High Limit Racing: 2024 Season Preview

The excitement leading up to the 2024 sprint car season is at an all time high. With High Limit officially going national, teams now have more than just the World of Outlaws to get an opportunity to run for a championship on a national level. When the announcement was made, many speculated that the driver roster would be thin in the first season because teams would want to see how things played out. We now know that this is not the case, as the current roster is impressive from top to bottom.

The addition of charters and revenue sharing has caught the attention of many teams. For the first time in sprint car racing history, there could be an opportunity for more than a handful of teams to be profitable during a season. We don’t know how the charter system will play out and if it will even work as intended, but the fact that so many teams have signed on already tells me that the projected numbers are substantial.

In 2024, the High Limit Racing series will run 60 races and have two points fund championships. They will have a million dollar point fund for the regular season championship and a $100,000 point fund for the midweek series. The series will host multiple Crown Jewels, including the Tuscarora 50 at Port Royal, the Joker’s Jackpot at Eldora, the Gold Cup at Chico, the High Limit Nationals (Dirt Cup) at Skagit and many more.

Announcements are still coming in, but the High Limit roster currently sits at 15. I expect two or three more to come, even though Brad Sweet has said that the series is in a position to support 14 full-time teams in 2024. I don’t think eclipsing that number will be an issue, as the peaked interest and excitement is only benefitting the new series.

I will continue to update this as we get more announcements, but below is a breakdown of the current roster and how they stack up against each other.

49 Brad Sweet – Kasey Kahne Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 79
• Wins: 13
• Top 5: 48
• Top 10: 69
• Earnings: $463,465

Brad Sweet comes into the 2024 High Limit Racing season as the favorite to win the championship. He is undoubtedly the best “points racer” in all of sprint car racing right now. After five consecutive World of Outlaws championships, Sweet has little left to accomplish in his career. Last season, he finished in the top 10 in 69 of 79 races against some of the best competition on a nightly basis.

Adding a High Limit championship to his resume is obviously the goal, but Sweet has larger aspirations of winning multiple Crown Jewels this season. Sweet needs to be able to put his ownership in the series aside and just be a race car driver. Balancing the added stress of owning a series, and the potential controversy that comes with it will be all new for Sweet. I think that he and the High Limit team have put together a strong, experienced group of people that will allow Sweet to put all his focus into winning races.

24 Rico Abreu – Rico Abreu Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 71
• Wins: 13
• Top 5: 41
• Top 10: 58
• Earnings: $506,976

When Rico Abreu announced that he would be running the full High Limit schedule in 2024, the first thought in my head was that Brad Sweet will have a serious contender for the championship. Like Sweet, Abreu had an impressively consistent 2023 season, winning 13 races and finishing in the top 10 in 58 of 71 races. For the first time in his career, Abreu will be racing as a part of a national series, ditching his traditional “outlaw schedule.” But that doesn’t mean we will see Rico at less races in 2024, as he will be taking full advantage of the flexibility that the High Limit schedule offers and hitting as many races as possible.

Getting Abreu to sign on full-time is as big off the track as it is on the track. His impressive social media following will certainly boost fan interest for the series. Simply put, Rico puts fans in the seats, whether that’s at the track or on the couch at home watching FloRacing. I have no doubt that Rico will replicate or improve on his 2023 success, and I believe that this could be the year we see him in victory lane at a Crown Jewel.

26 Zeb Wise – Rudeen Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 77
• Wins: 11
• Top 5: 31
• Top 10: 50
• Earnings: $246,254

2023 was a breakout season for Zeb Wise. He and his Rudeen Racing team won the All Star Circuit of Champions title over Tyler Courtney and will look to bring that momentum with them to the High Limit series. Despite missing some time due to injury, Wise had his best season behind the wheel of a 410, winning 11 races, including finally getting that coveted first World of Outlaws win at Port Royal.

Wise really found success on technical track surfaces, such as the extremely slick New York tracks that will be apart of the 2024 High Limit schedule. But we also saw a drastic improvement toward the end of the season on the “big tracks” from Wise and his team. The Rudeen Racing team will be using Ford power all season long and I expect them to build off of their success that they had in 2023.

19 Brent Marks – Murray Marks Motorsports

2023 Stats

• Races: 74
• Wins: 13
• Top 5: 39
• Top 10: 57
• Earnings: $424,814

Outside of Rico Abreu, there wasn’t a better driver who was not committed to the World of Outlaws schedule last season. Marks was a massive addition to the High Limit roster and will immediately be in contention for one of the five charters the series will be handing out in year one. Marks has been apart of the Outlaws in the past, so he knows the challenges of being on the road consistently. He will be another guy who can give Brad Sweet and Rico Abreu a run for their money in the championship battle.

If Marks wants to compete for the title, he will need to improve on his consistent finishes. His 13 wins in 2023 will certainly do the trick, but his 39 top fives in 74 races will hurt his chances in the points battle. Marks had his fair share of bad luck in 2023, crashing out of a few races where he had a chance to win or finish on the podium. If he can limit those woes, his name will be there at the end of the season.

1A Jacob Allen – Shark Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 53
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 5
• Top 10: 16
• Earnings: $86,550

As a true fan of sprint car racing, I am just so glad that we get to see Jacob Allen back behind the wheel and chasing a championship full-time in 2024. Allen took some time off last year because he was burnt out from the constant travel and demand that the World of Outlaws schedule requires. On top of the burn out, Allen was struggling to put together consistent finishes with the Outlaws, collecting just five top fives in 53 races. One thing is for certain, Allen seems refreshed and excited about the upcoming season.

A change of scenery away from Shark Racing teammate Logan Schuchart could be great for Allen. He has stated that he was tired of always being grouped together with Logan and that he wants to build his own brand. There are some tracks on the High Limit schedule that Allen has had success at and I think a bounce back season is in store for him.

9 Kasey Kahne – Kasey Kahne Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 74
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 4
• Top 10: 15
• Earnings: $108,928

Kasey Kahne finally got back in victory lane in 2023 during weekly action at Huset’s. He didn’t quite run the full World of Outlaws schedule, but he still managed to run 74 races. The numbers might not be the greatest, but I thought Kahne put together one of his best sprint car seasons in recent memory last year.

I don’t know what the expectation is for Kahne in 2024, but I wouldn’t rule out at least one trip to victory lane. The shorter schedule will definitely benefit Kahne and help him put together more consistent finishes. We all know Kahne is a talented driver, but we have yet to see him perform at a high level since his departure from NASCAR. I think that could change this season.

8 Cory Eliason – Ridge & Sons Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 73
• Wins: 2
• Top 5: 19
• Top 10: 36
• Earnings: $158,450

Cory Eliason has bounced around the sprint car world the last few seasons. He spent most of 2023 in the Crouch Motorsports no. 11 and put together a nice season. The pairing decided to part ways at the end of the season, and Eliason immediately teamed up with the Ridge and Sons Racing team. It was rumored that the new combination could go High Limit racing in 2024, and that is exactly what they will be doing.

Despite only winning two races in 2023, there wasn’t a better “free agent” driver on the market than Eliason. I really like the RSR no. 8 team and I believe that there is real potential for this combination to surprise some people this season. Eliason has a ton of experience racing all over the county and he is a pretty solid “points racer,” making him a “sleeper” when it comes to claiming one of those five charters the series will be handing out in 2024.

5 Spencer Bayston – CJB Motorsports

2023 Stats:

• Races: 80
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 13
• Top 10: 46
• Earnings: $197,250

Spencer Bayston was a prime candidate to make the switch from the Outlaws to the High Limit series. After a solid 2022 campaign, Bayston plateaued in 2023, winning just one race in 80 starts. The flexibility of the High Limit schedule will allow Bayston to essentially match his points fund earnings from last year, while having the ability to race for more money at all the big events across both major series.

I think Bayston and the CJB no. 5 team are expecting to get their hands on one of the five charters in 2024. That will be no easy task, as the High Limit roster has shaped up nicely from top to bottom. Even with announcements still coming in, it seems pretty realistic that Bayston will be battling right around the top five in points.

55 Chris Windom – Vermeer Motorsports

2023 Stats:

• Races: 65
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 11
• Top 10: 30
• Earnings: $78,534

When Chris Windom was announced as the new driver of the Vermeer Motorsports no. 55, I was expecting them to commit to the High Limit schedule. Windom hasn’t been able to breakthrough and get that first winged sprint car win yet, but he has improved each year since he decided to throw a wing on that thing. He finished in the top 10 in nearly half of his 65 starts last season.

Clinton Boyles and the Vermeer Motorsports team have proved they can win races against the best. Hunter Schuerenberg and Kerry Madsen both won in that car last year. A full national schedule will be new to this team, but I think that they are more than capable. I could see the 2024 season being a learning year for this new combination, with eyes on a charter in 2025.

9P Parker Price-Miller – PPM Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 75
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 15
• Top 10: 29
• Earnings: $128,495

I wasn’t surprised that Parker Price-Miller committed to the full High Limit schedule, but I was surprised that it was with his family-owned team. A quick Google search for PPM will reveal him racing a multitude of different cars over the years. There is no doubt that PPM can win races against the best, but there is some doubt that he can do it consistently for a points championship.

I do believe that PPM is at his best in his family car. He showed moments of great speed last year, especially during the big races. If PPM can return to the form he had when he was behind the wheel of the Sam McGhee no. 11, then there’s no reason he can’t be competitive each night.

14/14BC Corey Day – Jason Meyers / Clauson Marshall

2023 Stats:

• Races: 45
• Wins: 10
• Top 5: 27
• Top 10: 31
• Earnings: $177,130

Corey Day running the full High Limit schedule was definitely one of the big shocks of the off-season. It was originally expected that Day would run a similar schedule to his 2023 season while he finished his final year of high school. The combination of his Jason Meyers Racing no. 14 and the Clauson Marshall Racing team will be a potent one. If we thought Corey Day was having his breakout season in 2023, just wait until 2024.

Regardless of age and experience, it is absolutely not out of the question that we see Day battling with Brad Sweet and Rico Abreu on a consistent basis. Does that mean he could be in the top five in points? Definitely. I expect to see Day in victory lane multiple times in 2024.

13 Justin Peck – Buch Motorsports

2023 Stats:

• Races: 79
• Wins: 2
• Top 5: 29
• Top 10: 49
• Earnings: $211,702

It’s great to see Justin Peck back on a national tour. Peck and his Buch Motorsports team always run aggressive schedules, but they are built to run for a championship. Although the team won just two races in 2023, it wasn’t for a lack of speed. He had a stretch of bad luck and hard crashes, making it difficult for the team to find a rhythm.

It is definitely realistic that we see Peck fighting for one of the five charters in 2024. We have seen him put together a solid “points racing” season with the All Stars in 2022, and there is no reason that he can’t do it again. The competition will be tougher, but this team is more than capable.

1 Brenham Crouch – Crouch Motorsports

2023 Stats:

• Races: 49
• Wins: 1
• Top 5: 21
• Top 10: 28
• Earnings: $50,555

Brenham Crouch is probably the driver that you know the least about out of all the High Limit drivers. If you need to know one thing, it’s that he wins championships. The 2023 IRA champion and rookie of the year put together a fantastic first season behind the wheel of a 410. He picked up his first career win and gained valuable “points racing” experience.

The Crouch Motorsports team is relatively new to the scene, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have what it takes to win races. We saw Buddy Kofoid and Cory Eliason win races in the no. 11 last season, and that experience on the road will only help make it easier for Brenham. While I don’t think a championship is realistic in year one, I wouldn’t rule out a couple podiums and maybe even a win.

88 Tanner Thorson – Rod Gross Motorsports

2023 Stats:

• Races: 11
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 2
• Top 10: 5
• Earnings: $12,100

Tanner Thorson joining the High Limit racing series was not something I had on my bingo card. I absolutely love this move for Thorson, as I have been lobbying to see more of him in 2024. My excitement stems from Thorson’s performance during PA Speedweek, where he consistently put the Aaron Long no. 58 machine up front. Although he only ran 11 winged 410 races in 2023, Thorson proved that he can compete with the best.

Despite some bad luck, Thorson ran in the top 10 in nearly half of his starts last season. It will be a year with some bumps in the road for Thorson, but there is no reason to believe that we won’t see him battling up front every now and then.

28M Conner Morrell – Marc Dailey Racing

2023 Stats:

• Races: 61
• Wins: 0
• Top 5: 0
• Top 10: 4
• Earnings: $30,829

Conner Morrell was a name that I thought had a chance to join the Outlaws or High Limit. He ran the full All Star schedule last season and gained valuable experience on the road. While he struggled during parts of the season, Morrell is a young driver who will only get better with time.

Morrell had just four top 10’s in 61 starts in 2023, but I expect that number to improve in 2024.