Rico Rocks for $50K Gold Cup Triumph

BRANDON, S.D. (August 21, 2016)- Rico Abreu of Rutherford, California, took the lead of the 35 lap Dollar Loan Center Winged Sprint Car A Feature and then held on  en route to a Rock & Roll Gold Cup victory worth $50,000.

Abreu started third after finishing in that position in the 12-lap Scramble.

Abreu wasted no time in passing front row starters and brothers, Tim and Bud Kaeding of San Jose, California. However, Tim Kaeding retook the lead before Abreu regained it coming out of turn four on the opening lap.

On lap 13, Brady Bacon of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, moved ahead of Abreu, but Abreu again was able to fight back to lead the lap.

Tim Kaeding was able to join the fight for the lead on the next lap, but he made contact with the wall in turn one.

With Kaeding losing positions, Elk River, Minnesota’s Craig Dollansky took third and looked like he might pull off his second win of the weekend, but Bacon was able to hold him off.

Not only was Bacon able to hold off Dollansky, he almost won the race.

On the final lap, Abreu made contact with the turn two wall. That allowed Bacon to bring the fans to their feet as he came up behind the leader with the checkered flag waving. The margin of victory for Abreu was less than fifteen-hundredths of a second.

Abreu said he got confused over the final laps with respect to adjusting his top wing, explaining that the car felt tight.

“This is right up there at the top with the Chili Bowl and Belleville,” Abreu said when asked how big the Gold Cup win was for him.

The first running of the Rock & Roll Gold Cup had a total purse of $300,000 – $50,000 more than had been advertised before the weekend.

DOLLAR LOAN CENTER 410 WINGED SPRINT CARS:

Scramble: 1. Tim Kaeding, 2. Bud Kaeding, 3. Rico Abreu, 4. Jason Solwold, 5. Mark Dobmeier, 6. Ian Madsen, 7. Brady Bacon, 8. Craig Dollansky, 9. Justin Henderson, 10. Paul Nienhiser, 11. Paige Polyak

B Feature: 1. Dylan Peterson, 2. Dusty Ballenger, 3. Brant O’Banion, 4. John Lambertz, 5. Rob Caho Jr., 6. Chuck McGillivray

A Feature: 1. Rico Abreu, Rutherford, CA, 2. Brady Bacon, Broken Arrow, OK, 3. Craig Dollansky, Elk River, MN, 4. Jason Solwold, Burlington, WA, 5. Mark Dobmeier, Grand Forks, ND, 6. Justin Henderson, Tea, SD, 7. Paige Polyak, Tiffin, OH, 8. Aaron Reutzel, Clute, TX, 9. Dusty Zomer, Brandon, SD, 10. Tim Kaeding, San Jose, CA, 11. Paul Nienhiser, Chapin, IL, 12. Austin McCarl, Altoona, IA, 13. Ryan Bickett, Ramona, SD, 14. Joe Riedel, Ramona, SD, 15. John Lambertz, Sioux Falls, SD, 16. Dusty Ballenger, Harrisburg, SD, 17. Matt Juhl, Tea, SD, 18. Thomas Kennedy, Winnipeg, MB, 19. Ian Madsen, Sydney, NSW, 20. Dylan Peterson, Sioux Falls, SD, 21. Brant O’Banion, Sioux Falls, SD, 22. Cody Hansen, Nunda, SD (DNF), 23. Bud Kaeding, San Jose, CA (DNF), 24. Jody Rosenboom, Rock Rapids, IA (DNF)