SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. (July 15, 2012)—Rico Abreu won the first Midget feature of his career Sunday, taking the Miller Lite 76th Anniversary Night event co-sanctioned by the POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series and the Stark Automotive Group/Mid-State Equipment Badger Midget Series at Angell Park Speedway.
Abreu was driving in his sixth POWRi event and is in his first Midget season.
“It’s really awesome picking up a win in Sun Prairie, especially when it’s a rare thing to win a feature after just a couple of attempts,” Abreu said. “Things went our way. You’ll have those nights and you won’t have those nights. Tonight was ours. The car was perfect.”
The 20-year-old from Rutherford, Calif., passed Mike Hess in heavy traffic on the one-third mile track on the 17th of 30 laps and led to the checkered flag. Abreu, driving the Toyota-powered Bullet for Keith Kunz Motorsports, finished 2.16 seconds of second place Brad Kuhn.
Tyler Thomas of Collinsville, Okla., passed Robbie Ray of Davenport, Iowa, for the lead on the third lap. Thomas and Mike Hess of Riverton, Ill., exchanged the lead three times before Hess held it from laps six through 16.
The veteran Kuhn of Avon, Ind., had started 16th and passed Hess on the 25th for second. Hess finished third, followed by Daniel Robinson of Mt. Vernon, Ill., and Bubba Altig of Mechanicsburg, Ill.
Abreu had been a contender in previous POWRi features, finishing third at Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale, Texas, and second at Macon (Ill.) Speedway.
The Speedway Motors Money Midget Week presented by RevHoney Energy Drinks is next for POWRi’s National and West Midgets, starting July 27 with the Chad McDaniel Memorial at Solomon Valley Raceway in Beloit, Kan. The three-event tour races at Junction Motor Speedway in McCool Junction, Neb., on July 28 and US 36 Raceway in Cameron, Mo., on July 29.
POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget Series feature results (30 laps): 1. Rico Abreu, 2. Brad Kuhn, 3. Mike Hess, 4. Daniel Robinson, 5. Bubba Altig, 6. Andrew Felker, 7. Cody Weisensel, 8. Austin Brown, 9. Dillon Welch, 10. Derek Holmwood, 11. Robbie Ray, 12. Kurt Mayhew, 13. Chett Gehrke, 14. Andy Malpocker, 15. Cameron Hagin, 16. Riley Emmel, 17. Eric Johnson, 18. Tyler Thomas, 19. Scott Hatton, 20. Colten Cottle, 21. Garrett Aitken, 22. David Budres, 23. Brandon Waelti.
For more information, go to www.POWRi.com.