Team Information:
Crew Chief: Bud Haefele
Manufacturer: Toyota
Engine: Triad Racing Technologies
2016 Driver Points: 14th
2016 Owner Points: 16th
Sounding Off – Rico Abreu:
You were so close to your first win at Texas Motor Speedway back in June, but scrapped the wall in the closing laps. What about the mile-and-a-half track do you like compared to some of the other intermediate tracks you go to?
“Texas sets itself up for some good racing – just how the tire fall-off is, and how you really have to search around for grip. I feel like the caution clock kind of bites me every time. It seems like things are just starting to get good, and we are racing to our pit stops. Hopefully, we can position ourselves further ahead, so we don’t have to pass the same trucks five times throughout a race. I can also make better decisions late in a race, in the closing laps. I feel like we learned a lot at Texas in the spring, and it will hopefully not only help me when we go back this weekend, but it has helped me on the other mile-and-a-half tracks we’ve run on this season.”
How important is the outside lane at Texas, especially for you?
“You just get the trucks wound up, and get going up top, and once the tire falls off, you start slipping and sliding everywhere. You can keep your momentum up top, so you can get a lot of speed down the straightaway, and make passes.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Chatter… The No. 98 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 44 for Friday night’s Longhorn 350 at Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). This is the same chassis Abreu raced to a top-10 finish at TMS earlier this season.
- Texas Size Stats… Abreu will make his 23rd career NCWTS start on Friday night, and his second career start at TMS in the Longhorn 350. In his track debut earlier this season, the ThorSport Racing driver started 13th, ran as high as second, contending for the race lead, and finished ninth.
- Intermediate Track Facts… In eight career NCWTS starts on an Intermediate-style track (1.5 miles in length), Abreu has one top-10 (Texas), and three top-15 finishes.
- 2016 Dirt Success… In 86 races this season, Abreu has 16 wins, 31 top-five, and 43 top-10 finishes.
- Rookie Stripe… Abreu, who is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in 2016, is currently fifth in the standings after 20 races this season.
- Race Rewind – Martinsville… Making his second career start at Martinsville Speedway, Abreu started 24th, ran as high as 21st, and finished 24th.
Abreu’s Texas NCWTS Stats:
- Starts: 1 (June, 2016)
- Started: 13th
- Finished: 9th
- Laps Led: 0
- Laps Completed: 167 of 167 (100%)
Abreu’s 2016 NCWTS Stats:
- Starts: 20
- Top-5 Finishes: 2
- Top-10 Finishes: 5
- Best Start: 10th (Charlotte)
- Best Finish: 3rd (Eldora)
- Laps Completed: 2966 of 3008 (98.6%)
- Laps Led: 1 (Charlotte)
- Average Start: 19.4
- Average Finish: 16.4
Abreu’s Career NCWTS Stats:
- Starts: 22 since 2015
- Top-5 finishes: 2
- Top-10 finishes: 5
- Laps Led: 1 (Charlotte, 2016)
- Laps Completed: 3144
- Best start: 10th (Charlotte, 2016)
- Average Start: 18.9
- Average Finish: 16.8
2016 Dirt Highlights:
- Races: 86
- Wins: 16
- Top-5 Finishes: 31
- Top-10 Finishes: 43
Wins:
- Jan 13 Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Expo Raceway – Preliminary Qualifier Night, 30th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals – Keith Kunz Motorsports, Midgets.
- Jan 16 Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Expo Raceway – 30th Annual Chili Bowl Feature Event – Keith Kunz Motorsports, Midgets
- April 15 Chico, CA – Silver Dollar Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- April 15 Placerville, CA – Placerville Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- May 28 Orrville, OH – Wayne County Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- June 5 Kokomo, IN – Kokomo Speedway – Keith Kunz Motorsports, Midget
- June 20 Orrville, OH – Wayne County Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- July 23 Kokomo, IN – Kokomo Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- August 6, Pevely, MO – Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 – 410 Winged Sprint Car
- August 12, Knoxville, IA – Qualifying Night, 56th Annual Knoxville Nationals – 410 Winged Sprint Car
- August 21, Brandon, SD – Badlands Motor Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- September 10, 2016 Chico, CA – Silver Dollar Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- September 24, 2016 Rossburg, OH – Eldora Speedway – Keith Kunz Motorsports, Midgets
- October 8, 2016 Rossburg, OH – Eldora Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
- October 14, 2016 Hanford, CA – Keller Auto Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 360 Winged Sprint Car
- October 15, 2016 Hanford, CA – Keller Auto Speedway – Abreu Vineyards 410 Winged Sprint Car
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, November 4, 2016
Time: 8:30pm ET on FOX, MRN Radio & SiriusXM Channel 90
Track: 1.5-mile oval
Distance: 147 laps/220.5-miles