Earlier this August, Kyle Larson revealed his plans to join Jason Pryde Motorsport for the High Limit International event in Perth, scheduled for December 28-30. Although Larson is no stranger to racing in Australia and New Zealand, it was his inaugural venture into Western Australia.
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Dayne Kingshott, the reigning champion of the Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series, who clinched fifth and twentieth in the preliminary races of the event, lauded the High Limit Racing founders, remarking, “Winning any race is a monumental achievement, but triumphing over Brad, who is undeniably skilled, is particularly significant,” referring to Brad’s third and fourth-place finishes.
Kingshott continued, “He has been the most consistent guy in a sprint car for the last five or six years. Kyle, even though he doesn’t run sprints full-time, he’s the fastest guy in the world in a sprint car—then there are all of his other accomplishments in a lot of different divisions.”
In the preliminary races, Larson didn’t crack the top three. Starting the first race from twelfth, Larson worked his way up to fourth, while Cole Macedo, who had initially led from the pole, finished sixth after James McFadden overtook him on lap 15 to secure the win.
McFadden’s victory in the $12,500 prelim race saw him leading the final 16 of the 30 laps, finishing ahead of fellow Australian Calum Williamson and the 2024 High Limit champion, Brad Sweet.
The second race brought more drama for Larson; he was leading with 22 laps to go when he lost control and collided with the wall, causing damage to the rear of his Jason Pryde-owned No. 1K car.
Fortunately, Larson was unharmed, but the crash relegated him to a ninth-place finish. Following the points tally, McFadden, Sweet, Macedo, and Williamson secured their spots in the Dash at Perth Motorplex, leaving Larson in fifth place, just shy of the top tier.
The points have been totaled! 📊
McFadden, Sweet, Macedo & Williamson have punched their tickets into the Dash tomorrow at @PerthMotorplex.
The 34 others will split into Heat Races in the $100,000-to-win High Limit International finale. pic.twitter.com/FIY3RtzHy4
— High Limit Racing (@HighLimitRacing) December 29, 2024
Can Larson’s visit boost the Sprint car scene in Australia?
McFadden has dominated the High Limit International event until now, claiming victories on the first two days. If he achieves a clean sweep by winning all three races, netting a total of $125,000 at Perth Motorplex, it would underscore the abilities of Australian drivers in standing toe-to-toe with their American counterparts in Sprint car racing.
Having raced extensively in both the United States and Australia, McFadden has decided to divide his time between the two countries. After spending four years competing in the States, the Alice Springs native was drawn back by the competitive racing and appealing rewards offered in Australia, where he now races during the American summer season with the #21 Tarlton Motorsports team.
Callum Williamson from Geraldton, W.A., who secured second and twelfth places in the first two races, shared his enthusiasm about the series highlighting what it brings for the Australian Sprint car racing that can change the trajectory of the sport:
“And the best part about our series is getting the opportunity to bring over Americans who have raced in the Outlaw shows, that have raced in High Limit shows and they get to race with us… There’s a lot of respect for every American in the pits just for the fact that they’re bringing a lot of eyes from America on us.”
As the final day of racing approaches, it will be fascinating to see how the American and Australian sprint car drivers fare against each other.
