By Alex Nieten
Rico Abreu secures his first Charlotte victory while Daivd Gravel wraps up a second straight World of Outlaws championship with a runner-up
Chalk up another one for Rico Abreu.
It’s been a dream season for the St. Helena, CA native, and he’s got no intentions of letting his foot off the gas as 2025 winds down.
Abreu entered World of Outlaws World Finals week with a nation-leading 20 Sprint Car victories this year. One thing lacking from his résumé was a win at North Carolina’s The Dirt Track at Charlotte with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Cars. He’d been close with a trio of runner-ups, including one in his most recent appearance, but he doesn’t have to be the bridesmaid anymore.
World Finals racing opened on Thursday, and Abreu started on the pole for the 25-lapper and put together the drive he needed to finally secure a Charlotte score. David Gravel gave him a brief challenge, taking a peek underneath late, but Abreu got up on the wheel and drove away.
“You’ve really got to process the race pace,” Abreu said. “The engines were burning so much fuel. We were like a gallon a lap in the Dash there. We run a 30-gallon tank, so you’ve just got be be really tight on the fuel valve. I was really aggressive on my brakes trying to pick the idle up, keep my shocks warmed up, and then I had one of the best drivers in the country racing right beside me. I just wanted to set a really fast pace there after the fuel stop knowing we had a little extra fuel there to get to the end. It’s awesome to get to race in front of the best fans in the world.”
Abreu’s win total this year climbed to 21, and four of them have come with The Greatest Show on Dirt in only 15 tries. His 21st checkered flag of the season is also his 21st career World of Outlaws victory. Charlotte becomes the 13th different track where he’s won with the Series.
David Gravel held on for the runner-up spot aboard the Big Game Motorsports No. 2. He took a shot at Abreu for the top spot but just couldn’t quite sneak by for the win. On the bright side, his 39th podium of the season was enough to mathematically clinch his second consecutive World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car title, becoming only the sixth driver ever to do so.
“It feels really good,” Gravel said. “It’s been a long year. We’ve just been so consistently fast Qualifying and putting ourselves on the front row of Heat Races. Just proud of all my guys. They give me a fast car every single night. We went out to try to win this race tonight, but Rico was pretty good. I feel like it was hard to pass. Man, we had him there for a second. I wish I moved up to the top and didn’t try to run the bottom so many corners in a row but hats off to those guys. They’ve had a great season.”
The final step of the podium was occupied by Corey Day who gave the fans a show. After winning the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown, the Clovis, CA competitor ripped the Jason Meyers Racing No. 14 all the way from 21st to third in his Charlotte debut.
“I rolled out there and saw it was curbed up on the wall, so I was happy to see that,” Day said. “I hate that we made it so difficult on ourselves Qualifying bad and having to start all the way back there. We had a really good car. We’re making gains on it, and I think this will set me up good for Saturday as long as I have an okay tomorrow. We’ll keep working on it.”
Michael “Buddy” Kofoid and Parker Price-Miller completed the top five.
Logan Schuchart marched the Shark Racing No. 1S from 25th to sixth to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger.
Heat Races belonged to Sye Lynch (NOS Energy Drink Heat One), Danny Sams III (Real American Beer Heat Two), Buddy Kofoid (WIX Filters Heat Three), and David Gravel (TheGreatestStoreonDirt.com Heat Four).
The SPA Technique #1 Redraw went to Buddy Kofoid.
Rico Abreu topped the Toyota Dash.
Corey Day won the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown.
The Smith Titanium Brake Systems Break of the Race went to Zach Hampton.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series will take on another $15,000-to-win World Finals program on Friday, Nov. 7 before the $25,000-to-win/$1,750-to-start season finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Saturday, Nov. 8. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, catch every lap live on DIRTVision.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (25 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[1]; 2. 2-David Gravel[2]; 3. 14-Corey Day[21]; 4. 83-Michael Kofoid[3]; 5. 71-Parker Price Miller[11]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart[25]; 7. 41-Carson Macedo[5]; 8. 19-Brent Marks[13]; 9. 7S-Chris Windom[20]; 10. 23-Garet Williamson[8]; 11. 9-Daison Pursley[14]; 12. 15-Donny Schatz[29]; 13. 17JR-Spencer Bayston[16]; 14. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[10]; 15. 18-Cory Eliason[6]; 16. 15S-Kerry Madsen[22]; 17. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild[15]; 18. 9R-Chase Randall[12]; 19. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[9]; 20. 24D-Danny Sams III[4]; 21. 10-Ryan Timms[17]; 22. 28M-Conner Morrell[28]; 23. 99-Skylar Gee[27]; 24. 2C-Cole Macedo[23]; 25. 17B-Bill Balog[18]; 26. 49X-Cale Thomas[24]; 27. 42-Sye Lynch[7]; 28. 6-Zach Hampton[26]; 29. 7BC-Giovanni Scelzi[19]
