Kyle Larson’s sprint car racing series, High Limit, is set to make history this week! There is a lot of excitement and anticipation in the air for the series’ first-ever international event with close to 40 drivers turning up. However, for Rico Abreu, that’s also a cause of immense pain. Why, you wonder? Well, the racer will have to sacrifice quite a lot while his rival battles it out in the Down Under.

Although fans will be able to relish the sight of NASCAR star Kyle Larson competing against drivers on the dirt track, he won’t be able to battle against Abreu. This is surely going to make a dent in the High Limits roster as the Abreu is a noted competitor for the 2021 Cup Series champion. Remember when Abreu won his first High Limit Sprint Car series race at Grandview Speedway in Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania in July last year? In the 35-lap race, his winning pass over Larson came with 17 laps remaining. But that’s not all, as the 32-year-old has since doubled down on his wins in the tourney, with 11 more wins. His latest one came on September 21 this year at the Eldora Speedway.

However, this time, the 2014 USAC National Midget Series championship winner will have to relinquish his chance to compete for a staggering $100,000, at High Limit Racing Series’ first-ever overseas event—slated from December 28 to 20—at Perth Motorplex, due to a wrist injury. As per the series’ official website, this will be the highest-paying Sprint Car race in Australian history. Well, a huge missed opportunity for Abreu for sure!

The driver did explore all possible options to brave through the pain and compete, but he’s now decided to go for surgery instead and recover before the season kicks off. As per an update by the racer on social media on December 24, “I’m incredibly gutted to let everyone know I will not be racing Western Australia Speedweek. I hurt my wrist and the injury requires a surgery. I’ve gone back and forth on how to handle this situation. Trying to race with severely weak grip strength and mobility will put myself and my fellow racers in danger if I can’t react properly.”

“Getting my wrist fixed is my top priority so I can be ready by March in Vegas…I’ve never dealt with something like this in my career. I feel I’m letting my team, my fans and the whole Australian effort we’ve created for this team down. Thinking about all this has brought a few clear things to mind. I’m in this situation and it’s my job to step up and be the one you hear it from. It’s an unfortunate situation but it’s one I have to fix. My head wants to hang but I’m gonna hold it high and understand something you have to wear and deal with it.”

As soon as the fans learned about Abreu’s injury news, they were quick to back him up with messages and wishes to come back stronger than ever with his recovery.

Fans rally in support of Rico Abreu

Abreu is unlike any other race car driver; his rise as one of the seasoned sprint car racers is indeed an inspirational story. He was born with a genetic disorder, achondroplasia, which stunted his growth, but he didn’t restrict himself. He’s won multiple race events and championships and managed to forge a rivalry with Kyle Larson. This incident where he injured his wrist wasn’t exactly in his control. Therefore, reacting to this update, this emphatic race fan wrote, “Prayers for a speedy recovery!”

Abreu will have a good 3 months of rest if he undergoes surgery and gets into recovery mode. The first race of the season is scheduled for March in Vegas, and who knows, he would’ve further worsened his injury with a decision to race in Australia. Backing his decision to take a sabbatical, this fan replied, “Good decisions can be hard! But it makes sense to be smart and think of others! Good move and Merry Christmas. See you at port👍”

Now Abreu had released a funny video recently on X where he was tussling with a dummy crocodile. It was nothing but banter and good fun. It’s hard to know if the driver sustained the injury while shooting that video, but this race fan believed it had something to do with his injury. “That’s terrible! It was wrestling that gator wasn’t it??”

Thanks to his exploits on and off the racetrack, Abreu has garnered support from fans not just in America but internationally. Many of them were excited to see their favorite star trade blows against some of the best dirt racers in their home country. However, with the injury, the fans won’t be able to catch Abreu in action. Reacting to his news, a dejected fan added, “Gutted man. Was so pumped to see you here in Perth but ah well! All the best in the recovery!”

Abreu and his team had everything in place, prepared and ready to roll out at the Perth Motorplex. Which is why this untimely injury is proving to be a huge disappointment for the driver. But the fans didn’t let his spirits down and prayed for his successful surgery and recovery so that he could be back behind the wheels. “I’m so sorry to hear about your injury. You don’t owe anyone an apology. S–t happens. The important thing is that your surgery goes well and you have a successful speedy recovery. 💕🙏💕🙏.”

Although Rico Abreu made the wise call in going for the surgery over the High Limit event, he will be against the clock to heal and be ready for the season opener in March.