In a thrilling showdown at Knoxville Raceway on Saturday night, Rico Abreu outpaced Kyle Larson in the closing moments, claiming victory at the Xtream powered by Mediacom 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank. This win stands as a defining milestone in Abreu’s journey at the Sprint Car Capital of the World and further spotlights the relentless pursuit of both drivers, especially the high-profile presence of Kyle Larson at 360 Knoxville Nationals.
Rico Abreu Achieves Long-Awaited Knoxville Triumph
Rico Abreu, originally from St. Helena, California, has chased success at Knoxville Raceway since debuting in 2013, making persistent efforts to improve at each visit. The 33-year-old driver finally realized his dream in 2025, winning the prestigious 35th running of the event after a gripping contest with NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Larson.
As an experienced entrant in the 410 Sprint Car NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s, Abreu chose to participate in the 360 edition for only the second time in his career this year. His goal was to gain valuable laps in preparation for the upcoming 410 Sprint Car Nationals, boosting his confidence and readiness.
Saturday night saw Abreu lead 28 of the 30 main event laps, showcasing his growth, tenacity, and determination to conquer one of dirt racing’s greatest stages. By winning the 360 Nationals, Abreu not only cemented his reputation among motorsports fans but also demonstrated his readiness for even greater challenges at Knoxville in the future.
Kyle Larson’s Impressive Performance Sets Up Dramatic Finish
Kyle Larson started from the fourth position and steadily advanced through the field, eventually battling Abreu for the top spot after a critical restart on lap 23. Harnessing significant speed through both Turn 1 and Turn 2, Larson surged through the outside line, outpacing Abreu and taking control as the leaders crossed for lap 23. However, a subsequent caution set the stage for a memorable exchange between two of the sport’s fiercest competitors.
Abreu acknowledged the evolving challenge:
“It’s kind of, hopefully, the turning point of just the consistency of my career and the hard work that we’ve put in as a team,”
—Rico Abreu, Driver. He further reflected,
“I know we’ve made it a point to come here the last few years and have been close at 410 Nationals the last two years where the effort has really (been) seen on my end of that ability that I think I have what it takes to win the Nationals.”
—Rico Abreu, Driver.
Larson’s account captured the competitive tension:
“I was able to, honestly, just take off before he did on that one restart,”
—Kyle Larson, Driver. He added,
“I was just hoping it would stay green from then on because I knew I’d be in trouble with a caution.”
—Kyle Larson, Driver.
These moments highlighted not only Larson’s growth since his previous best finish of third in 2013 but also the unpredictable nature of high-stakes dirt track racing, where a single restart can define a championship outcome.
Tense Final Laps Set the Stage for Abreu’s Victory
The pivotal moment of the event occurred after the caution flag re-bunched the field with just a few laps to go. Abreu, having lost the lead to Larson after the earlier restart, quickly regrouped and executed a powerful slide job through Turns 1 and 2 to retake the front on the very next green flag. From there, he maintained his position, holding off Larson’s late advances and crossing the finish line to immense celebration.
Reflecting on the critical exchange, Abreu stated,
“My car just kept getting a little bit tighter and tighter as we got those restarts,”
—Rico Abreu, Driver. He continued,
“I knew that I wanted to cover the bottom lane just to block [Larson’s] run if he was taking off with me. I didn’t really know how he was taking off. I got tight that one corner and it allowed him to get wound-up and get ahead of me.”
—Rico Abreu, Driver.
Abreu detailed his approach,
“I tried to just take off with him,”
—Rico Abreu, Driver.
“The restart before that, I got super tight on the entry to (Turn) 1 and it allowed [Kyle] to get to my right-rear. I had to slow the pace down so much to not miss the grip with how fine the moisture was in 1 and 2. I just knew that it was so difficult to get it wound-up down there.”
—Rico Abreu, Driver.
Celebrating Team Effort and Crew Chief Ricky Warner’s Influence
Years of collaboration with crew chief Ricky Warner played a crucial role in Abreu’s rise. Warner, a National Sprint Car Hall-of-Fame Inductee, has a storied history at Knoxville, including notable achievements with Donny Schatz. With Saturday’s success, a 360 Nationals victory now joins Warner’s record as an achievement shared with Abreu.
Abreu highlighted this bond, saying,
“I told Ricky at the beginning of this year that I’d like to run this race,”
—Rico Abreu, Driver.
“I know it’s an important one for him, and now one that he can knock off his list of accomplishments.”
—Rico Abreu, Driver.
This joint pursuit of greatness at Knoxville Raceway has shaped both the athlete and his accomplished crew chief, bolstering their shared legacy at the Sprint Car Capital of the World.
Feature Results and Podium Standouts
Behind the front-runners, Indiana’s Parker Price-Miller drove the Indy Race Parts No. 71P to a third-place finish, marking his second consecutive night on the podium. Ryan Timms, representing Oklahoma and driving for Shane Liebig, finished fourth, while Justin Peck in the Rudeen Racing No. 26 completed the top five. The complete feature result for the 30-lap race included further strong showings by Carson McCarl, Austin McCarl, Giovanni Scelzi, James McFadden, and Brian Brown, among other top sprint car talents.
Additional highlights from the event included Abreu’s fifth main event win at Knoxville this season, his fourth career triumph with the American Sprint Car Series, and a prize purse totaling $34,000—$20,000 as the winner and an extra $14,000 for his 28 laps led. Each driver edged closer to championship form in a field brimming with competitive spirit and ambition.
Upcoming Events and What Lies Ahead
The momentum from this year’s 360 Knoxville Nationals will next carry teams and fans to WaKeeney Speedway and El Paso County Raceway, where the American Sprint Car Series returns August 15–16. Tickets will be available onsite on each race day, with full event coverage provided for remote viewers via DIRTVision, ensuring fans continue to follow the progress of frontrunners like Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu, and others on dirt racing’s national stage.
For each competitor, the chase for glory resumes immediately, with the coveted Knoxville Nationals 410 crown jewel looming ever closer—a fitting next challenge for Abreu, Larson, and their resilient teams as they seek further triumph at the sport’s highest level.
