Rico Abreu Wins WCS

RICO ABREU SCORES NAPA WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY ALL STAR WIN IN 1st EVER VISIT; MIKE PEGHER JR. TOPS SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODELS; THOMPSON 3 FOR 3

Orrville, Ohio

Saturday, May 28,2016

By Tyler Altmeyer & Mike Swanger

For the first time in his career, Rico Abreu entered action at NAPA Wayne County Speedway on White Ford night, joining the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions for the second leg of their Memorial Day weekend swing through northern Ohio. The St. Helena CA. driver made his trip to Orrville, Ohio, worthwhile, scoring $5,000 and a third career Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions victory in front of a big crowd. The “Low Rider” Dale Blaney crossed under the checkers second followed by Andrew Palker for his second top five finish of the season. “ Just happy to be up here in front of this great crowd,” said Rico Abreu in victory lane. “ I just want to thank everyone for coming out tonight. A big thanks to Tony Stewart for allowing all of this to happen. We have a busy weekend and week still ahead of us. This is a great start and we’ll try to keep this going.”

Abreu, who was fast qualifier, started second on the main grid, made his first bid for the top spot just before the halfway point of the 30 lap feature, eventually worked around pole sitter and leader Andrew Palker in traffic on lap 14. Sheldon Haudenschild and Dale Blaney also worked around Palker, creating a three car battle for the lead. By lap 20, traffic started to intensify, allowing Sheldon Haudenschild to apply heavy pressure on Abreu. Using the top line of the speedway, Haudenschild worked around Abreu on lap 25, setting a new pace at the front of the field. Fortunately for Abreu, Haudenschild’s wicked pace around NAPA Wayne County’s rim would only last until lap 28, when the Wooster native made contact with a lapped car, bringing out the main event’s first and only red flag. Haudenschild would get upside down, but walked away unharmed but would not return. Rico Abreu inherited the point position and led the final three circuits to clinch his first ever Arctic Cat All Star of Champions victory at NAPA Wayne County Speedway. Dale Blaney finished second after starting third followed by former two time NAPA Wayne County Speedway track champion Andrew Palker. Cole Duncan and Jac Haudenschild rounded out the top five. The “Wild Child” started 19th after winning the ’B’ Main on the last lap climbed 14 positions to secure his top five finish as well as the MSD Hard Charger Award.

“Some one told me at the beginning of the night that Sheldon was going to be the guy to beat in traffic here,” explained Abreu. “He definitely proved that. I was going to race on all parts of the track, just trying to find where I was comfortable. The second I knew I let the top open, Sheldon would be right there. I think things would have got really interesting those last three laps if Sheldon wouldn’t have got crashed. Hats off to him and his guys. They’ve been fast all year”.

In a thirty lap feature, Wexford Pa.’s Mike Pegher Jr. held off race long challenges from different drivers to pocket the $2,000 to win Sweeney Rush Late Model feature. Pegher Jr. would lead the opening lap from the pole but Dave Lyon would take the point for the next three laps before Pegher Jr., driving the Royal Flush/Royal Purple, Jack’s Recycling and Melvins Transnission #RJ1, reclaimed the lead. John Waters would move into the runner up position at that time also and those three were nip and tuck until the halfway mark when Waters and Lyon both got out of shape and allowed Ryan Markham to slip past into second. Markham, a five time track champion of NAPA WCS, would go door handle to door handle for the next three laps with Pegher Jr.. Waters would take back second place on lap 18. From then on, it was a four car battle between Pegher Jr., Lyons, Markham and Waters as they would never be more than two car lengths apart as they would finish in that order. Bruce Hordusky Jr. would be awarded fifth after Matt Aber was DQ’ed for being light at the scales after the race. Pegher Jr and Lyon won the heat races

Driving the Action Auto Body, Nella Enterprises and Ofex of Ohio #T2, Streetsboro’s Tyler Thompson led all the way for his third win of the season in the caution filled Action Auto Body Super Stock feature. With several cautions in the opening six laps keeping the field bunched together. The next eight laps would go yellow flag free and that would allow Thompson to pull away from Paul Holmes and Gary Hensel Jr. Those two drivers would have a spirited battle for second and when the caution flew just as the white flag waved, that would give them one more shot at Thompson.

As the final lap ran, Thompson kept Holmes and Hensel Jr. at bay to win his third feature of the season. Don Baney would finish fourth as Jordan James gathered fifth from his 20th starting spot. Holmes, Brandon Gardner and Hensel Jr. bested the heat races.

Drivers were also competing for more than $100,000 of yearly awards from the Contingency Connections Racer Rewards program.

Next Saturday, June 4th, it will be a regular show with the OVSCA joining the Fisher Performance Sprints with the Harriger Towing Super Late Models, Kar Connection Rush Late Models, Action Auto Body Super Stocks and the WQKT Mini Stocks back in action. It will be School Spirit night with the School with the most spirit getting $200 for it’s athletic program. It will also be $1 dog night.

For more information on the track and how to hook up with more social media outlets for the track, go to www.waynecountyspeeday.com

NAPA WAYNE COUNTY SPEEDWAY RESULTS

Saturday, May 28, 2016

ARCTIC CAT ALL STAR CIRCUIT of CHAMPIONS

Fast Qualifier Rico Abreu 14.530 seconds

Heat 1 TJ Michael, Cole Duncan, Sheldon Haudenschild, Rob Chaney, Joe Kubiniec, Nick Patterson, Kory Crabtree, Hunter Mackison, Shawn Hubler, Tyler Dunn

Heat 2 Lee Jacobs, Caleb Helms, Dean Jacobs, Danny Holtgraver, Andrew Palker, Chad Kemenah, Kraig Kinser, Bradley Howard, Troy Kingan

Heat 3 Brad Haudenschild, Cap Henry, Dale Blaney, Rico Abreu, Michael Bauer, Danny Mumaw, Jordan Mackison, Mitch Harble dns, Jac Haudenschild dns

Dash Andrew Palker, Rico Abreu, Dale Blaney, Cole Duncan, Sheldon Haudenschild, Brad Haudenschild, Lee Jacobs, Caleb Helms

B Main Jac Haudenschild, Kory Crabtree, Hunter Mackison, Jordan Mackison, Kraig Kinser, Shawn Hubler, Tyler Dunn, Bradley Howard dns, Troy Kingan dns

Feature Rico Abreu, Dale Blaney, Andrew Palker, Cole Duncan, Jac Haudenschild, Dean Jacobs, Rob Chaney, Lee Jacobs, TJ Michael, Caleb Helms, Danny Holtgraver, Chad Kemenah, Kraig Kinser, Kory Crabtree, Danny Mumaw, Hunter Mackison, Michael Bauer, Joe Kubiniec, Shawn Hubler, Sheldon Haudenschild, Brad Haudenschild, Cap Henry, Nick Patterson, Jordan Mackison

SWEENEY RUSH LATE MODELS

Heat 1 Mike Pegher Jr., Will Thomas, John Waters, Ryan Markham, Justin Chance, Matt Aber, Brian Knowles, Eric Wilson, Jim Nicely, Josh Stoica

Heat 2 David Lyon, Jason Knowles, Charlie Duncan, Bruce Hordusky Jr., Alan Dellinger, Josh Double, Jamie Wrightsman, Clinton Hersh, Brian Swank, Tony White

Dash Mike Pegher Jr., Dave Lyon, Will Thomas, Jason Knowles

Feature Mike Pegher Jr., Dave Lyon, Ryan Markham, John Waters, Bruce Hordusky Jr., Justin Chance, Josh Double, Jamie Wrightsman, Brian Knowles, Jim Nicely, Will Thomas, Tony White, Alan Dellinger, Josh Stoica, Jason Knowles, Brian Swank, Clinton Hersh, Eric Wilson, Charlie Duncan, Matt Aber dqed

ACTION AUTO BODY SUPER STOCKS

Heat 1 Paul Holmes, Nick Smith, Tyler Nicely, Todd Sherwin, Chris Albright, Bob Fry, Dennis Amstutz, Chase Alexander

Heat 2 Brandon Gardner, Don Baney, Tyler Thompson, Cliff Staley, Chaz O’Dell, Brandon Craver, Jordan James, TA Perrine

Heat 3 Gary Hensel Jr., Brad Eagle, Don Rutt, Paul Kern, Darren Dawson, Todd Gallion, Tod Beviloqua, Steve Ott

Feature Tyler Thompson, Paul Holmes, Gary Hensel Jr., Don Baney, Jordan James, Cliff Staley, Tyler Nicely, Todd Sherwin, Darren Dawson, Tod Beviloqua, Paul Kern, Steve Ott, Bob Fry, Don Rutt, Brandon Gardner, Brandon Craver, Chris Albright, Todd Gallion, Chaz O’Dell, Nick Smith, Dennis Amstutz, Brad Eagle, TA Perrine dns, Chase Alexander dns