Heavy rain Monday night delayed the start of the High Limit Sprint Car Series season opener at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Florida creating a Tuesday doubleheader with Kyle Larson scored as the winner of the first feature. The second race would not be as kind. Larson crashed at the halfway point and finished 26th.
Larson led all 25 laps of the first feature but was unable to walk away from the field.
Justin Peck chased Larson down and closed to within three car lengths until Peck attempted to pass the lapped car of Chris Windom on the outside. Peck’s left front wheel made contact with Windom’s car and broke the tie rod, causing Peck to spin. He finished last in the 26-car field.
MORE: High Limit Sprint Car Series develops charter system
On the restart, Tanner Thorson momentarily held the advantage exiting Turn 2 but could not hang onto the top spot. Thorson continued to pester Larson in traffic, which allowed Cole Macedo to become part of the battle.
Exiting Turn 4 on the final lap, Macedo bounced off the wall and nipped Thorson for the runner-up spot at the finish line.
Last year’s World of Outlaws champion and co-owner of the series, Brad Sweet finished fourth with Anthony Macri rounding out the top five.
In his only other appearance at East Bay, Larson won an All-Star Circuit of Champions (ASCoC) race in 2020. Larson and Sweet purchased the ASCoC from Tony Stewart during this past off-season and merged it with the High Limit Series.
In the second program of the doubleheader, Sweet won the dash and led the field to green.
Larson’s second feature got off to a bad start when Tyler Courtney and Spencer Bayston tangled as the green flag waved. In the stack up that followed, Larson spun from his fifth place starting position and continued, but he cut his left rear tire and was forced into the work area. Larson tagged onto the back of the field for the restart.
Courtney and Bayston kept their cars straight and maintained their starting positions.
Courtney took the lead from Sweet on Lap 6, bringing Corey Day and Zeb Wise along.
With the leaders catching the back of the field near the halfway point, Larson spun a second time to bring out the caution. The night continued to go badly for Larson. With 14 laps remaining in the 30-lap race, Kasey Kahne and Macedo spun and collected Larson, destroying his right front wheel. He finished 25th.
Courtney survived multiple restarts including a green-white-checkered attempt to win the second race of the night.
Day finished second with Sweet recovering to finish third.
Wise in fourth and Brent Marks rounded out the top five.
More Dirt Track Racing
World of Outlaws kicks off at Volusia Speedway Park
Buddy Kofoid earns best Chili Bowl result, turns eyes to the Outlaws
Justin Grant is grinding his way into the record book
Kyle Larson crashes, fails to lock into Chili Bowl’s Saturday main
NASCAR Competitors racing in 2024 Chili Bowl
High Limit Sprint Car Series develops charter system
2024 Chili Bowl entry list features 62 rookies in field of 320
Kyle Larson wins Turkey Night Grand Prix for fourth time
World of Outlaws adds $100,000-to-win race at Huset’s
High Limit Racing expands in 2024, creates second national sprint series
