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High Limit buying the All Stars is a done deal! ...Or is it? | Daily 9-26-2023

High Limit buying the All Stars is the hot rumor. But is it actually true? We'll dive in today. Let's go!

It's Tuesday, September 26th, I'm Justin Fiedler. This is DIRTRACKR Daily.

I've been asked about it a lot over the last several weeks. I have DMs. I have emails. I have text messages. I didn't really want to dive in until things were a bit more official and from a reputable source. But things have changed in the last 24 hours, so you know what, let's talk about it. And since they are racing tonight, it's a nice tie-in. But, these All Star/High Limit rumors. This stuff has been going on for probably a year at this point, but it seemed like things really started to get around during the Knoxville Nationals. Because that's when my messages really ramped up. Before that it was just conversations with industry friends, but since then the public has really been drawn in. If you don't know what I'm talking about, Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson started High Limit last year. Their initial pitch was this was a midweek sprint car series to fit in between the national tours to help the racers make more money. Clearly though, it's not that, and their have been discussions about High Limit acquiring the All Stars from Tony Stewart on the path towards making High Limit much bigger. You can literally find this stuff on message boards and Facebook groups at this point, and usually where there is smoke, there is fire. No pun intended. But behind the scenes, it's not so simple. I very briefly mentioned the future for the All Stars on yesterday's show, and since then I was forwarded an email the series sent out, and clued in on the driver's meeting from Eldora. At that driver's meeting, series director Kevin Nouse addressed the rumors, and the email I've seen did as well. The email was sent out to the All Stars' list of track partners about the upcoming series banquet in Indianapolis that happens during the PRI Show. But in the email as well was a note about 2024. It reads quote "We are aware of the rumors circulating that the All Stars have been purchased by the High Limit Series. At this time, the All Stars have NOT been purchased and while we haven't begun our tedious process of scheduling for 2024, we plan to begin scheduling around the second week of October and will be in touch soon after. In the interim, if anything changes on the ownership side, we will be sure to make you all aware" unquote. This email was sent by the All Stars' operations manager Ross Paulson and was forwarded to me by a friend. Now, understand that things can change at any time, and I was sent a message last night that there are rumors going around that High Limit is going to announce the deal for the All Stars at tonight's Lernerville show. I'm not saying it's impossible for that to happen, but from what I've been told and this email, that doesn't seem likely. If a deal is imminent, the top series people aren't aware of one. What I can tell you though from some sources I trust, is that discussions between the two sides have taken place on multiple occasions over the past year, but that no deal is currently in place. And it would appear that the two sides are prepared to move forward on their own. As for what this means for the entire industry going forward, we can talk about that as things progress in the coming months. I'll let you process this bit of information first and we'll go from there. Understand though that a major shift is underway in the sprint car world.

Looking at tonight, a ton of eyeballs will be on High Limit at Lernerville, especially with $50,000 on the line, an entry list of more than 50 cars, and even Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the way to hang out. We talked last week about the choice that some of the Outlaw full timers have on their hands when it comes to using their final freebie. Would they do High Limit at Lernerville, or the Tusky 50 at Port next week. And it seems as though we have our answer. Ten drivers still had one to use, and we already knew that Tanner Holmes and the Shark 1T were doing Port. So that left nine. Brad Sweet would obviously do Lernerville, so that's eight. Looking at the entry list dropped late last night by High Limit, only two other Outlaw drivers besides Sweet are pre-entered. They are David Gravel and James McFadden. So that means Carson Macedo, Logan Schuchart, Donny Schatz, Spencer Bayston, Brock Zearfoss, and Noah Gass all still have one left they could use at Port Royal next week, or elsewhere. I have to be honest here, I thought more guys would do Lernerville. I figured it might be an even split, not just two guys in Gravel and McFadden. The rest of the High Limit entry list includes the regulars, Larson, Rico, Anthony Macri in Bernie's 71, Sunshine and Zeb fresh off that All Star battle, Justin Peck, Justin Sanders back in the 39M, Brian Brown, and a lot more. There is no Buddy Kofoid on this entry list, and he wasn't at Eldora this past weekend. I've been asked where he is, and it sounds like we'll see him back in the Roth car for National Open at Williams Grove. He told Jeremy Elliott last week they'll stay out with the Outlaws through the final midwest swing, and then return to California for Trophy Cup. This final bit of the schedule is actually a new addition for Kofoid, as they had initially planned on him finishing this Roth tenure in 2023 at Placerville.

As a quick High Limit reset to get you ready for tonight's big show, there are three races left including tonight. Next week they'll be at Bridgeport, and the season ends October 10th at Lincoln Park. Kyle Larson currently leads Rico Abreu by 33 points in the championship standings. Through eight races, seven drivers have run every High Limit show. They are Larson, Rico, Cory Eliason, Chase Randall, Ryan Timms, Dusty Zomer, and Brady Bacon. So far this year, Larson has three wins, Rico two, and Macri, Gio Scelzi, and Peck have one each. If you are playing fantasy or picks tonight, don't forget we have all the High Limit stats over in the analytics section at dirtrackr.com. Recent touring series wins at Lernerville have gone to Kyle Larson. He won with the All Stars there back in July, and in 2022. David Gravel and Brad Sweet split Outlaw wins back in 2021. If you aren't headed for Lernerville, you can watch live tonight on FloRacing.

A quick note on one driver you won't see at Lernerville tonight. Brady Bacon is recovering from an eye injury suffered at Eldora, and is trying to get back in the seat for the BC39 at Indy later this week. He had methanol sprayed in his eye, and ended up not finishing the remainder of the 4-Crown program. He's all swelled up, but told Tyler Burnett his vision is 100%.

Since I just mentioned the BC39, Cannon McIntosh will be in a new car at Indy this week. It was announced yesterday that he's moving from the Dave Mac Dalby team over to Chad Boat for the rest of the season. This one feels a little strange, just because Cannon's dad owns the team he had been driving for. McIntosh was not at Eldora this past weekend, and has had an up and down USAC season. On the Xtreme side, he trails Jade Avedisian by 11 points in the championship with just three races left.

That's it for the show today. If you missed yesterday's Daily, we talked about an interesting hire World Racing Group made in recent days with a UFC tie in. Check that out after you watch this, and stop by dirtrackr.com to see today's streaming schedule.

Hope you guys have a great Tuesday out there, we'll see you back here tomorrow.