FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Rico Abreu carried an ear-to-ear smile from the moment he stepped inside the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum to prepare for this weekend’s 21st annual Rumble in Fort Wayne.
Abreu is the latest in a list of national talents who is taking a shot at the sixth-mile race track built on a foundation of concrete and soda syrup inside the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, driving a Mike Fedorcak-built, VW-powered Munchkin formerly piloted by open-wheel veteran Lou Cicconi.
The St. Helena, Calif., native said going into the event that he’s enjoying just being a part of it.
“Man, to be able to run this race is a treat, that’s for sure,” Abreu told SPEED SPORT. “We’re just here to have fun, hang out, socialize with everyone and drive some badass race cars. I got to run some practice laps on Thursday night and I honestly felt pretty good about our chances.”
Now renumbered with a No. 24 on the tail tank, the yellow-and-orange machine Abreu is wheeling this weekend won at the Rumble in Fort Wayne in 2008 with Cicconi at the controls.
That means the equipment is certainly capable of carrying Abreu, a two-time Chili Bowl Nationals champion, to another victory this weekend.
“Tony got this car from Lou Cicconi; this car has actually won the race before, so I’ve got no excuses on my end,” Abreu noted. “I’ve got all the big dogs in my corner this weekend, from Tony to Mike (Fedorcak), and that’s really big for me in my first time here. I feel like we’re going to have a fast enough car to run up front; I just have to hit all my marks and not get run off the bottom.”
Abreu was a guest of nine-time Rumble winner Tony Stewart at last year’s event, and less than a week into the new year, Stewart was on the phone making a deal to buy the Munchkin for Abreu to drive.
“It didn’t take long to find a car for him,” Stewart said. “It wasn’t a couple weeks after last year’s Rumble that we bought this car, and he’s already having a ton of fun; you can see it in his face. He was here watching last year and he’s one of my good friends … so we spend a lot of time together and I thought running here would be something that he’d have a lot of fun doing.
“To sit here and run these two cars together and have my buddy behind the wheel is just cool,” added Stewart. “I was more worried about his car than mine on the practice night, but I just want to make sure he’s comfortable and able to do what he does … and we’re definitely seeing that.”
While Abreu has been known as a dirt-midget expert through the years, he quickly adapted to the unique characteristics of the Coliseum oval during practice – even if he was looking for some dirt to slide through.
“I was waiting for the cushion to build up during hot laps,” Abreu laughed. “This indoor stuff is tricky. The cars are really free on entry, but I feel like my piece has a lot of turn to it and I think that’s really key at the end of these races … so that you can turn down and get underneath someone to make the pass.
“I think forward drive and steer are both going to be really important. I’ve watched a lot of video from last year’s Rumble, and the guys who were able to get up off the corner quickest were the guys who were able to beat guys into the next corner and make passes.
While he’s a racer and always wants to leave with a trophy, Abreu noted that he’s got a bigger goal in mind this weekend at the event that’s unofficially dubbed as ‘Racing’s Family Reunion’.
“My goal is to have fun. I don’t get to run these kinds of races every year. I’ll keep coming back because the atmosphere is so cool … with how it builds as the sessions go on and the features get closer. I’m just looking forward to every time we get on the race track.”
The former USAC National Midget Series champion even joked that he already has a leg up on the rest of his competition.
“This car is fast, and I do have a weight advantage on everybody,” Abreu pointed out with a laugh. “I’m ready to race.”
