Column: 81, Lakeside & Tri-City Ready For High Limit Racing This Week

Column By: BRIAN WALKER / HIGH LIMIT RACING – WICHITA, KS – It’s a three-race week for Kubota High Limit Racing with stops scheduled outside of Wichita, Kansas City, and St. Louis as Sprint Cars rumble through the heartland.

On Wednesday, the Evans Building Battle at 81 Speedway serves as the new season opener for the Roto-Rooter Midweek Series. The Park City, Kansas dirt track is hosting Kubota High Limit Racing for the first time ever with a $20,000 payday on the line and 30+ entries expected.

On Friday, a trip down the turnpike will take teams to Lakeside Speedway for the Hasty Bake Kansas City Clash, featuring another $20,000 check and 30+ entries expected. Located a short seven miles down the road from Kansas Speedway, the star-studded event is the perfect kickoff to NASCAR weekend in KC.

On Saturday, a drive across I-70 leads everybody to Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois for the third appearance in series history at the STL-area track. It’s the only event 2025 scheduled in Illinois for the Kubota High Limit Sprint Cars.

Let’s look at what’s on the table as we return to racing this week:

MIDWEEK TAKE TWO: After severe storms knocked out Texarkana 67 Speedway last Wednesday, the Roto-Rooter Midweek Series is now a 10-race mini-series, beginning this Wednesday, May 7 at 81 Speedway in Park City, Kansas. Located just outside of Wichita, the track will host Kubota High Limit Racing for the first time ever – joining Kansas City’s Lakeside Speedway, where the series races on Friday, as the second “Sunflower State” venue with High Limit.

Five of the 30+ expected entries are former winners at 81, including undefeated Rico Abreu, who has ran two World of Outlaws races and won both. Additional 81 winners include Kyle Larson (2020 All Stars), Aaron Reutzel (2014 NCRA), Brian Brown (2008 NCRA), and Jason Martin (2023 ASCS).

ON THE BOARD: Speaking of Abreu, he was one of two drivers to leave Texas Motor Speedway’s Stockyard Stampede last weekend with their first Kubota High Limit Racing win of 2025.

On Thursday, Brent Marks made it back-to-back wins at TMS, after also topping last year’s $50,000 All-In Championship Weekend. His last six High Limit finishes showcase runs of 3rd, 4th, 8th, 8th, 1st, 7th and has him sitting third in the points (-86). The Murray-Marks Motorsports No. 19 team could build more momentum this week, especially come Tri-City on Saturday, where he won last year.

On Saturday, Rico Abreu held off Kyle Larson in a non-stop chase through lap traffic for his first High Limit win of 2025, but his third-straight weekend with a win. Winning from the outside pole, he became the first DURST Dice Roll winner of the year, pushing his winnings to $17,500 at Texas Motor Speedway. This week, he’ll visit two places he’s already won at before, including 81 on Wednesday and Tri-City on Saturday.

PODIUM PROFICIENT: Brad Sweet’s unrivaled consistency is hard to beat and seven podiums in eight events is the proof in the pudding. His worst finish with Kubota High Limit Racing this year is fourth place at Central Arizona, and he’s averaging an absurd average finish of 2.3. That success has built an 83-point lead in the championship chase for the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts No. 49 team.

Tyler Courtney and Clauson-Marshall Racing are his closest competitors, but there’s a heap of contenders under that blanket with Brent Marks and Murray-Marks Motorsports (-86), Rico Abreu and Rico Abreu Racing (-98), and Aaron Reutzel and Ridge & Sons Racing (-105) all in the mix.

DAYTONA TO DIRT: A trio of NASCAR Cup Series stars are briefly on the road with Kubota High Limit Racing, following the series from Texas Motor Speedway to Wichita’s 81 Speedway on Wednesday and Kansas City’s Lakeside Speedway on Friday.

Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 driver, Kyle Larson, will remain a constant threat in the Silva Motorsports No. 57, fresh off a runner-up effort to Rico Abreu at TMS. Already a 13-time winner this year, “Yung Money” could make it 14 or 15 as we head to 81 and Lakeside, both excellent venues for the Elk Grove, California native.

Joe Gibbs Racing No. 54 pilot, Ty Gibbs, is continuing to dabble in Sprint Car Racing as he learns the new-to-him discipline. Aboard Chad Boat’s CB Industries No. 84, Gibbs qualified for his first two Kubota High Limit Racing A-Mains in Las Vegas and Texas, and now looks to get more laps under his belt at 81 and Lakeside.

Hyak Motorsports No. 47 runner, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., will fly the NOS Energy Drink colors on his No. 17JR Sprint Car as he, dad, and company follow the series north to Kansas. RSJ topped Saturday’s B-Main at TMS to become the seventh driver to qualify for a Kubota High Limit Racing A-Main every year since 2022 – joining Kyle Larson, Tyler Courtney, Brent Marks, Justin Peck, Brady Bacon, and Justin Sanders.

PAY-DAY IS BACK FOR A BIT: For the next week-plus, Corey Day is back at home on the dirt and running up-and-down the road with Kubota High Limit Racing. With some downtime between his NASCAR Truck Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series obligations as a Hendrick Motorsports driver, the Clovis, California 19-year-old is climbing back in the Jason Meyers Racing No. 14BC.

In his first three Kubota Hihg Limit Racing starts of 2025, Day and crew chief Wayne Priddy won the $25,000 season opener at Las Vegas, raced from 21st-to-4th at Tulare, and finished top-five on Saturday at TMS.

Along with the full-time JMR, Sander Engineering No. 14 team with Spencer Bayston, Day and the No. 14BC plan to follow the series from Texas to 81 to Lakeside to Tri-City to Kokomo to Fremont before taking a break as the series goes to New York next weekend.