Trailing Rico Abreu by 72 points with seven races left in the Kubota High Limit Racing driver title race, a deficit that ballooned 50 points over three races last week, are Brad Sweet and the Kasey Kahne Racing No. 49 team pushing the proverbial panic button?

That level of concern wasn’t explicitly voiced after disappointing trips to Lawrenceburg Speedway and Eldora Speedway, but the Grass Valley, Calif., driver is feeling the pressure to keep up more than ever with Abreu, who bagged two wins and a runner-up last week.

Sweet’s reign as a six-time national champion appears in jeopardy.

“If we’re gonna win, you always wanna win. I’m not gonna sit and discredit that I’m content running third or anything like that,” the 39-year-old Sweet said. “Obviously I’ve been in these situations and I’ve been in their shoes where we’ve been able to step up when it matters. We’ve always had that extra little trick up our sleeve or bailed ourselves out. This year, the situation we’re in with the crew — the young crew — we’re working hard, we’re trying hard.

“But I feel like (Abreu’s crew chief) Ricky (Warner) and Rico, like you said, they’re on a different level. Then you have Aaron (Reutzel) and his package, and they’re just a little better. Obviously it would take some luck on our end probably (to win the title) at this point, but we’re not going to give up. There’s still (seven) races to go and anything can happen. I think this was kind of the weekend we weren’t hoping would happen, but obviously knew it could be a possibility with how good Aaron and Rico have been here.”

WATCH: Brad Sweet discusses his struggles at Eldora Speedway's 4-Crown Nationals and the mounting pressure to stay in the 2025 High Limit title race.

Since team owner Kasey Kahne made team changes prior to Aug. 3’s Capitani Classic at Knoxville Raceway, releasing crew chief Tye Wolfgang in shifting Kahne’s mechanics on the No. 9 over to the No. 49, Sweet’s yet to break back into victory lane.

In fact, he’s amid a 24-race winless drought spanning back to July 11 at Kentucky’s Florence Speedway, which is creeping toward the 35-race winless stretch from May 16-Sept. 5 that stagnated his 2024 title season last year.

Sweet thought he a had a good enough car to contend for 4-Crown Nationals victories at Eldora Speedway, but Friday’s mechanical hiccup that sent him to the hot pit, and therefore the tail of the field, before the 25-lap feature began put him behind all weekend. Sweet drove from 24th to finish ninth Friday, and then 10th to sixth in Saturday’s feature where “I just could not take off on the restarts.”

“I don’t know why. Once I’d get going, I was kind of OK. But I got kind of where I could only run the top. I thought our handling was actually better (Friday at Eldora),” Sweet said. “(Saturday) I was just a little off. Yeah, it’s just tough. It’s been tough sledding for the 49 this year. It’s not from a lack of effort. Just haven’t got the results we want, and just kind of one step off from the guys contending for the wins night in and night out. Just kind of rebound. They’re a young group. Kasey’s trying really hard to be a crew chief and we’re all trying hard.”

There’s more at stake for Sweet than the drivers’ title. The owners’ title and top-ranked High Limit franchise position, also a closely-contested battle vs. Abreu, are on the line, too. Like the drivers’ title, Sweet’s No. 49 team trails Abreu’s No. 24 team by 72 points in the owners’ standings, which sees the Ridge & Sons Racing No. 87 in second, 28 points behind Abreu.

For the franchise at the top of the pecking order, Sweet either needs to make up 44 points to Ridge & Sons Racing and at least finish second in this year’s standings or hope that RSR’s Reutzel surpasses Abreu for the owners’ title.

Year-by-year franchise rankings are determined by a rolling two-year average of points finishes. Sweet won the title last year whereas Abreu finished third. With seven races left, they’ve swapped positions, with Abreu currently holding the tiebreaker atop the 2025 standings.

The current franchise order after Sept. 20 at Eldora is Abreu Racing (No. 24), KKR (No. 49), CMR (No. 7BC), Murray-Marks Racing (No. 19), RSR (No. 87), Jason Meyers Racing (No. 14), Buch Motorsports (No. 13), Rudeen Racing (No. 26), Rod Gross Motorsports (No. 88) and CJB Motorsports (No. 5).

When the franchise system takes effect in 2026, it'll pay out nearly $4 million, including $2.6 million guaranteed to the 10 original franchisees. By 2029, the franchise system will exceed $5 million, with up to $4.5 million going to 15 potential franchisees should five additional teams enter the Franchise System over the 2026-27 seasons.

A pathway for that is being discussed by Sweet and his staff as the potential is there for enough teams to pursue additional franchises during the 2026-27 campaigns with details on that still to come. That gratifies Sweet even amid a season not up to his standard.

“I think we have to be proud of what High Limit has been able to accomplish the last two years and the momentum we’ve built this season,” Sweet said. “Our cars are just getting better and better on this series. I’m always proud of that and I’ll always cheer for our guys whether they’re racing our races or against the Outlaws, or at the Knoxville Nationals or the Kings Royal. High Limit is a really cool group and it has a really cool pit area. We’re kind of all in this together.

“We want to see this succeed. That makes me proud. It makes me proud of Rico. I wouldn’t say I’m his mentor, but I can tell he’s fed off and learned a lot from me. I’m proud of him and I’m happy for Rick (Warner). I’m happy to see Aaron is back in a car doing good.

“It’s tough because as a race car driver Brad, I leave here disappointed and bummed out, but yeah, when you sit down tomorrow and rethink and rewatch everything, and think about High Limit, what our next steps are, what next year is going to look like, it honestly, makes me really proud.

“My thing is just finishing the season as strong as we can,” he added. “Every race driver goes through adversity. This sport is pretty humbling at times. You can be on top of the mountain for a long time, but it can knock you off pretty quick. Yeah, just go to the next few races and try and finish the year strong.”