ROSSBURG, Ohio — Rico Abreu loves Eldora Speedway, and Eldora Speedway fans love Rico Abreu.
They could probably hear the “RICO-RICO” chants in Dayton that erupted from the Eldora grandstands on Friday.
The St. Helena, Calif., native had just finished off a clean sweep of The Knight Before with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars by delivering a commanding performance. He led all 30 laps around “The Big E” to claim Friday night of Kings Royal weekend for the second year in a row and bank $25,000.
There was no removing the wide grin on Abreu’s face as he rolled into one of sprint car racing’s most hallowed victory lanes. Eldora is his favorite race track. It’s an Ohio oval filled with so much important history of the sport he loves. The fans admire him. He may like no place more on earth than the front straightaway stage at “The House that Earl Built.”
“Just hats off to these guys,” Abreu said. “All you fans, you guys are what makes this sport so exciting. I drive my ass off for you guys. I just really appreciate these events and the build up to them. It gets really intense out there. You’re racing against the greatest drivers of all-time, Kyle Larson, David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo, these are the fastest cars in the country right now. I just owe it all to this team.”
Friday’s triumph gave Abreu a dozen career wins at the iconic half- mile, and five of them have come with The Greatest Show on Dirt.
The focus shifts to the week’s ultimate prize, Saturday’s 42nd running of the Kings Royal. It’s Eldora’s sprint car crown jewel. The winner will bank a record $200,000. Abreu wants to sit atop the throne for the first time.
“We just take this team one race at a time,” Abreu said. “We’ve been really competitive this year, and to get our 10th win of the year here at Eldora Speedway in front of the best damn fans in the world is just really special to me. It becomes so emotional, this place, just the energy it creates. I just see all the fans so happy, and it’s really rewarding to me.”
The runner-up spot went to Macedo who used a strong move on a late restart to get to second.
“I just feel like I got really good starts,” Macedo said. “That was really my race and kind of how I was able to progress through the field. My engine fires off really well, and I feel like that helps me a lot to get off the line and make moves.”
Things got spicy for the final position on the podium as two of the sport’s best in Kyle Larson and David Gravel threw haymakers in the closing laps. Larson narrowly edged ahead of Gravel coming to the checkered, but things weren’t done there.
The two Kings Royal winners displayed a bit of displeasure in Turns 1 and 2 on the cooldown lap, and resulting contact left Larson turned around on the back straightaway. Gravel then circled back around and parked alongside the Silva Motorsports No. 57 to exchange a few words.
“It was good,” Larson said. “Two hard racing drivers right there, so I hope the fans enjoyed it. I know it was tight from my seat. Sometimes you come out ahead and sometimes you don’t. I got in front of him and beat him once again last lap.”
Gravel, who came home fourth aboard the Big Game Motorsports No. 2, had some harsh words in the aftermath.
“He’s been running me the same way for the last couple weeks, and it started at Huset’s,” Gravel said. “He’s got a vendetta toward us. We can keep playing that game, but eventually it’s not going to be good. He should be a professional. He thinks our team is not professional, and he should be the ultimate professional. He’s not driving like that on the race track. We’re friends, but I guess right now we’re not.”
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid completed the top five after driving from 25th.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 2. 41-Carson Macedo[7]; 3. 57-Kyle Larson[6]; 4. 2-David Gravel[2]; 5. 83-Michael Kofoid[25]; 6. 55V-Kerry Madsen[12]; 7. 27-Emerson Axsom[8]; 8. 49-Brad Sweet[22]; 9. 23-Garet Williamson[15]; 10. 7S-Chris Windom[28]; 11. 19-Brent Marks[9]; 12. 1S-Logan Schuchart[24]; 13. 14-Spencer Bayston[13]; 14. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[19]; 15. 21-Brian Brown[17]; 16. 5-Brenham Crouch[18]; 17. 15-Donny Schatz[26]; 18. 17B-Bill Balog[27]; 19. 99-Skylar Gee[30]; 20. 10-Ryan Timms[10]; 21. 23D-Chase Dietz[16]; 22. 2C-Cole Macedo[29]; 23. 87-Aaron Reutzel[3]; 24. 6-Zach Hampton[5]; 25. 27H-Steven Snyder Jr[11]; 26. 71-Parker Price Miller[4]; 27. 9-Kasey Kahne[20]; 28. 39M-Anthony Macri[23]; 29. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[21]; 30. 14BC-Corey Day[14]
