-Main before being overtaken by his teammate, Sweet, who stole the lead with 15 laps to go.
The defending champ held off Kahne’s attempts to reclaim the lead and drove his No. 49 car to victory lane for the second time this season. The victory also tied him with Rico Abreu as the winningest driver in series history with his 12th career victory.
“It’s tough because I love Kasey, he’s one of my best friends, I always want him to win but we’ve got to make him earn it,” Sweet told Sports360AZ in Victory Lane. “I just kind of made a better move in lap traffic, he was trying to make a decision there, the track was changing. Ultimately, we got the win, and that’s all that matters.”
Since October, the Casa Grande track has undergone a complete remodel, transforming the facility to entice national tours to return to Arizona. “Really proud of the effort the whole track put in, and getting the facility at this level. The fans came out and supported it. Really proud of the first weekend we got to spend here at Central Arizona Raceway and really look forward to building this event into something bigger in the future and obviously happy with the outcome in our NAPA Auto Parts car for tonight.”
Kahne continues to search for his first High Limit win after his second runner-up finish of the year. Tyler Courtney rounded out the podium in third, while night one winner Aaron Reutzel finished in fourth and Abreu in fifth.
🏁 It's a @KKRdirt 1-2 finish at Central Arizona Raceway with @HighLimitRacing! @bradsweetracing gets the win over @kaseykahne.#HighLimitRacing pic.twitter.com/X7a8gQ5fyZ
— FloRacing (@FloRacing) March 30, 2025
Against some of the best sprint car drivers in the nation, a pair of Arizonans were able to qualify for the 24-car feature event for the finale night. Glendale’s Ashton Torgerson finished in 15th, and Tempe’s Sterling Cling came home in 21st. Both drivers qualified for the A-Main on both nights.
Big league national sprint car racing will once again return to Central Arizona Raceway as the USAC National Sprint Car Series will bring their non-wing tour back to Arizona this year as they crown their season champion on October 24 and 25.
The Casa Grande-based track gets back to action Friday, April 4, with Sportsman Mini Dwarf, Masters Mini Dwarf, Stock Car, SportMod, Hobby Stock, Modifieds, Sport Compact, and Late Model classes.
Sprint cars return to Central Arizona Raceway with the return of the USAC California Racing Association (USAC/CRA) on Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12. The High Limit Racing series gets back to action this Tuesday, April 1, at Vado Speedway Park in New Mexico for the seventh race of their 59-race schedule.
