Rico Abreu, No. 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Atlanta Motor Speedway – Great Clips 200
Race No. 2 of 23
Team Information:
Started: 27th
Finished: Â 11th
Laps: 130/130
Status: Running
Driver Points: 20th
Owner Points: 21st
Quote:
“We had a better Toyota Tundra than our finish. We got hung out on the outside a few times and I spun my tires. It gets really tricky on the outside, how slick it is. Overall, it was a good race and we were able to grab some spots with guys falling out. We were trying to make laps and finish. I got the high side going into 1 & 2 and that is where I made up a lot of ground. Atlanta is really slick and technical. It’s hard to keep your tires underneath you the longer the runs go. Hats off to my pit crew. I came off pit road and gained spots each stop. I am thankful to have a good pit crew that ThorSport Racing has set me up with. It was cool to have all the Safelite people here again, and I am looking forward to Martinsville in a few weeks.”
News & Notes:
- The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) had three practice sessions on Friday afternoon in preparation for Saturday’s Great Clips 200. Rico Abreu, driver of the No 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra was 19th, 18th, and 21st overall, respectively.
- In his track debut, Abreu started 27th and finished 11th in the 130-lap event at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway.
- Early in the race Abreu reported a tight-handling condition while running 18th.
- Crew chief Doug George would bring the No. 98 Safelite Toyota Tundra to pit road at laps 39, 61 and 107, respectively, for four tires and fuel.
- A solid pit stop on lap 39 by the ThorSport Racing over-the-wall crew allowed Abreu to restart ninth on lap 42.
- Around the halfway point Abreu reported a problem with his shifter and was forced to hold it in gear during the caution laps.
- On lap 60, Abreu reported that his Toyota Tundra was too loose on exit.
- With just over 30 laps to go, Abreu brushed the wall in Turns 1 & 2, but was able to keep racing.
- While running 10th, with less than 20 laps remaining, Abreu was able to miss a big wreck at the front of the field that involved four trucks including his ThorSport teammate, Matt Crafton.
- After a short red flag, the Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra driver restarted 11th, with 15 laps remaining.
- Abreu fell back to 14th before the final caution flag flew on lap 124 for an accident in Turn 4.
- Abreu restarted 11th, with only two laps remaining, and was able to hang on to grab his career-best finish in four NCWTS starts.
- Abreu’s ThorSport Racing teammates finished second (Hayley), sixth (Rhodes), and 30th (Crafton)
- Up next: The Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on Saturday, April 2, 2016
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. For more information visit www.ThorSport.com
