By Brian Walker
The fourth annual FK Rod Ends Eagle Nationals popped off on Tuesday night with another packed house at Eagle Raceway showing up to watch 48 of the best sprint car drivers in the world vye for a $55,555 payday.
It didn’t take long for the theme of the night to become High Limit vs. World of Outlaws as the 40-lapper began with the defending champion from each series – David Gravel of the Outlaws and Rico Abreu of High Limit – starting from the front row.
The edge went to Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing off the jump as Abreu narrowly edged Gravel by 0.070-seconds to control the opening lap. As he sprinted off into lap traffic, attention quickly turned to the battle for second as things heated up between Gravel and the current High Limit points leader entering the night, Aaron Reutzel.
It was that battle between Reutzel and Gravel which provided the most dramatic moment of the race on Lap 12 when Reutzel’s right rear flew off the Ridge & Sons Racing, PowerPlus #87 and eliminated him from contention – only a few circuits after he hit the wall while passing Gravel for the runner-up spot.
After that, Rico survived the restart, another jaunt into traffic, and then one final restart with 16 laps remaining to cross the finish line with a 2.148-second margin of victory.
The $55,555 payday felt like a long-awaited one for Abreu, who finally conquered the FK Rod Ends Eagle Nationals in his fourth try at the Nebraska bullring. He went toe-to-toe with Kyle Larson for the win in 2023 and battled with Carson Macedo for the lead in 2024, but had always fallen short in previous years – until now.
Rico’s fourth overall win of 2026 extended two of his all-time records with the series as he now owns 28 career wins with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing and 9 in the Roto-Rooter Midweek Series.
Due to Reutzel’s DNF and Abreu’s triumph, the ninth championship lead change through 21 races occurred as the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 re-took the top spot by 39-points over the Ridge & Sons Racing #87.
Following Abreu to the checkered flag with a hard-fought P2 finish was David Gravel aboard the Big Game Motorsports #2. Leading the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series points in pursuit of his third championship, Eagle on Tuesday marked a whopping 15th podium through 28 starts this season for Gravel and the #2 team.
Chasing the two defending national champions in third-place was 26-year-old Garet Williamson of Columbia, Missouri – marking his career-best effort with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing aboard the Fischer Motorsports #23. Tuesday marked the third-ever national series podium for the 2025 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year.
Completing the top-five was another pair of full-time World of Outlaws competitions with Wooster, Ohio’s Sheldon Haudenschild finishing fourth in the KCP Racing #18 and Penngrove, California’s Buddy Kofoid crossing fifth in the Roth Motorsports #83.
Rounding out the top-10 at Eagle Raceway was Spencer Bayston (6th) in the Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17, Corey Day (7th) in the Jason Meyers Racing #14, Carson Macedo (8th) in the Jason Johnson Racing #41, Ryan Timms (9th) in the Liebig Motorsports #10, and Kyle Larson (10th) in the Silva Motorsports #57.
THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (Tuesday, June 9, 2026)
Eagle Raceway (Eagle, Nebraska)
FK Rod Ends Eagle Nationals
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – David Gravel (11.490)
Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime Flight A – Aaron Reutzel (11.182)
Capitol Custom Trailers QuickTime Flight B – David Gravel (11.257)
TJ Forged Heat One Winner – Tanner Holmes
DMI Heat Two Winner – Garet Williamson
BR Motorsports Heat Three Winner – Sheldon Haudenschild
Rod End Supply Heat Four Winner – Rico Abreu
C-Main Winner – Austin Wood
FK Rod Ends Dash Winner – David Gravel
Winters Performance B-Main Winner – Kyle Larson
DURST Dice Roll Driver – Aaron Reutzel (3rd-to-DNF)
Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap – Rico Abreu (12.011)
Rayce Rudeen Foundation Rookie of the Race –
Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Carson Macedo +16 (24th-to-8th)
Whiskey Meyers Victory Lane Visitors – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #15
CASM Win Sticker – Rico Abreu (3rd)
Angel Donor Charity – Jaxon’s Superheroes
Lap Leader(s) – Rico Abreu 1-40
Interstate Batteries A-Main Results (40 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 2. 2-David Gravel[1]; 3. 23-Garet Williamson[5]; 4. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[4]; 5. 83-Michael Kofoid[11]; 6. 17-Spencer Bayston[10]; 7. 14-Corey Day[20]; 8. 41-Carson Macedo[24]; 9. 10-Ryan Timms[14]; 10. 57-Kyle Larson[21]; 11. 39M-Kasey Kahne[6]; 12. 19-Brent Marks[12]; 13. 26-Justin Peck[15]; 14. 9-Daison Pursley[26]; 15. 88-Tanner Thorson[17]; 16. 5-Brenham Crouch[16]; 17. 88W-Austin McCarl[18]; 18. 55-Kerry Madsen[7]; 19. 1K-Kelby Watt[13]; 20. 6-JJ Hickle[9]; 21. 45X-Rees Moran[22]; 22. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[23]; 23. 42-Sye Lynch[19]; 24. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[25]; 25. 13-Tanner Holmes[8]; 26. 87-Aaron Reutzel[3]
NEW Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Championship Standings (After 21/57 Races):
Rico Abreu – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 (1,326 pts)
Aaron Reutzel – Ridge & Sons Racing #87 (-39)
Giovanni Scelzi – Spire Motorsports #77 (-88)
Tanner Thorson – Rod Gross Motorsports #88 (-139)
Justin Peck – Rudeen Racing #26 (-159)
Tyler Courtney – Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC (-179)
Kerry Madsen – Vermeer Motorsports #55 (-216)
Brent Marks – Brent Marks Racing #19 (-224)
Daison Purlsey – Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9 (-342)
Tanner Holmes – Buch Motorsports #13 (-344)
Sye Lynch – Mosites Lynch Racing #42 (-374)
Brenham Crouch – CJB Motorsports (-391)
Hank Davis – Michael Dutcher Motorsports #17GP (-426)
Chase Randall – Chase Randall Racing #9R (-434)
Danny Sams III – Randerson Racing #24D (-490)
UPDATED Roto-Rooter Midweek Series Points (After 7/16 Races):
Rico Abreu (438 pts)
Justin Peck (-37)
Brent Marks (-38)
Giovanni Scelzi (-44)
Aaron Reutzel (-45)
Tyler Courtney (-60)
Tanner Thorson (-82)
Brenham Crouch (-99)
Kerry Madsen (-101)
Kyle Larson (-107)
WHAT’S NEXT: The busiest stretch in Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing history concludes this Thursday, June 11 with another Roto-Rooter Midweek Series event taking teams to Harlan, Iowa’s Shelby County Speedway for the Iowa Lottery Shelby County Showdown. Tickets are available for purchase HERE, or you can watch every lap live on FloRacing.