Team Information:
Crew Chief: Doug George
Manufacturer: Toyota
Engine: Triad Racing Technologies
2016 Driver Points: 14th
2016 Owner Points: 15th
Sounding Off – Rico Abreu:
You’ve had a hand-full of starts on a mile-and-a-half track this year. Do you feel yourself getting more comfortable with that style of race track?
“We’ve had some decent runs – Texas was a strong one for us – and speed at the mile-and-a-half tracks this year. We’ve just have to be able to put all that together and produce solid finishes, that’s the key. It’s been a challenging year, but each race I’m learning, and I feel like I have a notebook that I can build on. I’ve never been to Vegas (Las Vegas Motor Speedway), but from what my teammate, Matt Crafton has told me, the groove moves around, and I like running the top. I’m sure I’ll get up there at some point this weekend, and try to make it work. We have more than 130 Safelite guests in the grandstand this week, and my mom will be there celebrating her birthday, so I hope to have a strong run for everyone at Safelite, my mom, and all my family and friends here supporting me this weekend.”
News & Notes:
- Chassis Chatter… The No. 98 ThorSport Racing team will unload chassis No. 55 for Saturday night’s DC Solar 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (LVMS). This is the same chassis Abreu raced to a sixth-place finish at Pocono International Raceway, and a 13th-place finish at Michigan International Speedway earlier this season.
- Home Game… Abreu, a St. Helena, CA native will head “home,” to the west coast this weekend for the first time this season. Although LVMS is over 600 miles from his home in California, the west coast track is the closest track to his hometown than any other NCWTS track on the 23-race schedule.
- Intermediate Track Stats…In seven career NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) starts on an Intermediate-style track, Abreu has one top-10 (Texas), and three top-15 finishes.
- Las Vegas Odds… Abreu, who will be making his 20th career NCWTS start on Saturday, will also make his track debut at the 1.5-mile LVMS oval.
- Double Duty… After competing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday afternoon, Abreu competed at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, OH, and won the USAC midget portion of the 4-Crown.
- 2016 Dirt Success… In 80 races this season, Abreu has 13 wins, 27 top-five, and 39 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 17 races this season.
- Race Rewind – Loudon… Making his track debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NCWTS, Abreu qualified 21st, ran as high as second, and finished 17th.
Abreu’s 2016 NCWTS Stats:
- Starts: 17
- Top-5 Finishes: 1
- Top-10 Finishes: 4
- Best Start: 10th (Charlotte)
- Best Finish: 3rd (Eldora)
- Laps Completed: 2530 of 2568 (98.5%)
- Laps Led: 1 (Charlotte)
- Average Start: 18.9
- Average Finish: 16.5
Abreu’s Career NCWTS Stats:
- Starts: 19 since 2015
- Top-5 finishes: 1 (3rd, Eldora, 2016)
- Top-10 finishes: 4
- Laps Led: 1 (Charlotte, 2016)
- Laps Completed: 2708
- Best start: 10th (Charlotte, 2016)
- Average Start: 18.4
- Average Finish: 16.9
2016 Dirt Highlights:
- Races: 80
- Wins: 13
- Top-5 Finishes: 27
- Top-10 Finishes: 39
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, Midget
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: Saturday, October 1, 2016
Time: 8:30pm ET on FOX Sports 1, MRN Radio & SiriusXM Channel 90
Track: 1.5-mile oval
Distance: 146 laps/219 miles