Photo contributor: Haley Walker / Walker Imagery
Grays Harbor Raceway officially welcomed in the 2025 season with a bang on Saturday April 19th. Four classes hit the track; 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds and 360 Limited Sprints were joined by the Hornets (non-points race) who were a last minute replacement for the North West Focus Midgets. The midgets opted to postpone their dirt opener as several drivers were not ready and numbers would have been low.
14-year-old third-generation sensation Levi Hillier won his second career 360 Sprint Car feature, in his first trip to the classic Elma 3/8 mile. Tyson Blood reigned supreme in IMCA Modified action and Scott Rinkel claimed top spot in 360 Limited Sprints. Read more below.
Tags: Grays Harbor Raceway, Levi Hillier, Tyson Blood, Scott Rinkel
Links: Event results,
360 Sprint Cars
360 Sprint Car competition was bolstered by several Skagit regulars opting to make the trip to Elma rather than heading to practice day in Alger. Trey Starks, Jesse Schlotfeldt, Colby Thornhill, Luke Didiuk, Levi Kuntz and Levi Hillier (pictured above) joined GHR regulars Destry Miller, Dan Reynold and a few others to compile a field of ten cars.
Schlotfeldt would set quicktime in qualifying with a lap of 13.295 seconds. Schlotfeldt and Trey Starks shared the heat race wins. The redraw would see a pair of Levi's, Kuntz and Hillier respectively, making up the front row for the feature. After setting an early pace near the front, bad luck in the form of engine issues would strike pole sitter Kuntz and force the Carnation, WA teenager into early retirement. Levi Hillier would hold off veteran Puyallup local Trey Starks for his second career 360 Sprint Car victory. Jesse Schlotfeldt completed the podium. Saturday's season opener was Hillier's first ever visit to Elma as a driver. The win also came on the heels of a special Friday night at Deming Speedway for the Hillier family that saw Levi joined by younger sister Savanna in Victory Lane for the first time.
IMCA Modifieds
Defending track champion Tyson Blood (pictured above) went +5 to win the IMCA Modified feature from the third row. Blood won his heat race, as did eventual A-main runner-up Jeff Hunt. Austin Rognlin was the third heat winer. Blood was a two-time winner at Grays Harbor in 2024.
360 Limited Sprints
In 360 Limited Sprints Scott Rinkel (pictured above) was victorious in a war of attrition that didn't have an excess of cars to begin with. Rinkel and defending track champion Xan Miller were the only two finishers in a field of four cars. Miller was forced to work hard just to make the feature race after getting caught up in a heat race red flag situation.
Action returns to Elma this Saturday April 26th with a program featuring 360 Sprint Cars, IMCA Modifieds, IMCA Northern SportMods and PHRA Dwarf Cars. Details can be found here.