BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. — Rico Abreu started from the pole and raced to victory in Tuesday night’s Hodnett Cup at Grandview Speedway.
It was the fourth event of the 32nd annual Pennsylvania Speedweek and part of the long-running NAPA Auto Parts Thunder on the Hill Racing Series at the third-mile dirt track.
Abreau earned $10,000 for winning a race that proved tricky for the leaders barely dodging multiple incidents and avoiding fighting through heavy lapped traffic.
“We had some breaks with cautions,” Abreu said. “But you have to do everything right to get those breaks in the first place.”
Abreu may have started on the pole but it wasn’t easy for the California native with Christopher Bell moving from inside row two into the second position on the start. Abreu fired off fast, approaching a full-straight lead by the fourth circuit with lapped traffic quickly approaching.
With Abreu in a comfortable lead, the battle for second heated up, between Brent Marks and Bell – but a lap-seven yellow flag slowed the field when Dylan Norris spun directly in front of the leaders.
On the restart, Abreu shot to the high side of the one-third-mile speedway with Marks moving passed Bell and Anthony Macri powering around the outside of Kyle Larson.
Marks pressured Abreu as the laps ticked away, approaching lapped traffic until the red flag flew on lap 14 for Kyle Larson, whose No. 57 machine tipped on its side with a broken rear end.
Abreu continued on the restart, racing around the inside of the speedway while Marks rode around the high side hot on his heels.
The final caution flew on lap 23 for Zach Hampton, who spun in front of the leaders.
Just over 10 laps remained on the scoreboard, Abreu took the green flag creating some distance between himself and the battle for second between Anthony Macri and Brent Marks.
Lapped traffic challenged the leaders in the late stages, as the top five positions were nose-to-tail when the white flag flew, but Abreu held them off to claim his third Pennsylvania Speedweek win.
Macri finished second, Marks in third, Danny Dietrich in fourth and Bell finished in fifth.
The finish:
Feature (35 Laps): 1. Rico Abreu 2. Anthony Macri 3. Brent Marks 4. Danny Dietrich 5. Christopher Bell 6. Tanner Thorson 7. Justin Peck 8. Ryan Smith 9. Lucas Wolfe 10. Freddie Rahmer 11. Kyle Moody 12. Austin Bishop 13. Tyler Ross 14. Brandon Rahmer 15. TJ Stutts 16. Skylar Gee 17. Jeff Halligan 18. Ryan Taylor 19. Mark Smith 20. Dylan Norris 21. Chad Trout 22. Devon Borden 23. Zach Hampton 24. Kyle Larson