Darlington Raceway’s President Josh Harris said last year that grassroots racing is the lifeblood of NASCAR. Events like the Chili Bowl Nationals and Tulsa Shootout serve as a breeding ground for drivers who might make it to the top echelons of stock car racing someday. A key part of this ecosystem is Cup Series driver Kyle Larson and his High Limit Racing Series.
Advertisement
Larson began the High Limit Racing series along with his brother-in-law Brad Sweet in 2022. Positioned as a competitor to the World of Outlaws, it has struck a chord with many sprint car racers across the country. Notably, it has increased the sizes of the purse for drivers and teams among the many other revolutionary methods that it has adopted since its creation.
At the helm of the operation, Larson believes that grassroots-level racing in America is healthier than it has ever been before. He said in a discussion during Race Industry Week, “The crowds are I would say every bit big if not bigger than what they were still to this point, prior to covid. So, I think that shows you the health between everything.”
“Dirt late models are striving, winged sprint car racing is bigger and more popular I feel like than it’s ever been. Lots of young successful talented drivers, lots of team owners, great racing. You see purses continuing to grow. It’s yeah. It’s just in a great spot right now.”
He continued to make a note that the amount that the top 15 drivers earned this year was a lot higher than what they did last year.
How High Limit Racing has contributed to the health of grassroots racing
The World of Outlaws used to be an uncontested series in the field till the introduction of the High Limit Racing Series. Larson believes that by existence alone his platform has created an impact. He said, “High Limit has been a massive part of the growth over the course of the last couple years.”
“The Outlaws have been the bar for so long and they haven’t really felt much competition so to speak or reason to change and progress.” He continued to note that the World of Outlaws following their example in improving driver safety and increasing the rewards ultimately does good for the sport.
The High Limit Racing Series will be bigger than ever in 2025 with 61 events planned across 36 different locations. It will also be traveling overseas to Perth, Australia later this month to hold a race in which Larson is set to participate.
