BRAD SWEET WINS RICH KINGS ROYAL

Brad Sweet Wins Rich Kings Royal – Photo: Richard Hathaway

CALIFORNIAN SUPERSTAR Brad Sweet has won the richest Sprintcar race on the planet with victory in the 36th annual Eldora Speedway Kings Royal earlier today in Ohio.

By GEOFF ROUNDS

The 2018 Knoxville Nationals champion has started off the Month of Money in the USA in perfect form with a huge payday of $175,000 first prize.

Sweet, who is due in Australia late December, won from Logan Schuchart who led for 26 laps after coming from 12th and third was Brent Marks who also powered from 16th on the starting grid.

The win is Sweet’s 11th victory of the season and his ninth since he started off his hot streak at Granite City on June 8.

Brad Sweet crowned at Eldora – Photo: Richard Hathaway

From sixth position, Sweet didn’t take the lead until lap 26 of the 40-lap main event, when he jumped in front of Schuchart on the final restart.

Schuchart, who started in 12th, had built up a 2.5 second lead over Sweet and the rest of the field after passing 63-year-old polesitter Sammy Swindell on lap 11.

The Pennsylvania native had been building the lead over the next 15 laps when Aaron Reutzel caught a flat tire, bringing out the caution.

Not even a full lap into the final stint after the restart, Sweet had the lead, while further back there was a big dice going on for third.

Sheldon Haudenschild had worked his way up to podium contention early on, as well as Australian Kerry Madsen, who started third and both were challenging Schatz for the spot.

Haudenschild eventually got there before the caution for Aaron Reutzel, which ended up being the start of the collapse to Schatz’ night.

Schatz who won the previous night’s feature and led every lap won car-owner Tony Stewart his 300th Outlaws win, but quickly fell from third to sixth with five laps to go, marking the first time he has finished there since 2015. Schatz had won the last four consecutive Kings Royal’s until this year, where he would eventually finish sixth after his front-row start.

James McFadden was amongst the Aussies in the field – Photo: Richard Hathaway

Haudenschild finished in fourth right in front of David Gravel and the best-placed Australian was Kerry Madsen in 10th while his brother Ian was 13th, James McFadden was the first emergency for the A-Main.

Marcus Dumesny finished seventh in the C-Main and Australian Sprintcar champion Andrew Scheuerle also made the same race.

2019 Kings Royal Results

1. Brad Sweet
2. Logan Schuchart
3. Brent Marks
4. Sheldon Haudenschild
5. David Gravel
6. Donny Schatz
7. Sammy Swindell
8. Jac Haudenschild
9. Tim Shaffer
10. Kerry Madsen
11. Joey Saldana
12. Gio Scelzi
13. Ian Madsen
14. Shane Stewart
15. Dale Blaney
16. Rico Abreu
17. Cory Eliason
18. Cale Thomas
19. Daryn Pittman
20. Brock Zearfoss
21. Sye Lynch
22. Justin Peck
23. Tom Harris
24. Aaron Reutzel

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