Dates: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 30th – June 1st
Event: Sprint Car World Championship
Series: Open Event
Track: Mansfield Motor Speedway (Mansfield, Ohio)
Rico Abreu A-Main Finishes (Start):
Thursday: Canceled/Rain
Friday: 2nd (4th)
Saturday: Canceled/Rain
ST. HELENA, Calif. (June 3, 2019) – Nearly attaining his second victory of the 2019 season, St. Helena, California’s Rico Abreu finished second during Sprint Car World Championship preliminary competition during the recent weekend, slipping up the racing surface just enough to allow fellow Californian, Cory Eliason, by with just six circuits remaining.
Showing strength almost immediately, Abreu earned command from the outside of row two, actually inheriting the lead just before the midpoint of the 30-lapper when race leader, Lee Jacobs, spun all alone between turns one and two. Incidentally, Eliason earned command over Abreu in the exact same corner.
Despite his Friday night outcome creating a slight sense of disappointment, Abreu was proud of his team’s performance at Mansfield Motor Speedway, kicking off the preliminary program on Friday, May 31, with the eighth fastest time during his respective group of qualifiers, all before finishing second during his respective heat race.
Although the $100,000-to-win, Sprint Car World Championship finale was canceled due to poor weather, when the event is eventually rescheduled, Abreu will compete in the evening’s dash, which is reserved for the top performers from all preliminary competition. The dash outcome will align the starting lineup for the first three rows of the $100,000-to-win, Sprint Car World Championship finale main event.
Mother Nature also interfered on Thursday, May 30, eventually forcing the cancellation of the first night of preliminary action.
“Besides Mother Nature causing some problems, it was a solid weekend for our team. We showed speed and consistency and that is most important. I’m proud of everyone involved,” Rico Abreu said, driver of the Rico Abreu/Curb Agajanian Racing/Abreu Vineyards/Curb Records/Lucas Oil Products/Southern Pacific Farms/Priority Aviation/No. 24 sprint car. “Things have been up and down for us this year, so to put together a solid evening at Mansfield is really motivating. I’m excited to get back to California this weekend and compete at Thunderbowl.”
Rico Abreu and Rico Abreu/Curb Agajanian Racing will continue their 2019 campaign with a quick trip back to California, anxious to revisit Thunderbowl Raceway on Friday and Saturday, June 7 & 8, for the Faria Memorial, as well as the Peter Murphy Classic make-up.
Abreu will compete in three programs during his two-day visit to Tulare, first joining the Kings of Thunder 360c.i. sprint cars on Friday, then entering the Kings of Thunder 360c.i. program once again on Saturday. In addition, Abreu will join the King of the West 410c.i. sprint cars for their portion of the Peter Murphy Classic on Saturday.
Rico Abreu is a recent winner at Thunderbowl Raceway, actually earning the Peter Murphy Classic/Kings of Thunder opener before action was canceled the following evening due to weather.
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 June 3, 2019) |
| Total Races: 23 |
| Total Wins: 1 |
| Total Top-5s: 8 |
| Total Top-10s: 13 |
| **Stats only reflect starts in RAR #24 Sprint Car |
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CONTACT:
Photo Credit: Dan McFarland/SprintFun
Tyler Altmeyer
Rico Abreu/Curb Agajanian Racing
(724) 954-4915, altmeyer119@gmail.com