A year ago we wrote of how enthusiastic the spectators were when Rico Abreu won the Chili Bowl, the uniquely American indoor dirt track race that draws over 300 participants. The more than 15,000 fans packed into the Tulsa Expo Center chanted Rico – Rico – Rico as the popular driver came to victory lane.
This year, Abreu became only the second driver in the 30-year history of the Chili Bowl to win it a second consecutive time, and it was Abreu himself who demonstrated the greatest enthusiasm. Abreu ran a reverse-direction victory lap and then performed a series of “donuts” that seemed a fitting tribute to winning a trophy known as the Golden Driller. Abreu spun his car wildly within its own length, a whirling dervish of man and machine that appeared capable of drilling into the earth had it continued.
He then climbed atop his car and leapt into the arms of Bryan Clauson, the driver he had just beaten to the finish line, before being embraced by car owners Keith Kunz and Pete Willoughby in a chaotic and exuberant scene. Abreu’s girlfriend had arrived as if shot from a cannon, and the celebration continued as the diminutive Abreu, just 4 foot 4 inches in height, broke from the crush of well-wishers, photographers, and track workers to run to the spectator fencing and climb it, soaking in the cheers.
It was as authentic a victory celebration as one might ever hope to see. 
Abreu’s second consecutive Chili Bowl victory was similar to his first, in that he started near the front of the 24-car, 55-lap finale, fell back several positions, and then picked ‘em off methodically en route to winning. Abreu is popular with racing fans for embodying the notion that “racing is passing.” His popularity among his fellow competitors is shown by Clauson’s sportsmanlike catch.
The Chili Bowl is a multi-day event, as the field of 300-plus entries is whittled down to the two dozen starters for the main event. Abreu had a good week, not only qualifying for and eventually winning the Golden Driller but also being able to announce having secured a full-time deal for the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
While originally it was planned that Abreu would race indoors again this winter, in the Atlantic City Indoor Race set for January 29 and 30, on January 20 Abreu had to cancel out of that event and instead will be focusing on the NASCAR gig. But in the announcement of his need to skip the Atlantic City event, Abreu left the door open to enter the annual event in future years, should his schedule permit.
Had he raced in Atlantic City, Abreu would have been somewhat of a fish out of water because it would have been his first start there, where the races are run on the bare concrete floor of Boardwalk Hall, not on a dirt track, and where the cars are offset-style TQ Midgets, not the conventional upright Midgets of the Chili Bowl. While East Coast fans may have to wait to see Abreu race in the region, when he does he will arrive with an even greater bank of experience. 
Photo by Bob Yurko