Crystal, MI - On Thursday, officials with Crystal Motor Speedway released the 2025 schedule of events which features 30 scheduled race nights in addition to several Mud Bogs, Monster Truck Shows, and other special events. Of those 30 events is the three-day weekend Dan Salay Memorial Summer classic. The schedule includes additional details about the June 19th-21st event.
The weekend will begin with an Open Practice on Wednesday, June 18th for all race cars. Then, Thursday, June 19th Late Models, IMCA Modifieds, and Street Stocks are on the race night schedule. IMCA Modifieds will race for $1,600 to win thanks to sponsorship from AllStar Performance. That night's headliner will be the $ 2,000-to-win Thirlby Throwdown Invite Only show. 122 different drivers are on the list, which is made up primarily of drivers who have not won a feature in the last five seasons or earned a track championship. The winner of the Thirlby Throwdown has an automatic starting spot for Saturday’s $ 11,000-to-win main event.
On Friday, the Dan Salay Memorial festivities continue with the Qualifier Night show. All drivers who wish to race on Saturday are required to compete on Friday night. Races throughout the night will determine starting positions in the Dan Salay Memorial 50 on Saturday night. Drivers who don’t race their way into the main event on Friday night will race in a Last Chance Showdown(s) (B-Mains) on Saturday night. IMCA Modifieds, Pro Stocks, Street Stocks, Sport Compacts, and Mini Wedges are also on the schedule.
Saturday, the richest Late Model event in Crystal Motor Speedway history unfolds with the $11K to win Salay Summer Classic 50. In addition to the purse prize money, drivers will have a chance to potentially cash in an additional $2,500 thanks to lap money. The race leader will earn an additional $50 for every lap led throughout the event. Saturday is also Kids Day with several activities specifically for families, a Fan Zone, and a Pit Crew Challenge.
The Dan Salay Memorial has traditionally been held at DIRTcar UMP sanctioned tracks (I-96 Speedway & Merritt Speedway). When the race was moved to Crystal Motor Speedway for 2025, one of the biggest concerns was accommodating the Crystal faithful who race on American Racers, and the “out-of-towners” who may race on Hoosiers with DIRTcar rules. The Dan Salay Memorial will allow the Hoosier NLMT 3 OR 4, American Racer SPEC Pro 3, or American Racer MD56.
Additional details including full format, purse, and times will be released in the coming months. Follow the Dan Salay Memorial Facebook page for more information on ways to support the event. The full Crystal Motor Speedway schedule is available at CrystalMotorSpeedway.com and on Facebook at Crystal Motor Speedway - Crystal, MI.