High Limit Racing crossed a threshold last season when Kyle Larson’s upstart series ventured beyond U.S. borders for the first time, landing at Perth Motorplex and instantly reshaping what an Australian Sprint Car event could look like. The $100,000 winner’s check — the richest ever offered in the country — has done more than just raise eyebrows.
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The response was emphatic. It recalibrated expectations for teams, fans, and promoters alike. Grandstands filled to record levels, competitors embraced the challenge, and the event left little doubt it had earned a return engagement. That said, Larson and High Limit’s leadership made one thing clear: coming back with even more money on the line would also mean a tougher, less forgiving fight on track.
“I had a great time down there last year and super pumped to get going again. Hopefully Carson stays off the whiteboard this year, and Rico stays away from fireworks, and we can keep it even tougher than it was last year. But no, it’s going to be an awesome event. I feel like in my opinion, I mean, it’s got to be the toughest Australian event of the season.”
Larson has never hidden his admiration for Perth Motorplex, once calling it “one of the top-three best facilities, best racetracks” he’s raced on, and suggesting it might stand alone at the top. With the stakes raised for 2025, the margin for error shrinks just as quickly.
The second running of the High Limit International will award $110,000 to the winner, while the preliminary nights have also been elevated, paying $15,000-to-win rather than the $12,500 offered previously. The inaugural event already carried historic weight. It not only set a payout record but also drew the largest crowd in the 25-year history of Perth Motorplex. That atmosphere sharpened the competitive edge, and Larson expects the same energy to return, if not intensify.
Larson acknowledged the prestige of Australia’s traditional classics, but he questioned whether any could match the scale and strength of what High Limit has assembled. With a six-figure winner’s check and a growing American contingent, he suggested the Perth stop may now stand apart on the calendar.
Crowd size remains another indicator. Larson observed the packed grandstands last year and expects even heavier attendance this time. Throughout the season, fans have approached him, confirming travel plans, and his friends from New Zealand who missed the debut have already committed to attending. In Larson’s view, the momentum has turned the event into a destination rather than a novelty.
On track, the bar is equally high. The #5 Hendrick Motorsports driver won the inaugural High Limit International victory in front of an electric crowd at the Kwinana Beach facility, marking his first career win on Australian soil. The 2025 entry list reads like a roll call of elite Sprint Car talent.
Returning names include opening-night winner James McFadden, six-time national champion Brad Sweet, and reigning High Limit champion Rico Abreu.
Besides that, Hendrick Motorsports development driver Corey Day, High Limit regular Kerry Madsen, World of Outlaws campaigner Cole Macedo, and former Port Royal Speedway champions Justin Whittall and Brock Zearfoss are among the 11 Americans entered.
Additional firepower comes from World of Outlaws standouts Buddy Kofoid, the richest Sprint Car earner of 2025 with $833,710, and Carson Macedo, who already owns 11 wins this season. Local challengers Dayne Kingshott, Callum Williamson, and Kaiden Manders, all winners at Perth in 2025, headline the Australian contingent.
