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Kyle Larson Starts Off West Coast Swing With a Bang in Tulare

Kyle Larson

Kyle Larson in Victory Lane with Rico Abreu and Brad Sweet at Thunderbowl Raceway. (Photo: High Limit Racing Media)

TULARE, Calif. — The drivers of High Limit Racing last competed in Knoxville, Iowa for the Knoxville Nationals, but the series’ last race actually took place in Pennsylvania. To give the drivers time to get out to the west coast, High Limit gave them a few weeks off. Thursday night kicked off the series tour once again, with a $25,000-to-win race at Thunderbowl Raceway.

Brad Sweet and Rico Abreu led the 26-car field to the green flag to kick off the 35 lap main event. Upon starting, Sweet jumped out to an early lead with Abreu right behind him, but Dylan Bloomfield was right on his heels. As he went to the inside of Abreu coming out of Turn 2, Bloomfield raced side-by-side with him down the backstretch and took second before the third turn.

Two laps later, Kyle Larson got to the outside of Corey Day and was looking to move up a position. Larson kept to the bottom all the way down the back chute and then swapped lanes with Day going into Turn 4. As they came off the corner, it looked like Larson had fourth, but Day still held it at the line.

Larson and Day kept at it for almost another full lap before Larson got Day on the bottom going into Turn 1. Larson appeared to pull ahead of Day, but coming out of Turn 2, Day took to the  bottom of the track to blow by him to re-claim fourth.

Up ahead, Abreu had finally caught up to Bloomfield and was going after him for second. Coming down the back straightaway, Abreu went to the bottom to pass Bloomfield, and that was exactly what he accomplished…or so he thought. In his slide-job maneuver, Abreu timed it just a little bit too fast and ended up clipping the front end of Bloomfield.

Although the attempt to get second was achieved successfully, Bloomfield ended up crashing into the wall and flipping over, as well as collecting Day. Larson spun out to avoid the mess, and since he was not involved and did not venture into the work area, he was able to keep his spot. Somehow, both drivers managed to keep it going after their wreck. A red flag was thrown though, due to Bloomfield flipping over. 

On the restart, Abreu was in hot pursuit of Sweet, but this time, he had the pressure of Larson to contend with. Just as the battle was heating up, another roll-over happened in Turns 3 and 4, resulting in another red flag. The race got underway again once conditions were safe to do so, and at that point in time, Larson had a good run on Abreu. Before they could do anything about it, Zeb Wise spun out to avoid a car crashing into him, drawing yet another caution.

With 29 laps to go, the battle for the top three spots finally commenced. Abreu launched to a great start on Sweet this time and had him in his sights coming out of Turn 2, but Larson was right there as well. Going into Turn 4, Abreu got a little bit too high and kept bumping the wall, giving Larson the advantage he needed on the bottom to take over second at the line.

One lap later, Larson pulled the same stunt that Abreu did, and James McFadden who had come up out of nowhere was right there. At the line, “J-Mac” had second and Larson fought to regain control.

Larson gained that control back on the top and McFadden ran the bottom. They did this for a few laps until Larson was able to use the faster groove on the top to sail right by McFadden. Lap 10 saw “Yung Money” start his pursuit against Sweet.

Brad sweet

Brad Sweet in his car before his Heat Race at Thunderbowl Raceway. (Photo: Kasey Kahne Racing Media)

Three laps later, Larson messed up on the top and lost his position to McFadden once again. “J-Mac” held the spot for four more laps until Larson finally got the groove back down the backstretch to get the coveted spot. McFadden’s night was far from over though, because Tyler Courtney had just entered the chat.

McFadden, in his pursuit of Larson, went a little bit too low going into Turn 3 and ended up clipping the berm. This resulted in him nearly flipping over, and having to completely stop for a second or two. These two seconds were the demise of “J-Mac’s” night because both Courtney and Abreu were right there when he entered the track again. They split him going down the front straight and Abreu ended up getting by him, putting him in-between himself and “Sunshine.”

With 12 laps to go, the race for the lead began. Larson had caught up to the “Big Cat” and was looking for an opportunity to pass him for it. Larson kept to the top side and Sweet was on the bottom, and the two of them danced with each other throughout the corners and straightaways for two laps. Lap 25 saw Bloomfield as a lapped car, and a critical factor, for the race.

Bloomfield had been running the top line the entire time that he knew Larson and Sweet were behind him, until he hit the backstretch on Lap 25. He went to the bottom, cutting off Sweet and allowing Larson to get right by them both. Sweet saw this and got around Bloomfield as quickly as possible, getting the lead back from Larson going into Turn 4.

The next set of turns saw Larson stick to the groove he had run all night long to swoop right on by Sweet for the lead, as well as put a lapped car between the two of them.  

With seven laps remaining, Sweet got caught up on the bottom and lost second to Abreu. And try as he might, he could not find a way around him to get the runner-up spot back. Larson worked the lapped traffic ahead to continue his win streak.

High Limit continues their West Coast swing at King’s Speedway in Hanford, CA, on Friday night.

Finish Start Car No. Driver Sponsor Status
1 5 57 Kyle Larson Finley Farms Running
2 2 24 Rico Abreu Rothwell Hyde Running
3 1 49 Brad Sweet Napa Auto Parts Running
4 6 83 James McFadden Mobil 1 Running
5 9 21 Cole Macedo Tarlton Running
6 7 7BC Tyler Courtney NOS Energy Running
7 15 19 Brent Marks M&M Painting and Construction Running
8 26 26 Zeb Wise Sundollar Restoration Running
9 17 55 Chris Windom NOS Energy Running
10 23 9P Parker Price-Miller Chalk-Stix Torsion Bars Running
11 19 88N D.J. Netto Netto Ag Running
12 18 13 Justin Peck Pella Running
13 16 83T Tanner Carrick California Waterfowl Running
14 8 1 Brenham Crouch Hi-Plains Building Division Running
15 24 9 Kasey Kahne Kahne Paints Running
16 20 57W Jock Goodyer Finley Farms Running
17 3 83V Dylan Bloomfield Gary Silva Ranches Running
18 22 17 Kalib Henry N/A Running
19 11 17W Shane Golobic NOS Energy Running
20 4 14 Corey Day Four CCCC’s Construction Running
21 14 41 Dominic Scelzi RRTred Rose Transportation Inc. Running
22 25 88 Tanner Thorson Smith TI Brake Systems Running
23 13 5 Spencer Bayston Truetimber Camo Running
24 12 8 Cory Eliason Commercial Edge Running
25 21 2X Justin Sanders Farmers Brewing Co. Running
/ / / / / /
26 10 45 Landon Brooks N/A Running

Brooke Johnpier is a staff writer at The Podium Finish covering NHRA and professional dirt racing, as well as a social media promoter. Besides TPF, Brooke is a part-time motorsports journalist with Speedway Illustrated magazine, Race Pro Weekly, and Dirt Track Digest, which are outlets similar to TPF. Aspiring to pursue her dream of becoming a full-time automotive/motorsports journalist, Brooke is a sophomore at St. Bonaventure University where she is majoring in Sports Media, and double minoring in Native American and Indigenous Studies and English. There, she is involved with all of the campus media, as well as the literary magazine. She is also an officer in two clubs. In her free time, Brooke loves reading, writing, going to the local racetrack, riding four-wheelers, working on cars, and riding in tractor trailers. Brooke is a music lover and percussionist, as well as a published author and women's rights activist.

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