WHEATLAND, MO. (June 27, 2025) - Rico Abreu took command on lap 11 and led the rest of the way to earn Friday night's Kubota High Limit Racing Diamond Classic feature win at Lucas Oil Speedway.
Abreu, of St. Helena, Calif., picked up his series-leading sixth feature win of the season. He was the third and final leader of the event and beat Tyler Courtney of Indianapolis by just over one second at the checkers.
"It's really good. Determination beats talent," Abreu said in victory lane, noting some recent struggles. "This sport becomes really humbling at times. You can get up top really easily and you can get beat down to the ground.
"We get to race so many times a year that there are so many highs and lows. Things change. These four tires are the only things that touch the race track. You work with spring rates and things can change throughout the season and you have to stay up to pace with everything and not get too hard on yourself."
Abreu started fourth and sat behind the early pace-setters as Ashton Torgerson beat Courtney to the lead as the race started. Those front-row starters were running 1-2 when the first caution flew after two lap, with Abreu in third.
As action resumed, Courtney caught and passed Torgerson for the lead on lap eight, using an inside pass coming out of turn four. Abreu soon moved around Torgerson and set his sights on the lead and took on lap 11, sliding past Courtney on the inside of turn two.
Abreu quickly opened a 1.3-second lead by lap 16 with Courtney a second clear of Torgerson. Abreu gradually expanded his lead, opening it to 1.6 seconds by lap 20, weaving his way through lapped traffic with no issues.
It appeared Abreu was on his way to a comfortable win when a lap 26 caution, as Landon Crawley’s motor went up in smoke, erased his 1.4-second lead. That left a four-lap sprint to the finish as Abreu led Courtney, Brent Marks, Tanner Thorson and Torgerson comprised the top five.
Abreu was able to win that race to the finish, beating Courtney by 1.038 seconds at the finish.
"I was pretty confident in my car there," Abreu said of the final restart. "I was running the bottom at the end of the race and knew the entries were getting quite free. You just have to hit your marks. This is a real momentum-based track and you have to keep this engine up on the pipe and that's what I wanted to do."
Thorson, of Broken Arrow, Okla., backed up his runner-up finish on Thursday with a third. Marks finished fourth and Thursday winner Aaron Reutzel wound up fifth.
"We're just missing a little bit, but we're close," Courtney said. "Rico has arguably been one of the best in the country all year, so a great rebound for us. We're good, we just can't quite get that top step yet but we've got 25 grand tomorrow and have put ourselves in great position for that."
The top three finishers locked themselves into the heat races and will get to bypass qualifying ahead of the $25,000-to-win finale.
Thorson, with back-to-back podium finishes, heads into the final night as confident as anyone in the pits. His last six High Limit finishes have been fourth, third, second, sixth, second and third.
"I think we have probably the most-consistent race car in the country probably," Thorson said. "It's good. We've gained a lot over this year, especially the past couple of months and rewarding for me and everyone involved. We're gonna keep on trucking."
Reutzel captured the Diamond Classic victory on Thursday night and just as he did on night one, set the fast qualifying lap with a circuit of 12.869. That was just off the track record of 12.829 set by Abreu on June 29, 2024.
Grandstands open at 4 p.m. on Saturday with hot laps at 6:15 and qualifying to follow. Opening ceremonies are slated for 7:25 p.m.
LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (June 27, 2025)
2nd annual Kubota High Limit Racing Diamond Classic
A Feature - 1. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[2]; 3. 88-Tanner Thorson[6]; 4. 19-Brent Marks[3]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel[8]; 6. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[7]; 8. 13-Daison Pursley[5]; 9. 9-Kasey Kahne[11]; 10. 9R-Chase Randall[9]; 11. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr[20]; 12. 42-Sye Lynch[15]; 13. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[14]; 14. 5-Brenham Crouch[13]; 15. 40-Howard Moore[19]; 16. 74-Xavier Doney[12]; 17. 26-Justin Peck[16]; 18. 21X-JJ Hickle[10]; 19. 20G-Noah Gass[21]; 20. 75-Tyler Blank[24]; 21. 77-Jack Wagner[23]; 22. 45X-Landon Crawley[17]; 23. 98P-Miles Paulus[22]; 24. 14-Spencer Bayston[18]
B Main - 1. 20G-Noah Gass[1]; 2. 98P-Miles Paulus[3]; 3. 77-Jack Wagner[2]; 4. 75-Tyler Blank[4]; 5. 21-Brian Brown[5]; 6. 79-Gage Montgomery[8]; 7. 73-Samuel Wagner[7]; 8. 93-Taylor Walton[9]; 9. 5B-Kory Bales[6]; 10. 24D-Danny Sams III[10]; 11. 15-Jack Potter[11]; 12. 22M-Rees Moran[12]; 13. 12X-Kameron Key[13]
Dash - 1. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 3. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 4. 24-Rico Abreu[6]; 5. 13-Daison Pursley[3]; 6. 88-Tanner Thorson[7]; 7. 49-Brad Sweet[8]; 8. 87-Aaron Reutzel[5]
Heat 1 - 1. 1A-Ashton Torgerson[1]; 2. 9R-Chase Randall[2]; 3. 5-Brenham Crouch[3]; 4. 87-Aaron Reutzel[4]; 5. 45X-Landon Crawley[5]; 6. 98P-Miles Paulus[7]; 7. 21-Brian Brown[6]; 8. 93-Taylor Walton[8]; 9. (DNF) 12X-Kameron Key[9]
Heat 2 - 1. 19-Brent Marks[2]; 2. 9-Kasey Kahne[1]; 3. 24-Rico Abreu[4]; 4. 42-Sye Lynch[8]; 5. 40-Howard Moore[3]; 6. 20G-Noah Gass[5]; 7. 73-Samuel Wagner[6]; 8. 15-Jack Potter[7]
Heat 3 - 1. 13-Daison Pursley[1]; 2. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[4]; 3. 74-Xavier Doney[2]; 4. 26-Justin Peck[5]; 5. 14-Spencer Bayston[3]; 6. 75-Tyler Blank[8]; 7. 77-Jack Wagner[6]; 8. 24D-Danny Sams III[7]
Heat 4 - 1. 88-Tanner Thorson[1]; 2. 21X-JJ Hickle[3]; 3. 3-Ayrton Gennetten[2]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet[4]; 5. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr[5]; 6. 5B-Kory Bales[8]; 7. 79-Gage Montgomery[7]; 8. 22M-Rees Moran[6]
Qualifying A - 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel, 00:12.869[4]; 2. 24-Rico Abreu, 00:13.086[13]; 3. 1A-Ashton Torgerson, 00:13.087[9]; 4. 9-Kasey Kahne, 00:13.087[1]; 5. 9R-Chase Randall, 00:13.108[3]; 6. 19-Brent Marks, 00:13.168[2]; 7. 5-Brenham Crouch, 00:13.323[16]; 8. 40-Howard Moore, 00:13.365[15]; 9. 45X-Landon Crawley, 00:13.376[7]; 10. 20G-Noah Gass, 00:13.402[10]; 11. 21-Brian Brown, 00:13.443[14]; 12. 73-Samuel Wagner, 00:13.543[5]; 13. 98P-Miles Paulus, 00:13.586[8]; 14. 15-Jack Potter, 00:13.603[11]; 15. 93-Taylor Walton, 00:13.731[6]; 16. 42-Sye Lynch, 00:27.939[17]; 17. 12X-Kameron Key, 00:27.939[12]
Qualifying B - 1. 7BC-Tyler Courtney, 00:13.077[6]; 2. 49-Brad Sweet, 00:13.207[11]; 3. 13-Daison Pursley, 00:13.220[14]; 4. 88-Tanner Thorson, 00:13.243[16]; 5. 74-Xavier Doney, 00:13.262[1]; 6. 3-Ayrton Gennetten, 00:13.295[2]; 7. 14-Spencer Bayston, 00:13.320[4]; 8. 21X-JJ Hickle, 00:13.405[9]; 9. 26-Justin Peck, 00:13.408[5]; 10. 19H-Kevin Thomas Jr, 00:13.456[7]; 11. 77-Jack Wagner, 00:13.520[3]; 12. 22M-Rees Moran, 00:13.538[13]; 13. 24D-Danny Sams III, 00:13.664[8]; 14. 79-Gage Montgomery, 00:13.723[12]; 15. 75-Tyler Blank, 00:13.808[10]; 16. 5B-Kory Bales, 00:14.084[15]
Saturday Spectator Admission:
Adults (13 and up) - $40
Seniors (62 and up)/Military - $37
Youth (age 6 to 12) - $10
Kids (age 5 and under) - FREE
Family Pass - $90
Pit Pass - $45
For information on admission or camping for any Lucas Oil Speedway event in 2025, contact Admissions Director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-6119 or (417) 295-6043 or email her at nmcmillan@lucasoilspeedway.com for more information.
CONTACT:
Danny Lorton
Lucas Oil Speedway General Manager
Office: (417) 282-5984
DLorton@lucasoilspeedway.com
?Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate, this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience.
For ticket and camping information and everything about the Show-Me 100 event, visit www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for all the information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.
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About Lucas Oil Speedway
Lucas Oil Speedway is considered by fans, drivers and industry insiders to be one of the top racing facilities in the nation. Located in Wheatland, Mo., approximately an hour from Springfield and just an hour and a half from the Kansas City metro area, the "Diamond of Dirt Tracks" lives up to its title.
Twenty-One VIP Luxury Suites, HD Jumbo-Tron Screen, Stadium Style Musco Sports Lighting, a Bose Sound System, Go-Kart Slick Track, The Diamond Bar, Track Treasures Gift Shop, the best track food in the country and paved pits are a few of the spectacular amenities setting the Diamond of Dirt apart. This year marks the 12th season for the Liquid Quarter Mile Drag Racing Lake, "Lake Lucas." New for 2017 was all-purpose built Off Road facility featuring a host of regional events.
Lucas Oil Speedway's dirt oval track plays host to some of the largest and most-popular events in the Midwest with national and regional touring series appearing frequently including: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, United States Modified Touring Series and the High Limit Sprint Racing Series, POWRi Sprint Cars and POWRi WAR Sprints.
In addition to the special events, the Lucas Oil Speedway Weekly Racing Series features the Late Models, USRA Modifieds, USRA Stock Cars, USRA B-Mods and Super Stocks.
2025 Official Lucas Oil Speedway Marketing Partners
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"The Official Truck" of Lucas Oil Speedway
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"The Official 2-Way Communications Provider" of Lucas Oil Speedway
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"The Official Fuel" of Lucas Oil Speedway
2025 Lucas Oil Speedway Supporters Include:
AM Pyrotechnics, Alliance Sport Marketing, Arctic Food Equipment, Berry Tractor and Equipment Co., Big Adventure RV, Bill Roberts Chevrolet, Bolivar Auto Sales & Detailing, Bolivar Farmers Exchange-MFA, Boubin Tire/American Racer, Bridal Cave, BWI Sanitation, Candlelight Creations-Dick's Wild Root Horseradish, Casey's, Citizens Memorial Healthcare, City Magnet, Clear Creek Golf Cars, Clearlight Inn, Dixie Chopper, Eibach Springs, Encounter Ministry Inc., FSE Fire Systems, Fast Shafts by Axle Exchange, Foley Equipment-Cat Rental Store, Golden Valley Memorial Healthcare, Henry's Towing Service, Heritage Tractor, Hermitage Lumber, HICKAMO Country Store, Hobbytime Motorsports, Iconic Apparel, Impact Signs Awnings Wraps, In the Garden of Eden, Kluhsman Racing Components, Kona Ice, Lucas Cattle Company, MD3, Midwest Sheet Metal, Miller Welding, Missouri Division of Tourism, MyRacePass, Nutrien Ag Solutions, OakStar Bank, O'Bannon Bank, O'Reilly Auto Parts, Outerwears Performance Products, Ozarks Coca-Cola/Dr. Pepper, Ozarks Community Health Center, PEM, Pitts Homes, Pitts Realty, Pitts Cattle, RACEceiver, RacinDirt.com, RCR Designs, Real Racing Wheels, Rod End Supply, Rugged Radios, Ryan E. Murphy Law Firm LLC, SBU Athletics, Safety Kleen, Scott Furniture, Sidetrack RV Park, SMSI, Southwest Electric Cooperative, State Tech, Summit Racing Equipment, Sunoco Race Fuels, Super 8 Bolivar Mo., US Army Corps of Engineers-Pomme de Terre, Vietti Marketing Group, WacoBill.com, Wheatland Motel, White's Marine Center, Wieland, Woods Supermarkets.
- administrator on Jun 28, 2025
- Article Date: 6/27/2025 by By Lyndal Scranton, Lucas Oil Speedway