SC&M: To follow up on that, there‘s been a big shift over time. Years ago, the sprint car and midget racers really tended to look up to the NASCAR and Indy guys, but these days it‘s to some extent reversed. We see NASCAR and IndyCar drivers, even some of the Formula 1 drivers, who seem in awe of you guys. Has it been surprising to you to experience how excited those guys are about World of Outlaws racers?
SWEET: Yeah. I think, honestly … I mean we have to credit the Kaseys, Tonys, now Kyle Larson and Chris Bell, Ricky Stenhouse, for helping sprint cars get the attention they deserve. But, obviously, our product is exactly what consumers love. And I think, as drivers, it‘s just that pure … it‘s just you and a machine when you‘re racing on a dirt track. There‘s just no engineering, there‘s no testing, there‘s no … it‘s just so simplified that the real racer in all of us love it.
It‘s definitely surprising. It‘s great. Obviously, for me it makes life easier, cause our stands are packed, sponsors want to be a part of the World of Outlaws, and it has great growth potential. With Dirtvision now, it‘s getting to a lot more consumers and they‘re getting to watch all of it. I‘ve definitely noticed a huge, huge difference in recognition, people knowing what sprint cars are, for one. People knowing who I am, for another.
That‘s all great for our sport and great for me, obviously, to be kind of at the top of my game right now.
SC&M: Regarding that growth potential, is there anything you‘d like to see more of, or anything else you‘d like to see the World of Outlaws do?
SWEET: Well, I mean there‘s lots of different ways to look at it. Obviously, we don‘t want to ruin what we have. But I do see a ton of growth potential. I‘m always wanting it to get safer. You know, I feel like some of the venues we‘re still going to we could probably do without. I‘d love to see more events getting built, even though they‘re doing a great job with those that are getting built, I still see potential to have some more of those three- to four-day big events.
But they‘re doing a great job and it can‘t happen overnight. And we really don‘t want to change and be more like NASCAR; we want to still have our own identity and still have that feel. The thing that the fans love about our sport is how close and how connected they can be to the drivers and the crews and everything.
We don‘t want to lose any of that, but we also want to make sure we‘re getting the most out of it all.
SC&M: I‘m totally changing course here, but who was the first person to call you “The Big Cat”?
SWEET: (NHRA drag racer) J.R. Todd. I lived with J.R. in Indiana in 2008. I was living there while I was driving for Kasey, and we were watching a show on TV and the two brothers or cousins were calling each other the “big cats,” just back and forth. We thought that was hilarious, so we actually…he actually started calling me that a lot more and it caught on. Then, our friends started calling me it, the friends that were hanging out at the house.
Then it just slowly caught on and caught on until … I think Blake Anderson might have been the first announcer to actually call me it at a race track. But Johnny Gibson caught on, and I‘ve been stuck with it ever since. But I honestly enjoy it. I love it.
I, believe it or not, am actually a huge big cat fan, as far as lions, tigers, cheetahs, all the animals, those are big cats, I guess. Me and my wife have always been a fan of that stuff, so it fits me, I think. Always on the attack.
SC&M: Last question. You mentioned some of the trophies still on your bucket list, and you‘re hoping to back up your championship. As far as goals go, is there anything else in racing you‘re wanting to accomplish?
SWEET: Honestly, I just don‘t want to go down in history books as [having] won one or two. I want to make a run like Donny Schatz has made. I wanna be that next guy to have multiple Knoxville Nationals, multiple Kings Royals (and) multiple championships.
That’s what I’m looking for.