Abreu’s appreciation for Grandview and its fans grows with win in Hodnett Cup
When Rico Abreu made his first career start at Grandview Speedway in 2017, the California native was immediately hooked on the one-third mile dirt track located outside Bechtelsville, thousands of miles from his hometown.
Nearly five years later, Abreu scored his first victory at the track on Tuesday night, starting on the pole and leading all 35 laps to win the Thunder on the Hill Racing Series Hodnett Cup, the fifth scheduled race of the 2022 Pennsylvania Sprint Speedweek series.
“Grandview is a very special place,” Abreu said following his victory. “I enjoy coming here every year to race. This place never disappoints, and it’s cool to be No. 1 here.”
Abreu found his groove on the low side of the track and fought off late pushes from Anthony Macri and Brent Marks to win $10,000. Abreu was especially quick on restarts, pulling away from the rest of the field.
“I did a lot of studying about this place,” Abreu said. “Everything played in our favor tonight.”
The race marked Abreu’s seventh career start at Grandview, six of which have come in Speedweek events. According to Abreu, it’s the high banking, fast speeds and friendly people that keep him coming back.
“Really unique place (that) races really cool,” Abreu said. “I love Bob (Miller), the (Thunder on the Hill Racing Series) promoter here at Grandview Speedway, and they always want to take care of me.”
The victory gave Abreu his fifth top-10 finish in seven career races at the speedway. He finished fourth in August 2017, which was a career-best prior to Tuesday night.
“I’ve always seemed to have a little bit of success here,” Abreu said. “They like the cars to go fast here, and that’s why we’re all here.”
Abreu is a former NASCAR Truck Series driver, as he competed in 26 races from 2015-17. He scored two top-five finishes in the series, including a careerbest third-place finish in the 2016 Eldora Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway in Ohio.
Abreu is now a full-time dirt racer, competing primarily with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars, the national touring series for winged 410 sprints. He’s made 24 starts this season, scoring four top-five finishes.
Abreu also races midgets and is a two-time Chili Bowl Midget Nationals champion, winning in 2015 and 2016. NASCAR Cup Series champ Kyle Larson and current Cup Series driver Christopher Bell — both of whom competed against Abreu at Grandview on Tuesday night — are also past winners of the event, which is widely recognized as the top annual midget race in the United States.
In addition to his World of Outlaws schedule, Abreu competes in Speedweek every year and has become a fan favorite in Pennsylvania. Tuesday marked his third career Speedweek victory, as he won at Selinsgrove Speedway in 2017 and at Lincoln Speedway in 2020.
“(Grandview has a) great fan base,” Abreu said. “Every year during Speedweek this place is packed, and I just enjoy being a part of it.”
And according to Abreu, it’s the fans that make his trips to Pennsylvania that much sweeter.
“All the fans are appreciative,” Abreu said. “(There was an) unbelievable crowd tonight.”