Rico Abreu, No. 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Daytona International Speedway – NextEra Energy Resources 250
Race No. 1 of 23
Team Information:
Started: 16th
Finished: 29th
Laps: 92/100
Status: Accident
Driver Points: 26th
Owner Points: 29th
Quote:
What happened in the accident and what did you see from your perspective?
“Just trying to get that third lane going. I could get it going at times and then fall back and then try to get it going again. I saw the 33 (Grant Enfinger) sideways and sometimes if you bump too hard you get so loose – just really tried to stay patient all race long and I hate that it comes down to this. Hats off to ThorSport Racing with Safelite Auto Glass on board this week, they’re going to be on my truck for the remainder of this year. Really excited to have them, and it’s something new for our sport. Looking forward to Atlanta now.”
Did you enjoy racing Daytona?
“It was a good race. I just hung in there and tried to learn. Made a few mistakes, but that just shows how human people are. I enjoyed it and enjoyed racing with ThorSport. They build great trucks and it just sucks how hard they work all year up until this weekend, and you have this happen, I feel terrible for them. My Toyota Tundra was fast and enjoyed every moment of this and looking forward to Atlanta now.”
News & Notes:
- Friday night’s NextEra Energy Resources 250 marked Rico Abreu’s debut behind the wheel of the No. 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra for ThorSport Racing, and also his debut at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway (DIS)
- The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) had two practice sessions on Thursday afternoon in preparation for Friday night’s 100-lap race, and Abreu was 11th and fourth-quick, respectively, in both sessions
- Abreu posted the 16th-fastest time in in the two round, single-truck qualifying on Fridayafternoon at DIS
- Starting from the 16th-position for Friday night’s 100-lap event, Abreu made his way into the top-15, showing patience while learning the draft
- Crew chief Doug George brought the No. 98 Toyota Tundra to pit road under caution at lap 13 for fuel only, under green at lap 41 for four tires and fuel, and lap 67 under caution for fuel only
- Unfortunately, during the lap 41 pit stop, Abreu was caught speeding on the entry to pit road, and forced to go to the tail end of field for the lap 48 restart
- Mired back inside the top-25, the former NASCAR NEXT alumni would get caught-up in an 18-truck accident in Turn 3 at lap 94
- Extensive damage to the Safelite Toyota Tundra would credit Abreu with a 29th-place finish in his DIS debut on Friday night, eight laps down to race winner Johnny Sauter
- Abreu’s ThorSport Racing teammates finished seventh (Rhodes), 10th (Crafton), and 26th (Hayley)
- Up next: The Great Clips 200 at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway on Saturday, February 27
About Safelite AutoGlass:
Safelite AutoGlass is the nation’s largest provider of vehicle glass repair and replacement services with more than 6,500 MobileGlassShops™ and company stores in all 50 states. Last year, 5.4 million customers chose Safelite for its 24/7 national contact centers, advanced online scheduling, superior repair and replacement systems, and the industry’s only nationwide lifetime guarantee. Founded in 1947, the Columbus, Ohio-based company employs approximately 12,000 people across the United States. For more information, visit Safelite.com, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
About ThorSport Racing:
ThorSport Racing, based in a state-of-the-art 100,000-square-foot facility in Sandusky, Ohio, is the longest-tenured NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team. ThorSport Racing, which has competed in the NCWTS since 1996, will run the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra driven by two-time NCWTS drivers’ champion Matt Crafton, the No. 13 Cabinets by Hayley Toyota Tundra driven by Cameron Hayley, the No. 41 Alpha Energy Solutions Toyota Tundra driven by Ben Rhodes, and the No. 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra driven by Rico Abreu in 2016.
