Rico Abreu, No. 98 Safelite/CURB Records Toyota Tundra
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
Kansas Speedway – Toyota Tundra 250
Race No. 4 of 23
Team Information:
Started: 31st
Finished: 22nd
Laps: 167/170
Status: Running
Driver Points: 17th
Owner Points: 19th
Rico Abreu Race Recap:
Rico Abreu, driver of the No. 98 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra, made his track debut in Fridaynight’s Toyota Tundra 250 at Kansas Speedway. Showing speed in all three practice sessions on Thursday, Abreu was optimistic for his debut Friday night. However, during the first round of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying Friday afternoon, a cowl cover was left on the No. 98 machine, drowning the Toyota Tundra of Triad horsepower, and ultimately forcing the Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender to start from the 31st position in the 32-truck field. Unfortunately, the wave of bad luck continued for Abreu, as he made contact with the Turn 1 wall on lap 3 of 167, causing heavy damage to the right side of his Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra. The ThorSport Racing driver went a lap down early in the race and was never able to recover from the damage, settling for a 22nd-place finish in the Toyota Tundra 250 behind race winner, William Byron.
Quote:
“We just got really tight there at the start of the race. The front end lost grip, and it snapped the rear end around and I got into the wall. I hate it for my guys and everyone at Safelite AutoGlass. They had about 60 of their employees and customers out here tonight, cheering me on, and I hate I let them down. We will recover from this. The good thing is, we are racing the next two weeks. Consistent seat time is key for me, so I’m looking forward to Dover next weekend.”
News & Notes:
- The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series had three practice sessions on Thursdayafternoon in preparation for Friday night’s Toyota Tundra 250. Rico Abreu was 13th, 11th, and 17th, respectively.
- In his track debut at Kansas Speedway, Abreu started 31st and finished 22nd.
- During NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying on Friday afternoon, a cowl cover was left on the No. 98 Safelite AutoGlass Toyota Tundra, forcing Abreu to start from the 31st position.
- Abreu made contact with the Turn 1 wall on lap three of 167, causing damage to the right side and tonneau cover, forcing the rookie driver to pit road early in the 167-lap event to repair the damage on his Toyota Tundra.
- In 2016, Abreu has one top-10 finish (Martinsville)
- In six career NCWTS starts Abreu has one top-10 finish
- Abreu’s ThorSport Racing teammates finished second (Crafton), 18th (Rhodes), and 19th (Hayley)
- Up next: The Dover 200 at Dover International Speedway on Friday, May 13, 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
