NASCAR: 2018 is a big year for Rico Abreu’s racing career
By Dustin Smith
The two-time Chili Bowl champion will look to win his third in Tulsa, Oklahoma this week. Does NASCAR driver Rico Abreu have what it takes to win it?
Ultimately, the success Rico Abreu has had on dirt has not translated into success on asphalt. Without a full-time ride in 2018, is this a big year for Abreu and his future in NASCAR?
Ironically, the Chili Bowl Nationals is a race that many would consider the Super Bowl of Sprint Car racing. Starting tonight, Rico Abreu will look to capture his third Chili Bowl win in Tulsa. Some of the biggest names in NASCAR will be competing in this years running. By and large, with the long list of talented drivers in the field, if Abreu can score another victory, it should help his case to get him a full-time ride.
Presently, Abreu is without a ride for the 2018 season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Similarly, this will be the second straight year Abreu is without a ride in NASCAR. It is quite obvious the 25-year-old Californian can run with the best of them. In 2015, Abreu finished the season in the NASCAR K&N Series. In 14 races, Abreu finished in the top 10 eight times and recorded a win at Columbus.
In 2016, Abreu earned a full-time spot in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 23 races, Rico drove to two top 5 finishes and a total of five top 10 finishes. However, this wasn’t good enough to keep him in the Truck Series.
What Rico Abreu needs to do
Of course, winning the Chili Bowl Nationals would be a great start for Abreu. However, that is a task which is much easier said than done, especially considering the names in the field this year. Still, a strong season could help Abreu attract interest from NASCAR Truck and Xfinity Series teams and get him on track for a future Cup Series ride.
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This year’s Chili Bowl in Tulsa, Oklahoma will feature Leavine Family Racing’s newest driver, Kasey Kahne. Another Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series regular, Kyle Larson, will also be competing. Larson is on the short list of drivers who could win the championship in 2018. Then you have Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who will look for dirt glory in Tulsa. Some other NASCAR drivers including J.J. Yeley and Chase Briscoe will look to win the Chili Bowl as well. Of course, the one major thing missing from this are the names of the other sprint car regulars who will be aiming for the win.
By and large, I feel 2018 is a big year for Rico Abreu and his racing career. There is absolutely no debating the fact that he can get the job done on the dirt tracks. Being just 25, he still has time to make it to the big show. However, he will need to continue success and continue to find Victory Lane.
If he can do so, it would make all the sense in the world for teams to start knocking on his door. The talent is certainly there, so don’t be too surprised when Rico Abreu is a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver in the next few years.
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Do you think Rico Abreu has what it takes to make it to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series? Do his back-to-back wins in the Chili Bowl in 2015 and 2016 make him a worthy of a ride in NASCAR?