The west coast swing for Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing certainly ended with a bang on Saturday night as the $126,000-to-win Angel of the Winds Casino Resort Skagit Nationals sent race fans at the track and around the world home with plenty to talk about.

The front-page headlines belong to Rico Abreu, who earned his third consecutive Skagit Nationals crown following a back-and-forth battle with Tanner Thorson. The noteworthy side-story, however, was shared by Aaron Reutzel and Trey Starks, who collided on Lap 31 and resulted in a vicious flip for Starks.

At the beginning of the story, Thorson was in control from the pole position and chasing the richest win of his life aboard the JST Motorsports #88. The Minden, Nevada native led the opening 14 laps before Abreu pounced with a slider to steal the top spot on Lap 15. He held serve for five laps until the first caution at halfway allowed Thorson to fire off and re-gain command on Lap 21.

Abreu kept his composure inside the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing, Waste Connections #24 and rallied back to overtake Thorson once more when Lap 26 ticked across. From there, he survived one last nine-lap stint as Reutzel stormed past Thorson and began to approach Abreu in the closing circuits before the St. Helena, California native sealed the deal with a few bold lap traffic moves.

The $126,000 victory for Abreu – who had already won $100,072 the week prior at Silver Dollar’s Gold Cup Race of Champions – marked his sixth High Limit win in nine series events at Skagit Speedway. With his fourth-career six-figure victory, Abreu joined an elite list including Donny Schatz (13), Kyle Larson (7), David Gravel (5), Steve Kinser (4), Mark Kinser (4), Danny Lasoski (4), and Buddy Kofoid (4).

Beating Reutzel to the stripe, the Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 team extended their championship lead to 46-points as Rico Abreu continues to chase a second consecutive title with Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing.

Scoring a sixth-to-second run worth $40,000, Aaron Reutzel and the Ridge & Sons Racing, PowerPlus #87 took runner-up honors following a Lap 31 run-in with Trey Starks, which resulted in Starks’ #55X flipping wildly into the turn three fence and causing a 30-minute fence repair. Starks was okay and climbed from the car, but didn’t mince words afterwards and the Washington crowd made their voices heard when the Texan had the mic post-race.

Finishing third after leading 19 of the 40 laps, Tanner Thorson felt the agony of defeat but still recorded the richest payday of his career with a $26,000 check for the JST Motorsports #88 team.

Closing out the top-five in the 2026 Skagit Nationals was a pair of Californians with Aromas’ Justin Sanders finishing fourth in the Mittry Construction #2X and Fresno’s Giovanni Scelzi scoring fifth in the Spire Motorsports #77.

Rounding out the top-10 in Washington was Danny Sams III, Tyler Courtney, Kasey Kahne, Tanner Holmes, and Justin Peck.

THE ALL-IN NOTEBOOK (Saturday, September 5, 2026)
Skagit Speedway (Alger, Washington)
$126,000-to-win Angel of the Winds Casino Resort Skagit Nationals

Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps – Justin Sanders (11.389)
TJ Forged Qualifier One Winner – Aaron Reutzel
DMI Qualifier Two Winner – Tyler Courtney
BR Motorsports Qualifier Three Winner – Justin Sanders
Rod End Supply Qualifier Four Winner – Justin Peck
Winters Performance B-Main Winner – Daison Pursley
DURST Dice Roll Driver – Danny Sams III (9th-to-6th)
Jake’s Golf Carts Fastest Lap – Tanner Thorson (12.310 on Lap 4)
Rod End Supply Hard Charger – Daison Pursley +8 (21st-to-13th)
Whiskey Meyers Victory Lane Visitors – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing (7th of year)
CASM Win Sticker – Rico Abreu (32nd of career)
Lap Leader(s) – Thorson 1-14; Abreu 15-20; Thorson 21-25; Abreu 26-40

Interstate Batteries A-Main Results (40 Laps): 1. 24-Rico Abreu[2]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel[6]; 3. 88-Tanner Thorson[1]; 4. 2X-Justin Sanders[5]; 5. 77-Giovanni Scelzi[11]; 6. 24D-Danny Sams III[9]; 7. 7BC-Tyler Courtney[8]; 8. 4-Kasey Kahne[10]; 9. 13-Tanner Holmes[4]; 10. 26-Justin Peck[7]; 11. 19-Brent Marks[14]; 12. 21-James McFadden[18]; 13. 9-Daison Pursley[21]; 14. 26R-Levi Hillier[15]; 15. 10-Dominic Gorden[16]; 16. 55-Kerry Madsen[12]; 17. 9R-Chase Randall[20]; 18. 2XM-Max Mittry[13]; 19. 21P-Robbie Price[17]; 20. 10L-Tyler Thompson[24]; 21. 18-Jason Solwold[19]; 22. 8-Devon Borden[22]; 23. 5-Dominic Scelzi[23]; 24. 55X-Trey Starks[3]

NEW Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing Championship Standings (After 41/54 Races):
1. 2,436 pts – Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing #24 (Rico Abreu)
2. -46 pts – Ridge & Sons Racing #87 (Aaron Reutzel)
3. -147 pts – Spire Motorsports #77 (Giovanni Scelzi)
4. -186 pts – Clauson-Marshall Racing #7BC (Tyler Courtney)
5. -224 pts – Rudeen Racing #26 (Justin Peck)
6. -250 pts – Chase Briscoe Racing #19 (Brent Marks)
7. -306 pts – JST Motorsports #88 (Tanner Thorson)
8. -431 pts – Vermeer Motorsports #55 (Kerry Madsen)
9. -473 pts – Buch Motorsports #13 (Tanner Holmes)
10. -529 pts – Kasey Kahne Racing w/ Mike Curb #9 (Daison Pursley)
11. -771 pts – CJB Motorsports #5 (Brenham Crouch sub w/ Dominic Scelzi)
12. -793 pts – Mosites Lynch Racing #42 (Sye Lynch)
13. -828 pts – Chase Randall Racing #9R (Chase Randall)
14. -866 pts – Michael Dutcher Motorsports #17GP (Brock Zearfoss)
15. -929 pts – Randerson Racing #24D (Danny Sams III)

WHAT’S NEXT: A cross-country drive from Alger, Washington to Port Royal, Pennsylvania will take Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing from one major event right to the next. Next weekend is all about the 59th annual Tuscarora 50 at “The Speed Palace” on Thursday-Saturday, September 10-12. Tickets are available for purchase at HighLimitRacing.com, or you can watch every event live on FloRacing.

NEXT: Buddy Kofoid Claims Saturday’s Huset’s Shootout Prelim