KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Heartland of America Showdown kicked off on Friday night with the first of two shows at Lakeside Speedway, and a heated chase through lapped traffic put the intensity of two championship chases on full display.
While winner Brent Marks led all 25 laps, it was a fun follow through the back markers as Aaron Reutzel and Brad Sweet hounded Marks in a race that featured only one stoppage.
Ultimately, Marks did lead from flag-to-flag for his seventh-career Kubota High Limit Racing victory — ranking fifth on the all-time wins list behind Rico Abreu (23), Brad Sweet (13), Corey Day (11) and Kyle Larson (9).
For the Myerstown, Pa., native, it was his fourth trip to Whiskey Myers Victory Lane this season — third-most with the series behind only Abreu (11) and Reutzel (6). His four triumphs in 2025 have came across all the country with wins occurring at Texas Motor Speedway in the south, Port Royal Speedway at home out east, Douglas County Dirtrack on the west coast, and now Lakeside Speedway in the Heartland of America.
With Reutzel and Sweet concluding the podium behind Marks, it was a crucial moment in the championship chase as Rico Abreu finished ninth and allowed both teams to gain ground with four races left in the Kubota High Limit Racing season.
Finishing second with a last-lap pass, Aaron Reutzel earned his fourth runner-up result of the year to go with his six wins. The Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 now sits a mere 17 points behind the Rico Abreu Racing No. 24 in the battle for the $250,000-to-win owner championship, which is all-important in deciding the 2026 and 2027 Franchise System.
Earning a third-place result for his 16th podium finish of the season was Brad Sweet in the Kasey Kahne Racing, NAPA Auto Parts No. 49. “The Big Cat” has the driver championship down to 39-points behind Rico Abreu as he chases a seventh-straight national championship.
The finish:
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 3. 49-Brad Sweet[3]; 4. 9-Chase Randall[5]; 5. 5-Brenham Crouch[9]; 6. 13-Daison Pursley[1]; 7. 42-Sye Lynch[6]; 8. 10-Ryan Timms[10]; 9. 24-Rico Abreu[8]; 10. 7BC-Giovanni Scelzi[7]; 11. 14-Justin Sanders[14]; 12. 21H-Brady Bacon[17]; 13. 74-Xavier Doney[20]; 14. 88-Tanner Thorson[12]; 15. 26-Justin Peck[19]; 16. 27-Emerson Axsom[16]; 17. 24D-Danny Sams III[13]; 18. 19H-Clinton Boyles[22]; 19. 74S-Sammy Swindell[11]; 20. 12X-Hank Davis[18]; 21. 45X-Landon Crawley[21]; 22. 22-Riley Goodno[15]; 23. 44-Chris Martin[24]; 24. 53-Jack Dover[23]
