Dates: Friday and Saturday, May 17th & 18th
Event: Peter Murphy Classic
Series: Sprint Car Challenge Tour (SCCT) & King of the West (KWS)
Track: Thunderbowl Raceway (Tulare, Calif.)
Rico Abreu A-Main Finishes (Start):
Friday: 1st (1st)
Saturday: Cancelled/Weather
ST. HELENA, Calif. (May 20, 2019) – Although the weekend was eventually cut short, losing his planned SCCT/KWS doubleheader on Saturday, May 18, due to Mother Nature, Rico Abreu’s return to California was a complete success, ending his single start on top of the feature podium, ultimately outperforming a stout contingent of Sprint Car Challenge Tour (SCCT) competitors during the annual Peter Murphy Classic at Thunderbowl Raceway on Friday, May 17.
Abreu, driver of the Rico Abreu/Curb Agajanian Racing/Abreu Vineyards/Curb Records/Lucas Oil Products/Southern Pacific Farms/Priority Aviation/No. 24 sprint car, earned his first victory of the 2019 season from the pole position, surviving near-devastating contact during the first few circuits to go on to lead all 30 laps of the Peter Murphy Classic opener. It was the second time during Abreu’s career that the St. Helena, California-native was able to score the Peter Murphy Classic preliminary victory.
Impressive enough, Abreu nearly swept competition on Friday night at Thunderbowl Raceway, earning victories during his respective heat race, as well as the evening’s dash, each before capturing the $2,500 main event payday. Abreu’s only outcome not resulting in a ‘victory’ was during qualifying time trials where he was scored 22nd.
“It feels great to finally get that monkey off of our back,” Rico Abreu said, who now owns 11 top-ten performances in 19 starts thus far in 2019. “They say the hardest win to get is the first one. That was certainly the case this year. I can’t say enough about this team. We’ve definitely had our share of tough times this year, but they never give up and they keep moving forward. I’m confident that we have a lot of wins left in the tank this year. I’m excited to get back to the track and try again.”
Cancelled on its original date of Saturday, May 18, due to wet weather, the 2019 Peter Murphy Classic finale will now be contested on Saturday, June 8. Abreu will return to California to complete the program, entering each of the sprint car portions on the agenda; SCCT and King of the West (KWS).
Rico Abreu’s upcoming plans remain uncertain. The team will make a final decision regarding travel arrangements in the coming days. Fans should stay alert via social media for continuing updates.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Fans are encouraged to follow Rico Abreu online, as well as on all of the available social media networks. Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RicoAbreuRacing, Twitter at https://twitter.com/rico_abreu, or on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rico_abreu/
Rico Abreu Racing: http://www.ricoabreu.com/
| 2019 Rico Abreu Racing Statistics: (thru May 20, 2019) |
| Total Races: 19 |
| Total Wins: 1 |
| Total Top-5s: 7 |
| Total Top-10s: 11 |
| **Stats only reflect starts in RAR #24 Sprint Car |
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CONTACT:
Photo Credit: Thunderbowl Media
Tyler Altmeyer
Rico Abreu/Curb Agajanian Racing
(724) 954-4915, altmeyer119@gmail.com