Kyle Larson stuns Perth Motorplex with helicopter briefcase, $110K
High Limit International’s second outing at Perth Motorplex opened with a dramatic flourish when reigning champion and series co-owner Kyle Larson descended by helicopter to deliver a record-setting AUD $110,000 winner’s briefcase. The stunt — blades thumping, dust rising — immediately echoed a famous motorsport moment from 2014 and drew a huge reaction from fans as Larson handed the case to Perth Motorplex general manager Gavin Migro. Larson, grinning, admitted he’d been “a bit nervous about how windy it is,” calling it “probably the smoothest helicopter ride I’ve ever been on.”
The oversized prize underlines how quickly High Limit Racing has escalated the global sprint car scene. What began as a bold idea is now a headline-grabbing international event with money and prestige to match, and Larson’s theatrical arrival was intended as both showmanship and a signal that the series means business. The $110,000 purse is the largest winner’s prize in Australian sprint car history and raises the stakes for the on-track action to follow at Perth Motorplex.
Larson’s arrival also reinforced the narrative built at the inaugural High Limit International in 2024, when he became the first winner on Australian soil. That finale pitted Larson against local favorite James McFadden, who led the opening 26 laps in the Team Brady Racing #23X before Larson, in the Jason Pryde Motorsport #1K, executed a bold outside pass on Lap 27. Larson then pulled away over the closing laps to claim the then-richest payday in Australian speedway history — AUD $100,000 — cementing the event’s capacity for high drama and elite competition.
With Larson serving as both defending champion and part-owner, his skyward entrance was more than a stunt; it was a calculated statement about High Limit Racing’s ambitions and the attention the series seeks to command. The helicopter touchdown and the record purse set a striking tone for this year’s races at Perth Motorplex and make clear that fans should expect high-profile moments and hefty stakes as the event unfolds.
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