Team Information:
Crew Chief: Doug George
Manufacturer: Toyota
Engine: Triad Racing Technologies
2016 Driver Point Standings: 18th
2016 Owner Point Standings: 21st
Sounding Off – Rico Abreu:
Your making your debut at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend, but is there anything that you can take from Atlanta earlier this season and apply it to Charlotte?
“Charlotte is another track I’ve never been to, so I just need to make sure I can get as much track time as possible during practice, and just have a good understanding of what I need in my truck from day to night. I like to find reference points when I go to the track for the first time, and work off of those reference points. I’ll definitely lean on Matt (Crafton) who has won before in Charlotte, and has had a lot of success on Intermediate tracks. I’ll also try to follow him a lot during practice to see where we’re at. It comes down to race trim – getting the truck comfortable for me, and the team. I’m excited for the mile-and-a-half tracks, you can move around a little more with the wider racing surface, which is more my style of racing.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Chatter… The No. 98 ThorSport Racing team will utilize chassis No. 42 for Friday night’s NC Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS). This is the same chassis Johnny Sauter piloted in 2015 to one top-five and two top-10 finishes at Chicagoland Speedway (5th), and Homestead-Miami Speedway (7th).
- Charlotte Debut… Abreu, who will be making his eighth career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) start on Friday, will make his track debut in the 14th annual NC Education Lottery 200 at CMS.
- Rookie Stripe… Abreu, who is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2016, is currently fifth in the standings after five races this season.
- Grand Opening… In advance of Friday night’s NC Education Lottery 200 at CMS, Safelite AutoGlass driver, Rico Abreu, and the City of Concord Mayor, J. Scott Padgett, will attended a Safelite AutoGlass store opening, and ribbon cutting ceremony at a new Safelite location (1000 Branchview Drive) in Concord, NC.
- Race Rewind – Dover… Abreu started 13th, ran as high as seventh, got caught up in a lap 62 accident with teammate Ben Rhodes, and recovered to finish 22nd in his first NCWTS start at the Monster Mile.
- Down South… Abreu, a Rutherford, California native has relocated to Huntersville, NC for the summer.
Abreu’s 2016 NCWTS Stats:
- Starts: 5
- Top-5 Finishes: 0
- Top-10 Finishes: 1
- Best Start: 13th (Dover)
- Best Finish: 10th (Martinsville)
- Laps Completed: 840 of 855 (98.2%)
- Laps Led: 0
- Start: 21.4
- Finish: 18.8
Abreu’s Career NCWTS Stats:
- Seven starts since 2015
- Best start: 13th (Dover, 2015)
- Best finish: 10th (Martinsville, 2016)
| Year | Track | Started | Finished | Laps | Status | Led |
| 2015 | Phoenix | 14 | 28 | 44/150 | Crash | 0 |
| 2015 | Homestead | 14 | 13 | 134/134 | Running | 0 |
| 2016 | Daytona | 16 | 29 | 92/100 | Crash | 0 |
| 2016 | Atlanta | 27 | 11 | 130/130 | Running | 0 |
| 2016 | Martinsville | 20 | 10 | 255/255 | Running | 0 |
| 2016 | Kansas | 31 | 22 | 167/170 | Running | 0 |
| 2016 | Dover | 10 | 22 | 196/200 | Running | 0 |
Abreu’s Career Stats:
- 2011 360 Winged Sprint Car Series Rookie of the Year
- 2012 won the Trophy Cup at Thunderbowl Raceway
- 2012 USAC National Midget Series Rookie of the Year
- 2013 & 2014 Belleville Midget Nationals Winner
- 2013 4 Crown Nationals Winner at Eldora Speedway
- 2013 & 2014 Johnny Key Classic Winner – One of five drivers to win back-to-back titles
- 2013 USAC Gold Crown Midget Nationals
- 2014 USAC Midget National Champion
- 2015 Chili Bowl Nationals Winner
- 2015 Pepsi Nationals Winner
- 2015 NASCAR K&N Series Most Popular Driver
- 2016 Chili Bowl Nationals Winner
Race Information:
Date: Friday, May 20
Time: 8:30pm ET on FOX Sports 1
Track: 1.5-mile oval
Distance: 134 laps/201 miles