SARVER, Pa. — Rico Abreu held off teenager Corey Day to win Tuesday night’s Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup sprint car race at Lernerville Speedway.
It was Abreu’s fourth High Limit Racing triumph of the season and earned his No. 24 team $29,000.
Abreu, who started eighth, gained the lead when polesitter Tyler Courtney and James McFadden collided while battling the lead exiting turn four with 12 laps remaining on the four-tenths-mile track.
He went on to hold off Day, who started outside the front row.
“I’ve studied a lot of laps here and seen some great races — Brad Sweet, Donny Schatz and Kyle (Larson). You have to understand how these races develop,” Abreu said. “When you are leading, you can’t be afraid to forfeit position while you are leading and understand the race pace. I had to go down, although, my left-rear shock wasn’t on the car. I understood that something was going on and I didn’t want to lose the race not having the opportunity to be there on the bottom. I was trying to minimize my mistakes. It is a matter of putting yourself in position in these races. Winning from the second row back is a big deal here, let alone from the fourth row.”
Series point leader Brad Sweet drove from ninth to finish third.
Anthony Macri and Cory Eliason rounded out the top five.
McFadden was the fast qualifier for the 37-car field with a 13.046-second lap.
The finish:
Rico Abreu, Corey Day, Brad Sweet, Anthony Macri, Cory Eliason, Tanner Thorson, Brent Marks, Justin Peck, Sheldon Haudenschild, Tyler Courtney, Parker Price-Miller, Brenham Crouch, Kody Hartlaub, Cody Bova, Kasey Kahne, Jessie Attard, A.J. Flick, Jacob Allen, Zeb Wise, Carl Bowser, James McFadden, Sye Lynch, Dale Blaney, Spencer Bayston, Brandon Spithaler.