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ABREU AND FERGUSON VICTORIOUS AT HUSET’S SPEEDWAY DURING NORTHWEST TIRE INC. HIGH LIMIT SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY BANK MIDWEST EVENT
BRANDON, S.D. (Aug. 15, 2023) – Rico Abreu capitalized on a late-race restart to capture the $23,023-to-win Northwest Tire Inc. High Limit Sprint Car Series presented by Bank Midwest sprint car feature on Tuesday at Huset’s Speedway.
Brandon Ferguson was also victorious as he became the seventh different Nordstrom’s Automotive Late Model Street Stocks feature winner this season.
Abreu’s winning move was a slide job on Robbie Price in turns one and two on a restart with seven laps remaining before he pulled away for his second High Limit Sprint Car Series triumph of the season. He also became the 12th different 410ci winged sprint car winner in 14 Cressman Sanitation 410 Outlaw Sprint Cars races at Huset’s Speedway this season.
“I just knew the tire pressures were going to come into play at the end there,” he said. “That was a lot of hard racing. This is probably the most demanding track that we come to in a season where it’s fast paced like that. Robbie did an amazing job there. If the roles were reversed he probably would have done the same thing to me.”
Price led from the drop of the green flag during a 35-lap feature that was slowed early by a trio of red flags within the first three laps. A long green-flag run followed with Price pacing the field while running the top around the high-banked oval.
Abreu and Buddy Kofoid swapped the runner-up position multiple times throughout the race with Abreu securing the spot before the final caution. He then dropped to the bottom groove entering turn one as Price ran the top on the restart. Abreu slid up in front of Price in turn two and was able to hold onto the top spot for the remainder of the race.
“The caution definitely played in our favor there,” Abreu said. “That’s just how it goes in racing.”
Kofoid slid Price for second place in turns one and two the lap after the restart to garner the second-place showing.
“Traffic was going to make it interesting,” Kofoid said. “Once I got clear of some of the other lappers I was able to inch toward Robbie. I felt pretty damn good for the most part. I just stumbled on the top one time into (turns) three and four. That was the only time I got tight and that let Rico by. We were able to go back and forth however many different times. He was able to get me at the right time and then the yellow came out unfortunately.”
Price held on for a third-place finish, which was his best result of the season.
“I felt decent in traffic,” he said. “I was starting to hang a little bit coming off each corner. I about plugged it into the flagstand with about 15 (laps) to go. I felt really good around the top. I ran the bottom once and I felt decent down there, but I felt like I could keep my momentum a lot better ripping the top. On the restart I knew better. I felt I got a decent run down the hill. I probably should have tried to slide myself. I feel like I knew better, but it’s also hard to abandon what you’ve been doing the past 30 laps. I’m a little frustrated, but it’s a good run – the best run of the year for us.”
Kerry Madsen placed fourth and Justin Sanders was fifth. Kyle Larson hustled from 17th to sixth.
Kofoid and Abreu each set quick time during qualifying in their group before the heat races were won by Kofoid, Ryan Timms, Price and Aaron Reutzel. Price picked up the dash victory with Ian Madsen claiming the C Main and Cole Macedo the B Main.
Ferguson led the distance of the 18-lap Nordstrom’s Automotive Late Model Street Stocks main event, winning for the first time in the division at Huset’s Speedway.
“Wooooooo,” he exclaimed into the microphone during the post-race interview. “That’s how it feels. I am so happy. My wife finally came and got to witness me win in the thing and I’m so happy about it.”
A trio of cautions in the first half of the race kept Ferguson out of traffic throughout the race. Dan Jensen ran a close second lap after lap before ending 0.675 seconds behind Ferguson. Garet Deboer ended third with Matt Steuerwald finishing fourth and J.J. Zebell fifth.
Ferguson and Deboer were the heat race winners.
The next event at Huset’s Speedway is Aug. 27 for Royal River Casino Night featuring the Cressman Sanitation 410 Outlaw Sprint Cars, the Nordstrom’s Automotive Late Model Street Stocks and the Wyffels Hybrids RaceSaver Sprint Car Series.
NORTHWEST TIRE INC. HIGH LIMIT SPRINT CAR SERIES PRESENTED BY BANK MIDWEST RESULTS AT HUSET’S SPEEDWAY (Aug. 15, 2023)
Cressman Sanitation 410 Outlaw Sprint Cars
A Feature (35 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu (5); 2. 83JR-Michael Kofoid (2); 3. 7S-Robbie Price (1); 4. 55-Kerry Madsen (6); 5. 39M-Justin Sanders (8); 6. 57-Kyle Larson (17); 7. 8-Aaron Reutzel (4); 8. 3-Tim Kaeding (23); 9. 22K-Kaleb Johnson (15); 10. 11-Cory Eliason (9); 11. 83-Justin Henderson (14); 12. 16-Brooke Tatnell (22); 13. 21T-Cole Macedo (21); 14. 3J-Dusty Zomer (25); 15. 9K-Kasey Kahne (11); 16. 24T-Christopher Thram (20); 17. 14D-Corey Day (24); 18. 88-Austin McCarl (19); 19. 5T-Ryan Timms (7); 20. 11M-Brendan Mullen (3); 21. 9-Chase Randall (10); 22. 84-Scott Bogucki (12); 23. 13-Justin Peck (13); 24. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr (18); 25. 22-Riley Goodno (16).
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Photo's: High Limit Sprint Car Series | Huset's Speedway | Tylan Porath Photography