KOKOMO – As sports fans, we have favorite teams and athletes. We choose them for various reasons. Maybe it’s a hometown team or athlete, maybe it’s the team or athlete we grew up watching with family and friends, or maybe we feel like we identify with them somehow. Among the most loyal fans – a group I’m proud to be a member of – are racing fans, particularly those who love dirt sprint car racing. A little over a week ago, some friends and I went to the King’s Royal at Eldora Speedway in Ohio. It’s one of the most prestigious winged sprint car races in the world at one of the most historic tracks in the world. Saturday, some friends and I attended the Dirt Classic Indiana, an All-Stars Circuit of Champions event at Kokomo Speedway. (Quick side note ... Rodney Jackson, Lance Leeper, Brian Barger, Shawn Whitaker, Kevin Tennant, I had a blast tailgating with you guys. Thanks for having me.) Outside of the fact Indiana native and racing icon Tony Stewart owns Eldora Speedway and the All-Stars series, there was a common theme from both weekends that stuck with me – Rico Abreu’s popularity is growing, and growing rapidly. At Eldora, where a number of Ohio natives and other longtime fan favorites were in the starting field for the King’s Royal, Abreu received the loudest ovation during driver intros. Same thing Saturday at Kokomo Speedway, where he took the lead on lap 24 of the 40-lap main event and drove into victory lane. If you’re not familiar with Abreu, or you’re reading this and you’re not a sprint car fan, here’s some quick background info. He’s 24 years old and hails from St. Helena, Calif. He’s a rookie in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, though his roots are deep in sprint car racing, where he’s won World of Outlaws races, All-Stars races, USAC midget races and national championships. He’s the two-time defending champion of the Chili Bowl Nationals, the biggest midget car race in the world. In his last six races, which includes three World of Outlaws races at Eldora, the NASCAR truck race at Eldora, and two shows at Kokomo this weekend, Abreu’s worst finish is third place. He’s both aggressive and smooth while muscling a 1,400-pound car that produces more than 800 horsepower. Here’s what Jac Haudenschild, known to sprint car fans as the Wild Child and whose been racing sprint cars since 1974, told me about Abreu in the pits after Saturday’s race: “You can see his talent,” said Haudenschild. “He can win anywhere and in anything. It’s hard to keep guys like him in sprints ... they go to NASCAR, and that’s where the money’s at. But yeah, he’s very talented and runs good everywhere he goes.” There’s another fact about Abreu that often ends up forcing a jaw-dropping or an “oh wow” moment. At 24 years of age, Abreu is 4-foot-4 and just shy of 100 pounds. He was born with achondroplasia, a genetic disorder that is a common cause of dwarfism. Now, I’m going to remind you that he muscles a 1,400-pound winged sprint car that produces 800 horsepower. And he’s extremely good at it. “I’ve been waiting all season to put myself in a position like this,” Abreu said of the hot streak he’s on right now, as he was talking to me outside of his hauler Saturday night. “I struggled earlier in the year, but right now our cars are really good. I’ve just got a lot of confidence, and it takes a lot of confidence to be good at these races. I just want to win races ... I’ll do whatever it takes to win races. Anything I get in, the NASCAR truck, the sprint car, the midget, I want to win races.” In 2013, Abreu drove 102 races – winged sprints and midgets – and won 12 times. In 2014, his stats included 105 races and 25 wins. In 2015, he drove 107 races and found victory lane 20 times. So far this season, which includes an open wheel schedule that is scaled back to support his NASCAR truck series commitments, he’s driven in 62 races and won eight times. Abreu certainly knows what to do on the track. He’s just as impressive off it. He’s a fan favorite in the pits after the races – with both children and adults. I’ve seen it a number of times myself, as he signs autographs and poses for pictures until the last person is gone. On his website, www.ricoabreu.com, he lists his goals as “set a good impression and inspire people to do what they love.” I’d say he’s winning at that. So, if you’re looking for a driver to cheer for, or an athlete for your children to look up to, I suggest giving Rico Abreu a chance.
