By BILL FOLEY
If Brad Sweet has anything to do about it the championship runs will continue.
A native Californian, Sweet has captured his third consecutive World of Outlaws championship and he talked about the quest to achieve this year’s crown with Dirt Track Digest.
In earning his third straight he said, “Once you win it you don’t ever want to lose it again. Three times in a row and each one is special, but that first one is always the toughest. This year was a bit different as we could sort of relax. We had built up a lead and clinched it before coming in to Charlotte.”
Continuing he said, “It means a lot to Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA and the guys on the team. We worked for it.”
How did the championship run go?
“We got off to a good start and had eight or nine wins in the first 25 races. We just came out of the box strong and that is so important,” explained Sweet.
Continuing he said, “You need to overcome adversity as you are going to have some of those night when things don’t exactly go your way. You need consistency and not falling out of races.”
In winning championships Sweet noted, “You always want to believe you can win one and achieve your dream. It is something to put your name next to your heroes. I really don’t have time to reflect right now on what we have achieved, but maybe in five or 10 years from now I can sit back and appreciate it..”
The World of Outlaw tour isn’t easy and only those who do it can truly understand what teams go through.
Sweet said, “The travel is brutal. You are living on the road, away from you family, you are staying in hotels and the drives are long. But when you win the championship it is worth it. Eventually, I will go on to the next chapter as I don’t plan on doing this my entire life.”
Continuing he said, “I am a family guy and the next chapter I want to make up for lost time with my wife and daughter. They have made sacrifices for me and I want to be able to focus on them and be together. I enjoy the valuable time I have with my family as my daughter is just three and a half years old.”
However, racing and family are a difficult mix as he said, “I focus on racing when I am racing and when I am home I am a fun dad, relaxing and enjoying the company.”
When asked about possible future championships, he said, “You have to take one year at a time. You need to just enjoy the moment before focusing on the next season. The guys who work so hard on the car deserve a break. However, it is one step at a time as you know you can do it, but everyone is gunning for us. If we continue to do what we do maybe we can get four or five. You never know.”
