Daniel Burton of Columbus won the pred go-kart division on Oct. 21 at Tony Stewart Speedway in Columbus. The Oct. 28 event was postponed due to weather and now is set for Nov. 11 as the season finale.
Submitted photo
The Columbus Speedway Go-Kart Racing, which conducts events at Tony Stewart Speedway on the grounds of the Bartholomew County 4-H Fairgrounds, saw its racing event for Oct. 28 cancelled due to weather. The final race of the 2023 season now will be on Nov. 11.
The division winners from Oct. 21 were Thomas Kramer (rookies), Maverick Brison (junior 1), Conner Smith (junior 2 and junior 3), Bratton Atkinson (junior champ), Johnny Smith (medium), Ryan Turner (heavy), Brandon Malone (super heavy), Daniel Burton (pred), Jeff Purdue (sumo), Leroy Blevins (small block), Kevin Swisher (senior champ) and Brandon Taylor (rwyb).
Larson, Sweet acquire All-Star Sprints
NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and four-time World of Outlaws Sprint Cars champion Brad Sweet will take over ownership of the All-Star Circuit of Champions 410 Sprint Car series owned by three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart. The announcement was made on Oct. 23.
“Sprint Car racing is in a better place today because of the contributions Tony has made, including his ownership of the All Stars,” said Larson, co-owner of the High Limit Sprint Car Series. “His commitment to giving back to the sport has been an inspiration to me, personally. Brad and I share his passion for making the business side of the sport better for teams, drivers and sponsors, and we’re thankful for Tony’s trust in us to carry on what he started.”
Stewart purchased the All-Star Circuit of Champions in 2015, adding to his long list of legendary contributions to motorsports. As just the fourth different owner since the series’ creation in 1970, Stewart grew the All-Star Circuit of Champions by expanding its footprint in the country, increasing purses for its teams and raising the series visibility by partnering with FloRacing in 2020.
“When I purchased the All-Stars in 2015, my intention was to unite what had become a divided class of regional 410-winged sprint car racing,” Stewart said. “Over the last nine years, not only have we unified, but we also pushed the boundaries on our geographic footprint, purse structure and race format, while providing a Series that has groomed young talent and provided a continued course for our seasoned veteran drivers. I am extremely proud of our accomplishments. We have developed great relationships with corporate partners, tracks, promoters, team owners and drivers, all of which have contributed to the success of the All-Star Series. The time is right to pass the torch to Kyle and Brad. I have had many conversations with them both on their overall vision for 410 racing and I am confident that with their leadership, the sport will continue to thrive into the foreseeable future.
“I am honored to have my name listed next to Bud Miller, Bert & Brigitte Emick and Guy Webb as one of four to have owned the All Stars since 1970,” he added. “I certainly need to recognize and thank our employees. Our Series Directors, Don Grabey, Eric Walls and Kevin Nouse, have all contributed immensely to the Series and to the sport. The Series Director role is a thankless job, and I appreciate their efforts. Blake Anderson and Ross Paulson are our longest tenured employees, having been with the All Stars since the inception of my ownership. Their enthusiasm and dedication to the All Stars and 410 racing are unparalleled. Kenny (Osborne), Erin (Noel), John (Menear), Tyler (Altmeyer), Steve (Topper), Gooch (Jeff Patterson) and Logan (Nouse) were the most recent part of the integral team that allowed us to remain humbly successful over the course of nearly a decade. I look forward to our final banquet in December to celebrate with all our constituents.”
In 2023, Larson and Sweet introduced the High Limit Sprint Car Series with an inaugural schedule that featured 12 midweek events. Like Stewart, their goal is to elevate Sprint Car racing and turn their passion for the sport into a positive for fans, drivers, teams, and racetracks.
“We’ve learned a lot throughout our inaugural midweek season this year,” said Sweet, co-owner of the High Limit Sprint Car Series. “We have a strong desire to expand on what we’ve learned and continue to contribute to and grow sprint car racing. Kyle and I, like Tony, believe in this sport and want to provide more opportunities for teams, drivers and tracks. We’re looking forward to more announcements coming soon.”
Information regarding the 2024 schedule and team roster is forthcoming. Follow High Limit on X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook and Instagram to stay up-to-date on all upcoming announcements.
This week in racing history
From 60 years ago in 1963, the Columbus Go-Kart Club champions were Richard Smith, Glenn Blythe, Jim Devening, John Arrington and Bill Ault.
From 50 years ago in 1973, Johnny Robbins was named the track champion at Twin Cities. Dee Kramer was second in points, followed by Jim Raymer, Chuck Gilpin, Mike Stewart, Bruce Steinert, Hillbilly Ogle, Tommy Day, Curly Mahoney Jr. and Denny Long.
From 1973, Butch Wilkerson (sprints) and Tom Helfrich (late models) were crowned track champions at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt.
From 50 years ago, the Columbus Kart Club champions were Kevin Rice, Teresa James, Ottis Martin, Mel Worrell, Mike Tobias and Bill Ault.
From 1983, Lincoln Park Speedway in Putnamville named its track champions, with Bob Kinser (sprints) and Steve Barnett (late models) winning track championships.
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected]
