KYLE LARSON IS $100,000 RICHER!

Feature photo: Kyle Larson celebrates winning $100,000 at the Perth Motorplex on Monday night. Photo by Richard Hathaway Photography

American superstar Kyle Larson claimed his first sprintcar feature race win on Australian soil, on Monday night at the Perth Motorplex.

Runner up James McFadden (left) and third-placed Callum Williamson flank winner of High Limit International: Perth, Kyle Larson, at the Perth Motorplex on Monday night. Photo by Richard Hathaway Photography.

One of the most versatile drivers in world motorsport at the moment, struck gold in the maiden $100,000 to win High Limit International: Perth, from former Australian Sprintcar Champion James McFadden, while local track hero Callum Williamson was third.

A capacity crowd witnessed the highest-paying Sprintcar race in Australia, on the back of huge crowds for the three-night series that attracted a stellar field of eight Americans, as well as some of Australia’s best.

Larson’s feature race win came on the back of a fourth at the December 28 show and a ninth on December 29  (which was a great recovery after hitting the fence while leading).

He was the star attraction for the High Limit event that is part of a nine-night Speedweek series which is also comprises the 2024-25 Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series Championship.

Larson started from position six for the 35-lap feature race but muscled his way to second by lap nine and after stalking race leader McFadden for some time, he hit the lead on lap 28 – once he got into clear traffic, he was able to stretch the legs on the 1K car, owned by WA racer Jason Pryde.

“I was pretty confident, even after the main event on the first night and then I got the wall last night, but I felt good about things today,’’ Larson said.

“I am happy to get the win and repay these guys for my mistake last night and all the hard work they had to do.’’

Larson said once he got to second, after a restart worked well for him, “I just felt I needed to pace him (McFadden) and hopefully catch him in lapped traffic – and then anything  can happen once the pace slows down.’’

“He was doing a really good job in traffic and I wasn’t quite sure if I would have enough time but he started really searching for different lines and I thought hopefully that was going to break his momentum up a little bit and it did – and it helped me build some runs.’’

Larson said a visit to the Western Australian venue was something that he wanted to make happen.

“Honestly I have wanted to come for a couple of years, it just hasn’t worked out for me, but it was neat to have High Limit be a part of this event and me being able to come here for the first time,’’ he said.

“I thought it was a great event, a great atmosphere, the crowd was bigger than was I thought it was going to be too.’’

McFadden started on the outside of the front row, along Williamson, and was one of the event favourites after winning the two feature races on the two previous nights.

The very vocal local cheer squad in turn one, complete with their air horns, was hopeful of a Williamson win to reward his strong WA form.

Brad Sweet started and finished fourth, while defending Maddington Toyota Sprintcar Series Champion Dayne Kingshott was fifth after starting from position three.

The race was only five laps old when a big crash on the back straight saw Daniel Harding limp from the cockpit of the W18.

There was another red light stoppage not long after which saw Ryan Lancaster and Kaiden Manders out of the contest.

While Larson was kept busy meeting long lines of fans after the race, his celebrations didn’t kick on too long, as he had to head to Perth Airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning, WA time, “before heading straight to Tulsa and hopping right into a Micro Sprint’’.

“It’s weird to think that on paper, because we are so far ahead here, in Australia, I will be on track in Oklahoma tomorrow, so it’s pretty cool.’’

While Larson has left, the majority of the American contingent and visiting drivers from the east, will regroup, before heading to Bunbury Speedway on January 1 for the next leg of the Speedweek schedule.

Monday night results
Heat 1: 1st Kyle Larson, 2nd Kaiden Manders, 3rd Jack Williamson, 4th Kerry Madsen, 5th Michael Keen, 6th Tim King, 7th George Eaton, 8th Matthew Cross, 9th Jason Kendrick.

Heat 2: 1st Matt Egel, 2nd Justin Whittall, 3rd Gio Scelzi, 4th Ryan Newton, 5th Matt Juhl, 6th AJ Nash, 7th Ryan Lancaster, 8th Myles Bolger, 9th Brooke Newson.

Heat 3: 1st Dayne Kingshott, 2nd Daniel Harding, 3rd Aaron Chircop, 4th Andrew Priolo,  5th Taylor Milling, 6th Brad Maiolo, 8th Jaydee Dack.

Heat 4: 1st Brock Zearfoss, 2nd Jock Goodyer, 3rd Luke Oldfield, 4th James Inglis,  5th Cory Eliason, 6th Jamie Maiolo,  7th Joel Ettridge, 8th Kris Coyle.

Dash: 1st Callum Williamson, 2nd James McFadden, 3rd Dayne Kingshott, 4th Brad Sweet, 5th Cole Macedo, 6th Kyle Larson, 7th Matt Egel, 8th Brock Zearfoss.

B Main: 1st Cory Eliason, 2nd Taylor Milling, 3rd Matt Juhl, 4th Brad Maiolo, 5th Ryan Lancaster, 6th Kris Coyle, 7th Jason Kendrick, 8th Michael Keen, 9th Tim King, 10th Jamie Maiolo, 11th Jaydee Dack.

A Main: 1st Kyle Larson, 2nd James McFadden, 3rd Callum Williamson, 4th Brad Sweet, 5th Dayne Kingshott, 6th Brock Zearfoss, 7th Jock Goodyer, 8th Cole Macedo, 9th Matt Egel, 10th Ryan Newton, 11th Kerry Madsen, 12th Luke Oldfield, 13th Andrew Priolo, 14th Kris Coyle, 15th Taylor Milling, 16th Gio Scelzi, 17th Matt Juhl, 18th Jack Williamson, 19th Justin Whittall, 20th Jason Kendrick, 21st Aaron Chircop. DNF: James Inglis, Kaiden Manders, Ryan Lancaster, Daniel Harding and Brad Maiolo.

—