High Limit Skagit Nationals | The (Unofficial) Fans Guide

Written on 08/27/2025
Nick Coward

Evergreen Crown Jewel: The Skagit Nationals


High Limit’s North West crown jewel hits Skagit Speedway with three nights, huge storylines, and a $454,450 purse. From the bowling kickoff to Saturday’s $126K finale—who’s hot, what’s happening, and how to watch.


 

The West Coast’s richest Sprint Car race is back! The Kubota High Limit Racing Skagit Nationals (presented by 26 Promotions) pays a jaw-dropping $126,000 to win on Saturday and $454,450 across the weekend — three huge nights, Thursday–Saturday, Aug. 28–30, at Skagit Speedway.

It’s a can’t-miss stop on the High Limit calendar with a deep national roster rolling into Alger, WA, to square off against Skagit’s sharp local contingent. Expect packed grandstands, elbows-up heat races, and features that go green-to-checkers in a blur.

This year’s program mirrors last year’s wildly successful format — two prelims setting the stage for a blockbuster Saturday finale — but with even more at stake on the top step. If you were here in 2024, you remember the fireworks; 2025 is bigger.

Tickets are moving quickly (reserved 3-day seats and single-day GA available), and if you can’t make it in person, every lap streams live on FloRacing.

 

Skagit Nationals — A-Main Payouts

 

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Wednesday, Aug. 27 — High Roller Bowler Tournament (off-track kick-off)

  • 6:00–9:00 pm at Strikerz Bowling (Angel of the Winds Casino Resort).

  • Open to all ages, free to attend; food & drinks available.

  • Join drivers & personalities for a two-person team showdown.

 

Thursday, Aug. 28 — Skagit Nationals Night 1 (Prelim)

  • Pits open 2:00 pm • Spectator gates 5:00 pm • Hot Laps 6:00 pm • Racing 7:00 pm. High Limit 410 Sprint Cars.

 

Friday, Aug. 29 — Skagit Nationals Night 2 (Prelim)

  • Pits open 2:00 pm • Spectator gates 5:00 pm • Hot Laps 6:00 pm • Racing 7:00 pm. High Limit 410 Sprint Cars.

 

Saturday, Aug. 30 — Skagit Nationals Championship ($126k to win)

  • Fan-Fest 2:00–4:00 pm at the track: live driver interviews, autographs, merch trailers, games & prizes.

  • Pits open 1:00 pm • Spectator gates 5:00 pm • Racing 7:00 pm.

 

Who to Watch

  • Rico Abreu — Defending Skagit Nationals champion; swept Friday and the $102,626 finale last year. He’s a proven closer here and a six-figure threat again. His 2024 Saturday win came by leading the final 26 of 40, and he arrives this week second in points with a season-high win total on tour. Expect him to qualify well, race forward, and be surgical in traffic.

 

 

  • Trey Starks — Looking to be the first driver to complete the unofficial Skagit Triple-Crown (Dirt Cup + 360 Summer Nationals + Skagit Nationals). He won Thursday’s prelim in 2024 and leads the local 410 points. Starks’ short-run speed at Skagit is matched by his restart craft, and the home-track read on changing moisture lines is a real edge across the prelim nights.

 

 

  • Justin Sanders — Lights-out since jumping in for injured Aaron Reutzel; a flat tire was all that stopped a near-win at Douglas County on Monday. He’s already a big-race winner at Skagit (Super Dirt Cup champion in 2023) and added a 2025 Skagit Dirt Cup prelim in a last-lap thriller over James McFadden. In the RSR #87, the baseline is fast, the confidence is high, and short-track aggression fits Skagit’s curb-vs-bottom chess. (Entry status per team/series updates.)

 

 

  • James McFadden — Runner-up in last year’s finale and long overdue for a six-figure payday. Since linking up with the Drew Warner-wrenched Tarlton & Sons 21, he’s been on a tear and has a prior Skagit win on his résumé. A front-row starter in the 2024 finale, McFadden’s qualifying average and heat-race conversion make him a constant lock-in threat, which is gold in this format.

 

 

  • Jason Solwold — Wily local veteran who always seems to be in the mix. He bagged his first 410 win in over two years earlier this season and is the reigning Skagit 410 drivers champion. Recent form check: he just snagged another Skagit victory last week (360) — proof the #18 is sharp heading into the tour’s arrival. Track knowledge + race craft = sneaky podium ceiling.

 

 

  • Brad Sweet — Last won at Skagit with the Outlaws in 2023 and can never be counted out. He typically banks heavy prelim points via consistency, which keeps him near the lock-in cut. If the surface slows late, Sweet’s tire management and low-lane discipline tend to get stronger as laps wind down. (2025 points leader entering the weekend.)

 

 

  • Jesse Schlotfeldt — Hot to trot this season with Hunter Brady on the wrenches; grabbed his first NARC 410 win in June at Cottage Grove. He’s also top-three in Skagit points, and his qualifying pops can slot him into clean air where he’s best. If he clears his heat, he’s a sleeper for a Saturday first two rows start.

 

 

  • Spencer Bayston — (Assuming they make the trip) Stout since jumping into the Kevin Kozlowski-owned, Paul Silva-wrenched Works Limited “W” in California. West Coast chemistry has improved weekly, and Bayston’s long-run pace showed up on the NorCal bullrings earlier this month. If they nail the balance on slick, he’s a podium sleeper. (photo: Cameron Hagemen/Pure Pixel Visuals)

 

 

  • Colton Heath — Hard to count out based on recent form across 410s and 360s. He’s having his best season in years with wins at multiple tracks, and he tends to time-trial well and get better as the night goes on. If any opportunity arises, Heath’s experience, patience and cool head will be key in the clutch moments.

 

 

  • Levi Klatt — A long shot… but the kid has big-win confidence. His opening-night Dirt Cup prelim upset proved he’ll pounce if the door cracks open — he went wheel-to-wheel with heavy hitters and didn’t blink. Give him a good pill, a clean heat, and a top-12 start, and chaos could put him in the middle of it.

 

(Availability notes: Aaron Reutzel remains out; Justin Sanders continues in the RSR #87. Tyler Courtney is also sidelined; Giovanni Scelzi has been in the CMR #7BC. Corey Day is not in the Jason Meyers #14, Daryn Pittman will drive the car this weekend.)

 

2024 FLASHBACK

Thursday (Aug. 29, 2024)

Washington’s own Trey Starks set the tone in front of a packed house, topping the 30-lap opener over Shane Golobic and Justin Sanders. Starks controlled the critical restarts and kept traffic from compressing the lead, a blueprint for how to survive prelim night chaos. The result also positioned him well in event points, with several tour stars forced to come from deeper on Friday.

Friday (Aug. 30, 2024)
Rico Abreu rose to the moment, seizing the lead in the second half and fending off Brad Sweet to the stripe, with James McFadden third and Corey Day blasting from deep to fourth. The win secured Abreu’s place among the Saturday lock-ins and flipped the pressure onto title-chasing rivals. Momentum mattered — the #24 group left Friday night looking like the team to beat.

Saturday (Aug. 31, 2024)
Abreu delivered again — the richest win of his career — banking $102,626 after passing McFadden on lap 15 and leading the final 26 of 40. McFadden and Sweet completed the podium as the crowd erupted for a Hollywood-grade finish. The finale capped a breakout West Coast swing for Abreu and set the stage for this year’s even bigger top prize.

 

Fan Info

General (all days)

  • Tickets: Reserved 3-day seats and single-day GA available via Skagit’s Showare portal.

  • Gates & Track Times: Spectator gates 5:00 pm, Hot Laps 6:00 pm, Racing 7:00 pm nightly (Will Call opens 2:00 pm).

  • Stream: Every lap live on FloRacing.

  • Pit Passes: Thu $50 | Fri $50 | Sat $60 (3-day pass $160). Sold at the back gate; single-day sold day-of only. (Track-posted info; subject to change.)

  • Camping (at the track): Dry camping (no hookups), first-come, first-served — check in with the camp host at arrival. For Skagit Nationals week, camping runs Thu–Sun with on-site check-in. See the raceday FAQ for current guidelines.

 

Day-specific notes

  • Wed (Aug. 27): High Roller Bowler Tournament at Strikerz (Angel of the Winds Casino Resort), 6–9 pm. Free, all ages; food & drinks available.

  • Thu (Aug. 28): Pits 2:00 pm • Gates 5:00 pm • Hot Laps 6:00 pm • Racing 7:00 pm — $10,000-to-win prelim.

  • Fri (Aug. 29): Pits 2:00 pm • Gates 5:00 pm • Hot Laps 6:00 pm • Racing 7:00 pm — $20,000-to-win prelim.

  • Sat (Aug. 30): Fan-Fest 2–4 pm (interviews, autographs, merch, games & prizes). Pits 1:00 pm • Gates 5:00 pm • Racing 7:00 pm — $126,000-to-win Championship Night.

 

ALL DETAILS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE!