Rico Abreu gets High Limit Sprint Car victory, snaps Kyle Larson's three-race win streak

After finishing second to Kyle Larson in back-to-back races, Rico Abreu finally earned his first High Limit Sprint Car series race at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania Wednesday night in a 35-lap race. Abreu's winning pass on Larson came with 17 laps remaining, ending what appeared to be another dominant performance by the co-owner of the series.

During the evening, Larson set quick time, won his heat and the dash. Larson led the first 18 laps of the race, but as he's been able to hold off the competition in each of the last three races, Abreu bested him on a mid-race restart, survived another yellow flag and led the final 17 circuits.

"It is a racetrack that really suits my driving style," Abreu said at FloRacing.com. "I was really looking forward to coming to this race. These events are becoming massive Crown Jewel events. Lots of money on the line. Lots of fans. It's amazing to be part of something like this with what Brad (Sweet) and Kyle are creating with the High Limit Series. These races are very, very difficult for me to win. It's important for me to keep my team in victory lane."

Abreu lacked the hype that surrounded Larson prior to the Main, but he also won his heat. A modest finish in the Dash relegated him to a fourth-place starting psotion.

Abreu survived contact with an infield tire barrier on an early caution brought out by an accident for Freddie Rahmer and showed no sign of damage as he quickly passed for third in a one-lap run before the caution waved again. In a race marked by frequent cautions in the first half of the race, Abreu consistently moved his way forward from the outside of Row 2 with restart passes.

Fittingly, he passed Larson for the lead with 17 laps remaining when that driver relinquished the bottom line. Abreu threw a convincing slider and had to survive one more caution and a charge by Larson with seven laps remaining to his second win in a week. Abreu won Night 2 of the World of Outlaws Summer Nationals at Williams Grove Speedway in Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania.

"I just let my car come to me," Abreu said after the race. "We knew we set this thing up for the end of the race. I could maintain his pace on longer runs as tire pressures came up and it was important that I peddle it. On that restart with him choosing the outside, I knew he was going to spin (his tires) and I had to make sure I didn't hit the grease down the frontstretch and at least break his momentum in Turn 1 where we could race. But you have to be careful doing that because you let the guys behind you catch up."

After the race, Larson detailed the end of his three-race winning streak.

"On the restart before that when I took the bottom, I had to peddle it all the way to the exit and I figured it had gotten slicker on the down there so I thought I could choose the top and have a nice moisture strip," Larson said. "I thought I could launch there and get my momentum built up earlier. That wasn't the case.

"I thought I did get a good enough launch that I didn't have to worry about him, which is obviously why I went so high into (Turn) 1. I thought I could just get going but he cut a ton of distance and had the momentum down the frontstretch from all the grip on the bottom. That was the move of the race that cost me, but he did a good job of executing. Then, I thought when he was in front of me he looked really good, but on the last run - I don't know if I was actually better than him - I was running lower and catching him a lot in (Turns) 1 and 2 and even off 4 I could inch toward him.

"I actually ended up pulling the trigger a lap too early. I thought I had a good enough run down the backstretch. I could maybe clear in front of him or at least get him up over the flat to kill his speed through 4 and down the frontstretch, but it didn't work out. ... I feel like he's been the all-around best all year."

Brent Marks took the last spot on the podium.

"I got by Kyle at one point but wasn't quite able to stick it in front of him," Marks said. "After that he saw the line I was working in (Turns) 1 and 2 and I couldn't make up the ground I did before."

Fourth-place Danny Dietrich and Cory Eliason rounded out the top five.

Former NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne finished sixth.

Larson leads the championship standings by 44 points over Abreu. Eliason is a distant third, 105 points behind.

Feature Results

A Feature 1 (35 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 2. 57-Kyle Larson[1]; 3. 19-Brent Marks[6]; 4. 48-Danny Dietrich[13]; 5. 11-Cory Eliason[12]; 6. 9K-Kasey Kahne[19]; 7. 2MD-Cap Henry[11]; 8. 71-Kyle Reinhardt[9]; 9. 55-Hunter Schuerenberg[3]; 10. 39M-Lance Dewease[16]; 11. 5-Tyler Ross[14]; 12. 10X-Ryan Smith[21]; 13. 11T-TJ Stutts[18]; 14. 23-Devon Borden[8]; 15. 20-Ryan Taylor[17]; 16. 9-Chase Randall[7]; 17. 5T-Ryan Timms[15]; 18. 13-Justin Peck[5]; 19. 5K-Jake Karklin[24]; 20. 99-Kyle Moody[22]; 21. 11A-Austin Bishop[23]; 22. 3J-Dusty Zomer[10]; 23. 51-Freddie Rahmer[20]; 24. (DNS) 20B-Tim Buckwalter

2023 High Limit Sprint Car Series

Race 1: Giovanni Scelzi wins at Lakeside Speedway

Race2: Anthony Macri wins at 34 Raceway

Race 3: Kyle Larson wins at Wayne County Speedway

Race 4: Kyle Larson wins at Tri-City Speedway

Race 5: Kyle Larson wins three in a row at Eagle