By T.J. Buffenbarger
KNOXVILLE, IA (August 2, 2025) — Rico Abreu from St. Helena, California continued to show why he is one of the fastest sprint car drivers in the country leading into the biggest week in the sport by winning the 35th Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank.
After leading the first 21 circuits, Abreu lost the lead to Kyle Larson with 9 laps to go, Abreu was able to take advantage of another restart with six laps remaining in the main event to drive by Larson, pulling away to a 0.879 second advantage at the finish, scoring a $35,000 top prize for the win.
Those restarts and how intense they are, you’ve got to hit your marks,” said Abreu of the late race restarts. “I just kept getting a little tighter and tighter down the bottom of one and two, and I missed it that one time and allowed the 57 to get to my outside. These cars are so momentum based, it’s so crucial to make sure you’re up to speed on those first few laps.”
Abreu kept his cool and was able to take advantage of Larson making a similar mistake that he did on the previous restart.
“When you line up with eight laps to go with the best sprint car driver in the world, the best race car driver in the world, you have to hit your mark. I was just thinking of ways of how I could beat (Larson) into turn one. He kind of opened the door up, and I just ran it wide open there.”
Larson felt good about his position during the closing stages of the race until the final caution flag appeared.
” I was able to finally time the start as good as I could the first one, or the one right before that, where I got the lead. I was hopeful it would stay green, because I knew if we had a caution I would be in trouble. Our engine just wouldn’t take off. Just a bummer. Maybe if I would have just protected and into one and slide myself, I give myself a little bit better of a shot. I was just hoping (the engine) would get wound up and maybe (Abreu) wouldn’t have enough speed or grip to shoot across, but it is what it is.”
Behind Abreu and Larson, Price-Miller had a hard fought podium finish racing back and forth with multiple drivers throughout the event.
“We were pretty good on the bottom, but the top we’re just a little free,” said Price-Miller of the handling of his car during the feature. “We felt free in hot laps, but we were just thinking it was maybe the full fuel load. Tonight was just a little bit slicker than last night, but we still had a really good car and were able to maneuver the bottom really well. Running third to those two guys, it’s a win. Obviously want a little bit it’s me and Bernie’s (Stuebgen) first full year racing together and I can’t be more thankful than you know what he’s done for me this year.”
After the main event Abreu was quick to credit his crew for the incredible run the team has been on throughout the summer.
“I’m just so fortunate to be racing with their best sprint car mechanic in the country,” Abreu stated about National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum inductee Ricky Warner. “Just his belief in me and my team and the uplifting times like this is what we all work hard for.”
Ryan Timms and Justin Peck rounded out the podium. Giovanni Scelzi, filling in for the injured Tyler Courtney in the Clauson-Marshall Racing entry, earned hard charger honors advancing 11 positions from 17th to 8th position.
Ryan Bickett, Blake Hahn, and Daison Pursley won the D, C, and B-Main events respectively.
By virtue of his 17th place finish, Pursley secured Rookie of the Year honors for his first 360 Nationals Appearance.
35th Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank
ASCS National Tour
Knoxville Raceway
Knoxville, Iowa
Saturday, August 2, 2025
D-Main (10 Laps)
1. 17B-Ryan Bickett[2]
2. 23W-Scott Winters[5]
3. 16G-Austyn Gossel[6]
4. 2J-Zach Blurton[8]
5. 91-Preston Lattomus[12]
6. 7C-Chris Morgan[14]
7. 33-Alan Zoutte[10]
8. 39JR-Brayden Mount[7]
9. 83-Kurt Mueller[9]
10. 29-Emilio Hoover[13]
11. 13V-Seth Brahmer[15]
12. 31-McCain Richards[16]
13. 1M-Sean McClelland[20]
14. 7W-Justin Zimmerman[17]
15. 14-Aidan Zoutte[19]
16. 4C-Tuesday Calderwood[11]
17. 7B-Ben Brown[4]
18. T4-Tyler Graves[18]
19. 3R-Russell Potter[1]
20. 38-Logan Alexander[3]
C-Main (12 Laps)
1. 52-Blake Hahn[1]
2. 23-Chase Dietz[6]
3. 55B-Chase Brown[7]
4. 7-Tyler Lee[4]
5. 86-Timothy Smith[3]
6. 77X-Alex Hill[9]
7. 45X-Kyler Johnson[10]
8. 71-Brady Baker[11]
9. 157-Cam Sorrels[5]
10. 5A-Alex Vande Voort[12]
11. 11N-Kasey Jedrzejek[13]
12. 23W-Scott Winters[15]
13. 13M-Brett Moffitt[8]
14. 17B-Ryan Bickett[14]
15. 29-Emilio Hoover[23]
16. 7C-Chris Morgan[19]
17. 2J-Zach Blurton[17]
18. 16G-Austyn Gossel[16]
19. 91-Preston Lattomus[18]
20. 39JR-Brayden Mount[21]
21. 83-Kurt Mueller[22]
22. 33-Alan Zoutte[20]
23. 35-Skylar Prochaska[2]
24. 13V-Seth Brahmer[24]
B-Main (18 Laps)
1. 13-Daison Pursley[1]
2. 55-Kerry Madsen[2]
3. 6-Dustin Selvage[6]
4. 27B-Jake Bubak[5]
5. 2M-Ryan Giles[3]
6. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr[15]
7. 22-Riley Goodno[11]
8. 01-Colby Copeland[13]
9. 03-Jack Dover[14]
10. 09-Matt Juhl[12]
11. 2JR-Kelly Miller[4]
12. 36-Jason Martin[7]
13. 23-Chase Dietz[19]
14. 52-Blake Hahn[18]
15. 7-Tyler Lee[21]
16. 99-Tony Rost[9]
17. 77X-Alex Hill[23]
18. 14T-Brooke Tatnell[16]
19. 55B-Chase Brown[20]
20. 3F-Derek Hagar[17]
21. 86-Timothy Smith[22]
22. 1TZ-Tasker Phillips[8]
23. 45X-Kyler Johnson[24]
24. 24H-Kade Higday[10]
A-Main (30 Laps)
1. 24R-Rico Abreu[1]
2. 57-Kyle Larson[4]
3. 71P-Parker Price Miller[2]
4. 10-Ryan Timms[5]
5. 26-Justin Peck[6]
6. 27-Carson McCarl[3]
7. 88-Austin McCarl[11]
8. 7BC-Giovanni Scelzi[17]
9. 21T-James McFadden[9]
10. 21-Brian Brown[16]
11. 87-Justin Sanders[8]
12. 9R-Chase Randall[13]
13. 40G-Clint Garner[10]
14. 55-Kerry Madsen[22]
15. 24-Terry McCarl[15]
16. 4-Cameron Martin[12]
17. 13-Daison Pursley[21]
18. 63-JJ Hickle[14]
19. 6-Dustin Selvage[23]
20. 27B-Jake Bubak[24]
21. 40-Ryan Leavitt[19]
22. 44-Chris Martin[7]
23. 18T-Tanner Holmes[20]
24. 3P-Sawyer Phillips[18]