By T.J. Buffenbarger
ALGER, WA (August 31, 2024) – Rico Abreu won the biggest feature event of his career Saturday night at Skagit Speedway with the Kubota High Limit Sprint Car Series during the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals collecting a $102,626.26 paycheck for the victory.
Abreu, from St. Helena, California, took the lead from James McFadden on lap 15 and was masterful in slower traffic over the final 10 laps, winning by 1.801 seconds at the finish. The win was Abreu’s ninth feature win of the 2024 season.
James McFadden and Rico Abreu started on the front row for the 40-lap finale with McFadden taking the lead at the start while Abreu diced with Shane Golobic for second position.
Brad Sweet and Corey Day were racing for the fourth position when Day tagged the wall on the front stretch and slowed going into turn one. Several cars stacked up behind Day with Justin Peck getting upside down and Tyler Courtney piling in. All drivers were okay from the incident with Day, Peck, Courtney, and Levi Klatt all going to the work area to repair damages. Only Day was unable to make the restart with a broken steering box.
McFadden continued to lead with Abreu applying pressure as the pair approached slower traffic. On lap 15 Abreu found his opening and took the lead off of turn two. Behind Abreu, Brad Sweet and Jacob Allen dropped Golobic back to fifth position with Sweet in third and Allen fourth.
The final caution flag of the event came out on lap 20 when Tanner Thorson slowed with mechanical issues. Thorson was unable to make it back out for the restart.
Abreu was able to maintain the lead during the restart while Golobic was able to get by Allen for the fourth spot.
McFadden and Sweet diced for the second position, but up front it was all Abreu picking through the slower cars and stretching his advantage at the finish for the biggest win of his career. McFadden, Sweet, Golobic, and Allen rounded out the top five.
Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals
Kubota High Limit Sprint Car Series
Skagit Speedway
Alger, Washington
Saturday, August 31, 2024
TJ Forged Heat Race #1 (10 Laps)
1. 17W-Shane Golobic[1]
2. 21P-Robbie Price[3]
3. 21-Cole Macedo[2]
4. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt[7]
5. 95-Colton Heath[5]
6. 17AU-Jamie Veal[6]
7. 9-Kasey Kahne[4]
8. 9G-Greg Otis[9]
9. 14B-Bailey Jean[8]
DMI Heat Race #2 (10 Laps)
1. 19-Brent Marks[1]
2. 13-Justin Peck[2]
3. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]
4. 18-Jason Solwold[3]
5. 41-Dominic Scelzi[5]
6. 5-Spencer Bayston[7]
7. 35KM-Tyler Thompson[6]
8. 19T-Colby Thornhill[8]
9. 66-Brett McGhie[9]
BR Motorsports Heat Race #3 (10 Laps)
1. 14-Corey Day[1]
2. 1A-Jacob Allen[4]
3. 8-Cory Eliason[2]
4. 96-Greg Hamilton[3]
5. 45-Landon Brooks[5]
6. 55-Chris Windom[7]
7. 26F-Eric Fisher[6]
8. 29K-Levi Kuntz[8]
9. 7O-Colin Mackey[9]
Winters Performance Heat Race #4 (10 Laps)
1. 55X-Trey Starks[1]
2. 88-Tanner Thorson[2]
3. 77-Levi Klatt[6]
4. 9P-Parker Price Miller[3]
5. 26-Zeb Wise[4]
6. 1-Brenham Crouch[7]
7. 1M-Mike Brown[8]
8. 18T-Tanner Holmes[5]
FK Rod Ends Dash (7 Laps)
1. 24-Rico Abreu[2]
2. 83-James McFadden[1]
3. 14-Corey Day[3]
4. 17W-Shane Golobic[4]
5. 49-Brad Sweet[6]
6. 19-Brent Marks[5]
7. 55X-Trey Starks[8]
8. 2X-Justin Sanders[7]
B-Main (15 Laps)
1. 45-Landon Brooks[5]
2. 26-Zeb Wise[2]
3. 9-Kasey Kahne[1]
4. 5-Spencer Bayston[7]
5. 41-Dominic Scelzi[4]
6. 1-Brenham Crouch[9]
7. 95-Colton Heath[3]
8. 55-Chris Windom[8]
9. 17AU-Jamie Veal[6]
10. 35KM-Tyler Thompson[10]
11. 26F-Eric Fisher[11]
12. 19T-Colby Thornhill[14]
13. 18T-Tanner Holmes[16]
14. 9G-Greg Otis[13]
15. 29K-Levi Kuntz[15]
16. 14B-Bailey Jean[17]
17. 1M-Mike Brown[12]
18. 66-Brett McGhie[18]
19. 7O-Colin Mackey[19]
Kubota A-Main (40 Laps)
1. 24-Rico Abreu[1]
2. 83-James McFadden[2]
3. 49-Brad Sweet[5]
4. 17W-Shane Golobic[4]
5. 1A-Jacob Allen[11]
6. 2X-Justin Sanders[8]
7. 55X-Trey Starks[7]
8. 19-Brent Marks[6]
9. 18-Jason Solwold[18]
10. 9-Kasey Kahne[23]
11. 21-Cole Macedo[13]
12. 21S-Jesse Schlotfeldt[17]
13. 8-Cory Eliason[15]
14. 21P-Robbie Price[9]
15. 13-Justin Peck[10]
16. 5-Spencer Bayston[24]
17. 9P-Parker Price Miller[20]
18. 45-Landon Brooks[21]
19. 26-Zeb Wise[22]
20. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[14]
21. 96-Greg Hamilton[19]
22. 77-Levi Klatt[16]
23. 88-Tanner Thorson[12]
24. 14-Corey Day[3]