By Ben Deatherage
CRYSTAL, Mich. (Jun. 21, 2025) — Chase Rosebrugh capitalized on late-race drama to win the Saturday night finale of the Dan Salay Memorial weekend at Crystal Motor Speedway. The Friesen Performance IMCA Modified event, paying $2,000 to win, capped off a thrilling tripleheader in front of a packed crowd.
Austin Harnick, the reigning Great Lakes Nationals winner, set the tone early in the 40-lapper by taking the lead on the opening circuit. He held command through a pair of early cautions on laps two and 18, and stretched out his advantage over Rosebrugh by a decent margin with a big gap back to third. Harnick looked to be in control as the defending Merritt Speedway track champion, while Rosebrugh—last year’s DeVilbiss Racing Eastern Region Rookie of the Year—held steady in second.
But with four laps to go, Harnick was collected with a lapped car and slapped the front stretch wall, handing Rosebrugh the lead on the final restart. Rosebrugh nailed the restart and stormed away for a signature win, his fourth of the season in the DeVilbiss Racing Eastern Region. Two-time region champion and eight-time track titlist Myron DeYoung finished second, while defending Crystal track champion Jeff Reay completed the podium in the Greg Bauer-owned no. 12.
Harnick Outduels Rosebrugh in Friday Night Thriller
Friday night’s 25-lap main event featured a classic duel between Kody Johnson and Chase Rosebrugh. Johnson, the 2017 Tri-City Motor Speedway champion, led the opening lap while Rosebrugh applied heavy pressure. The two raced side-by-side for several circuits before Rosebrugh finally edged ahead on lap five.
After a pair of early yellows, Rosebrugh began to check out—until Austin Harnick turned up the intensity. Harnick closed the gap in the closing laps, using the middle while Rosebrugh stayed committed to the top. Harnick made the decisive move in traffic on lap 23 and held on for the win. Mitchell Hunt, the 2020 DeVilbiss Eastern Region and 2019 Michigan State champion, won a fierce fight for third.
Reay Rules the Thirlby Throwdown Opener
Jeff Reay opened the Dan Salay Memorial weekend with a dominant wire-to-wire win in Thursday’s Thirlby Throwdown. Reay, the defending Crystal champion, shot to the front on the opening lap of the 25-lap main event and never looked back.
Even heavy traffic at the halfway point didn’t slow him down, as Reay flawlessly picked his way through lapped cars. Chase Rosebrugh came home second, while 2023 Merritt Speedway track champ Collin Thirlby rounded out the top three.
All three Dan Salay Memorial weekend races were Fast Shafts All-Star Modified Invitational qualifying events. While both Jeff Reay and Austin Harnick had already secured eligibility to try and qualify, Chase Rosebrugh’s Saturday night triumph added his name to the list for the first time this year. The event will be ran at the 2025 Speedway Motors IMCA Super Nationals fueled by Casey’s.
The event was broadcast live on IMCA TV. Catch every lap again with the IMCA TV Replay Subscription, available for just $24.99/month. And don’t miss Season 2 of the Boone docuseries, now streaming exclusively on IMCA TV.
