Kyle Larson has mixed feelings about Rico Abreu replacing Donny Schatz at Tony Stewart Racing for the 2026 Kubota High Limit Racing sprint car series.
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Larson, co-founder and co-owner of the series along with brother-in-law and six-time sprint car champion, Brad Sweet, understands the bright side of it. “I think it’s great for High Limit to have TSR [Tony Stewart Racing] merge with Rico and be with us,” he told FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass.
However, Larson is also somewhat disappointed that Abreu’s family team will merge with TSR.
“But at the same point, you’re losing a team in the whole ecosystem, so that part is unfortunate,” Larson said on Saturday during media availability at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which hosts the opening race of the NASCAR Cup playoffs’ Round of 12 on Sunday.
“But I think Tony has so much on his plate now that it makes things a lot easier to team up with Rico and still be involved in sprint car racing. They’re great friends too, so I wasn’t surprised when I heard it,” Larson added.
It’s hard to understand why Larson is calling the merger of Abreu’s family team with TSR “unfortunate.” Bringing Stewart’s team to High Limit will only make the series even stronger and more popular.
Stewart sold the All-Star Circuit of Champions (ASCC) sprint car series to Larson and Sweet late in 2023 with the intent to make High Limit stronger. Larson and Sweet put the newly acquired series on hiatus in 2024 before it returned as part of High Limit this season.
It appears Larson’s disappointment stems from the fact that High Limit was caught by surprise by the timing of the announcement. What’s more, after selling the ASCC to High Limit at the end of 2023, TSR reportedly had promised Larson and Sweet that it would not join High Limit for two years. Of course, there is no breach of trust here as that two-year embargo will be over heading into the 2026 season.
Larson also has another possible reason to be upset with the merger. It would give Abreu an advantage in his tussle with Larson, which happens to be High Limit’s fiercest rivalry. And if that indeed is the case, it has Abreu chomping at the bit and even more excited for the new season to get started.
“We’re really excited to bring TSR to High Limit,” the 31-year-old Abreu said. “I think that’s really incredible for the sport to have an organization and for me to be associated with an organization with that championship mold and incredible infrastructure, we’re going to be able to bring this amazing sprint car team that’s associated with mine some love. It’s going to be [an] incredible opportunity for everybody.”
Abreu is currently No. 1 in High Limit’s standings
Abreu is the current points leader at High Limit. His crew chief is National Sprint Car Hall of Famer Ricky Warner, who was crew chief for Donny Schatz from 2005 to 2018. During that period, Schatz and Warner combined for 264 wins and 10 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series championships, as well as 10 victories in the sprint car Knoxville Nationals.
Warner joined Abreu’s team in 2022 and has led Rico to 44 feature wins. Bringing Warner back into the TSR fold, with its resources, will only enhance Abreu’s move to the team.
“I see it as tying myself to a top-tier establishment,” Abreu told FloRacing.com. “Like, I don’t know if you find anything bigger or better than Tony Stewart Racing in our industry.
“If you really break it all down, resource-wise, when it comes to data and dissecting Sprint Cars on the mechanical side and infrastructure internally, like, I can’t provide my team with what (Stewart) has built over 25 years,” he added.
If Abreu can hold on to the points lead for the remainder of the High Limit schedule, he’ll go out with a bang. And then, he can re-enter the series next season with an even bigger bang due to its affiliation with TSR, where Abreu will drive the No. 24. Not only will Abreu drive for Stewart, he’ll also run the team’s day-to-day operations, much like he’s done with his own team up to now.
So the transition will be minimal at best. What’s more, Abreu won’t have to move very far: His current race shop in Brownsburg, Indiana, is just two miles from TSR’s shop.
