DIRTRACKR Daily Podcast - Episode Transcript

Dirt racing news, results, discussion, analytics. Sprint cars, late models, modifieds, you name it. From national series, to top local shows. Brought to you five days a week. Email the show at info@dirtrackr.com.

The key battleground that could MAJORLY alter sprint car racing in 2025 | Daily 10-28-2024

Big changes are likely coming to the High Limit sprint car schedule for 2025, and we'll talk you through what's coming, plus reveal one potential major battleground race track that could put High Limit and Flo toe-to-toe with the World of Outlaws, DIRTVision, and World Racing Group for next season. Let's go!

It's Monday, October 28th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily presented by Kubota Genuine Parts.

Keep your Kubota equipment running at its peak performance with Kubota Genuine Parts filters! Engineered to provide optimal filtration and protection for your machinery, Kubota filters are designed to keep your engine and other components clean and running smoothly. Don't settle for anything less when it comes to the heart of your equipment - choose Kubota Genuine Parts filters and enjoy peace of mind knowing your machine is in top condition. You can find a full line of Kubota Genuine Parts, including air, oil, fuel, and hydraulic filters, at any one of the more than 1000 dealers nationwide. Find a dealer in the myKubota app or visit kubotausa.com.

One of the show topics on my todo list here lately has been to talk about the High Limit schedule for 2025. Word on the sprint car streets is it could look very different for next season, and honestly, that would make a lot of sense. 59 dates in 2024, but this was really their first crack at this thing. After a full season, and visiting a bunch of these tracks, seeing how ticket sales went, and better understanding how this all played out, you would expect them to iterate. Of the major dirt racing series, High Limit will likely see the most changes to their schedule. We've already seen the Lucas dates, and they are very similar. And the two World of Outlaws series have kept very similar structure in recent years. All of that you would expect from very mature series. But High Limit is still very much trying to find their footing and place in the world, and that will mean adjustments. During the season finale at the Texas Motor Speedway dirt track, High Limit announced they will return to TMS in 2025, with racing on May 1st and 3rd during the NASCAR weekend. This race was in April this year, but moves back to align with that NASCAR schedule. And I think that will happen again elsewhere during 2025, where High Limit will be near NASCAR shows. Obviously that makes it easier for Kyle Larson to race, and their hope is to draw NASCAR fans into these shows because of that connection. This is also clear evidence that was once old is new again, as aligning a sprint car series with NASCAR was something the Outlaws were doing 20 plus years ago. I do want to point out here that the announcement at Texas only included that May weekend, which would seem to point towards there being the possiblity of a different season finale for next year. Also, the closure of East Bay, where High Limit opened in 2024, means they need to look elsewhere to start their 2025 year, and I am hearing they won't go south to Florida and Georgia at all to start the season. So we are looking at a potentially very different open and close, but there could be more changes through the year. Bill over at sprintcarratings.com does a nice job keeping up on the news, and right now the High Limit dates he has for 2025 include the May Texas races, plus the Weikert at Port Royal later that month, the Gold Cup at Chico in August, and the Tuscarora 50 in September. Those Port and Chico dates are basically the same carried over from 2024. I think we can also probably safely assume that Kings Royal weekend at Eldora will include High Limit again, and they will keep that 4-Crown spot as well. And tracks like Lernerville, Kokomo, Eagle, and the west coast trip will probably look similar. Another area where I think we will see changes though is in the midwest and upper midwest. High Limit was shut out of several tracks and states this year, like Wisconsin, but I would not expect that to continue. There are going to be tracks that don't get High Limit next year, and Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson and the High Limit brass have a year of results and a year of pitching which will open them some doors. We know they didn't get any Knoxville dates, but there is another interesting possiblity which I will get to shortly. I will be curious to see if they try and get dates outside of Port and Grandview in Pennsylvania, and if they try and expand in Ohio beyond Portsmouth and Eldora. When we might see the High Limit schedule is anyone's guess right now. Last year it was on December 1st, but I could see it happening at any point between now and the PRI show in December. PRI is December 12th through the 14th.

Back to the interesting possibility in the midwest, keep an eye on Huset's Speedway. There have been some quiet rumors about this one for weeks, but I'm going to speculate and connect some dots for you here. If you noticed, the track announced the High Bank Nationals dates for 2025 back during the Outlaw weekend in September, but those dates are not on the Outlaw schedule, and there is no mention of that announcement on the Outlaw website. That event is June 18th through the 21st next season, and the Huset's website has an announcement up right now about ticket and camping renewals starting in November. Track owner Tod Quiring is trying to create marquee and crown jewel events at Huset's, and the High Bank Nationals pays $250,000 to win. That's a big one on the schedule, and Huset's also had that August Outlaw weekend. To take this even further, Huset's weekly action has been streamed on DIRTVision for the last couple of seasons. If you're trying to get the best deal for your race track, two big sprint car weekends, plus weekly racing puts Quiring and Huset's in a favorable negotiating position between World Racing Group, and the FloRacing/High Limit sides. Pulling Huset's into the Flo universe for sprint car and weekly action would lock that track up, because don't forget that the Lucas late models return there in 2025 for the Silver Dollar Nationals. That series is now sponsored by FloRacing. So if High Limit and Flo are trying to make another big splash for 2025, they might see it as worth the expense to come out on top of a bidding war to add Huset's to the fold, and secure a crown jewel sprint car event. But as I'm sure you are now thinking, any potential High Limit and FloRacing deal with Huset's could also include a series swap for David Gravel. That team looks to be headed towards the World of Outlaws championship, so with that secured, I don't think it's outside the realm of possibility that they could swap if such a move were to happen. I said on the show yesterday that I hadn't heard about any major Outlaw defections, but apparently others have heard it could be in play. I had some interesting messages and conversations after my Sunday show about it. The potential of adding Gravel to High Limit would be even more reason for them to back up the Brinks truck for Huset's. One more possibility to consider here is Quiring working out a deal to have both series at Huset's in 2025. He's one of a handful of track owners that would have the power to pull this off. Do like Eldora, or Tulare, and get the best of both worlds. Grab some cash from Flo, get High Limit and potentially Larson, plus the tradition and most recognizeable brand in dirt racing with the Outlaws. I think all three scenarios could potentially play out. This is all rumors and speculation at this point, but there are signs of things being in flux. This 2024 offseason into 2025 continuing to ramp up in terms of movement and changes in dirt racing.

We'll call it good right there. Hope you guys have a great Monday, we'll see you back here tomorrow!