KANSAS CITY, Kan. — A race fan couldn’t ask for much more than what Saturday’s finale of Shane Stewart’s Heartland of America Showdown delivered at Lakeside Speedway.
With the sprint car drivers going toe-to-toe for $50,000 — the highest payday of the year, to date — fans saw three different leaders and an intense finale restart to decide the biggest win of the young Kubota High Limit Racing campaign.
After driving straight to the dirt track following NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying, Kyle Larson promptly earned the pole thanks to a win in the FK Rod Ends Dash.
With teenage sensation Corey Day starting to his outside, Larson led the field to green for 30 laps.
Day established control off the jump, clearing a slider on Larson through turn three to lead the opening circuit. The Jason Meyers Racing, Sander Engineering No. 49 controlled the first 14 laps before business really picked up as Larson and Sweet made it a three-car battle for the lead while dealing with thick lap traffic.
Larson made his move on lap 14 when he went side-by-side with Day down the fronstretch and secured the lead. It wouldn’t last long, however, as Sweet came breathing down his neck and made a big move to take the lead away on lap 18 with a deep slider into turn three.
Sweet led the final 13 laps but it was not without a fight as Larson threw everything he had at the No. 49 on the final three restarts. It just wasn’t enough, though, as “The Big Cat” secured his fourth win of 2024 with Kubota High Limit Racing and banked a $70,000 weekend with the Wilkerson-Forge Bonus.
With the win, the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 moved past the Clauson-Marshall Racing, NOS Energy Drink No. 7bc to become the new championship leader through 12 of the 57 races.
Larson settled for second behind his brother-in-law, cashing a $20,000 check for the Silva Motorsports, Finley Farms No. 57.
Making a move on the final restart, James McFadden earned his first-career podium with Kubota High Limit Racing. A third-place finish for the Roth Motorsports No. 83 paid out $10,000 on Saturday night.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 49-Brad Sweet[6]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson[1]; 3. 83-James McFadden[5]; 4. 14-Corey Day[2]; 5. 13-Justin Peck[12]; 6. 19-Brent Marks[3]; 7. 24-Rico Abreu[8]; 8. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[7]; 9. 9-Kasey Kahne[11]; 10. 5T-Ryan Timms[17]; 11. 1A-Jacob Allen[15]; 12. 19H-Hunter Schuerenberg[21]; 13. 27B-Jake Bubak[9]; 14. 88-Tanner Thorson[23]; 15. 55-Chris Windom[20]; 16. 52-Blake Hahn[19]; 17. 26-Zeb Wise[22]; 18. 9P-Parker Price Miller[18]; 19. 51B-Joe B Miller[24]; 20. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[14]; 21. 21-Brian Brown[4]; 22. 5-Spencer Bayston[13]; 23. 8-Cory Eliason[10]; 24. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[16]