Larson Holds Off Bayston For 20 Grand

BRANDON, S.D. — Kyle Larson delivered yet again on Wednesday at Huset’s Speedway.The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series kicked off the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by Menards. The two events in one started with a $20,000-to-win Huset’s Hustle prelim, opening a four-day stretch defined by racing for crazy cash.
Larson lined up fourth for the 35-lap main event. It took him only seven circuits to move the Silva Motorsports No. 57 into second. Then a pivotal restart with 20 laps to go gave the Elk Grove, Calif., native the opportunity he needed as he threw a slider that stuck on early leader Spencer Bayston.
Bayston refused to give up in the hunt for his first sprint car win since August of 2023. The driver of the Jason Meyers Racing No. 14 paced Larson as they navigated traffic on the tight confines of Huset’s. Larson’s lead slipped away as the laps faded. The white flag waved with Larson committed to the bottom and Bayston railing the cushion.
As the two exited Turn 4 Bayston built up momentum but fell just short of eclipsing the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion at the line. Larson got the $20,000 checkered flag and set himself up nicely to chase $100,000 on Thursday.
“When I saw the white, I was like, ‘OK, just hit two more corners here. I don’t think it’s going to time out where he gets by,’” Larson explained. “Fun race there. Really, really technical cushion. I felt good out in open track, just really kind of balled up and tight once we caught traffic up there, so it made it difficult. Cool to get a win. We’ve had a rough stretch here of really just luck, I feel like, in the sprint car. Even the NASCAR stuff has not gone well the last few weeks so good to get back on track, and hopefully we can carry it into some more wins.”
The victory was Larson’s fourth in eight World of Outlaws starts this season. It was his 39th career WoO triumph.
The second spot belonged to Spencer Bayston after his last lap run wasn’t quite enough. It gave he and the Jason Meyers Racing team reason for optimism amid what’s been a tough season, but it was also still a hard pill to swallow after leading 15 laps and coming so close to his first win in nearly two years.
Kyle Larson (center: shares the podium with Spencer Bayston and Buddy Kofoid. (Tylan Porath photo)
“During all those caution laps, I ran through in my head what I wanted to do, and I’m going to have to go back and watch it,” Bayston said. “I’ve got a bunch of our team guys back home watching, and we’ll have a meeting and discuss and figure out how to not lose it like that because I felt like we were the car to beat there.”
Defending Huset’s High Bank Nationals champion Buddy Kofoid rounded out the podium. It’s clear he and the Roth Motorsports crew have speed once again at the third-mile as the Penngrove, Calif.,native charged from eighth to third. If luck had been on his side in the redraw for the first four rows of the feature, Kofoid felt he would’ve a shot at winning.
“I wish we didn’t draw the eight,” Kofoid said. “I feel like we had a car that could contend to win. Kyle and Spencer were right there in front of us the whole time, and my car has always been really good in traffic.”
David Gravel and Garet Williamson completed the top five.
Rico Abreu claimed his third Simpson Quick Time of 2025 in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.
The finish:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. 57-Kyle Larson[4]; 2. 14-Spencer Bayston[2]; 3. 83-Michael Kofoid[8]; 4. 2-David Gravel[6]; 5. 23-Garet Williamson[7]; 6. 39M-Anthony Macri[11]; 7. 17B-Bill Balog[3]; 8. 88T-Tanner Thorson[19]; 9. 18-Giovanni Scelzi[9]; 10. 3-Tim Kaeding[10]; 11. 49-Brad Sweet[21]; 12. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[12]; 13. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 14. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[13]; 15. 21-Brian Brown[20]; 16. 41-Carson Macedo[24]; 17. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[22]; 18. 15-Donny Schatz[15]; 19. 69K-Christopher Bell[18]; 20. 83H-Justin Henderson[16]; 21. 6K-Kaleb Johnson[23]; 22. 28M-Conner Morrell[17]; 23. 25-Jy Corbet[5]; 24. 64-Andy Pake[14]