Berlin Raceway, Crystal Motor Speedway, Winston Speedway Experience Sell Out Crowds

📸 Bruce Nuttleman

Jonesville, MI - In the span of just over a week, Michigan motorsports facilities saw three complete sellout crowds and two other capacity crowds thanks to premier circle track racing events. Crystal Motor Speedway, which played host to the American Big Rigs, kicked off the sold-out crowds, before Berlin Raceway packed the house for three nights, and Winston Speedway was reduced to Standing Room only on Friday night.

On Saturday, August 8th, the American Big Rig Racing series joined the IMCA Modifieds, Pro Stocks, and Mini Wedges at Crystal Motor Speedway. Anticipation was high for the event, which brought Big Rig racing to Crystal Motor Speedway for the first time ever. The event brought that form of racing back to Michigan for the first time since Big Rigs raced at Kalamazoo Speedway in August of 2023.

According to Crystal Motor Speedway Brian LeBaron, officials with the Speedway knew the event could be big from the moment it was scheduled.

"After we got the commitment, we put the first post on social media and had hundreds of thousands of views," LeBaron said. "Then, trucking companies started calling us asking how they could be involved. Racers wanted to see it. Race fans wanted to see it. Truck drivers and trucking families wanted to see it. A whole bunch of people who had never been to Crystal Motor Speedway wanted to see it."

LeBaron says fans were lined toward the road an hour before the General Admission gates opened at 4:00 PM. An hour and a half later, over 600 fans were already through the gates. By 7:00 PM, LeBaron says he knew they were over capacity.

"I saw people sitting in lawn chairs on the sidewalks and in the concourse," LeBaron recalled. "That was the moment I knew we were full. I had to make a decision I never imagined we would have to make: close the gates."

The LeBaron family says when they purchased the track, they were given a number that was supposed to represent what their sell-out capacity was. They didn't reach that number, but say that over 4,500 people filed through the gates, and they now know what the Speedway's true capacity is. At 7:10 PM on Saturday, August 8th, officials with Crystal Motor Speedway made the following post on Facebook:

"We hate to do this but as of 7:10 nobody will be let through the gates. We are at capacity. Happy racing and we apologize for this inconvenience."

For Berlin Raceway, three days of action pushed thousands of race fans to Marne, Michigan, on August 12th, 14th, and 15th. Headlined by YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland, nearly every night of action turned fans away at the gate due to sell-outs.

On Wednesday, August 12th, the TEKTON Battle at Berlin 250 was the debut for McFarland in a Super Late Model, and he was joined by top talent from across the country, like Carson Hocevar, Ty Majeski, Terry Senneker, Treyten Lapcevich, Bubba Pollard, and $40,000 race winner Tristan McKee.

Wednesday's show wasn't a sellout, but Berlin Raceway General Manager, Jeff Striegle called it a capacity crowd heading into the rest of the weekend.

Friday featured the first of a doubleheader show headlined by McFarland. Weeks in advance, the Michigan 100 and Burnout Rivals event had officially sold out. The event featured a burnout competition, Monster Truck Show, and extreme van race before the Crown Vics main event.

Saturday, the Big Ass Lakes 75 was the main event for Super Late Models, put on by the McFarland Late Model Series with support from Berlin Raceway and UARA. While Hocevar and Majeski were forced to pull out from the weekend due to their commitments with NASCAR, Pollard, Lapcevich, and of course, McFarland remained in the field, racing for $20,000 in front of another sellout crowd. Dylan Stovall went on to win the event.

"It's definitely been worth it," said Berlin Raceway Director of Operations, Andrew Postma, on the heavy workload of the three days. "Huge crowds, three times in a 96-hour stretch, it's a lot for us, this facility, our team, but we're happy to do it. I feel like, all in all, we've had three really successful events, and there's no doubt. You walk around, and you see families having a good time, everybody enjoying themselves, and that's why you do what you do."

By the end of the three days, Berlin Raceway officials estimate well over 20,000 people walked through the gates of the race track. The Friday and Saturday shows, independently, were each the biggest since the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event from August of 2023, which was broadcast live on ESPN.

Also on Friday, August 14th, Winston Speedway reached capacity for the debut of the Move Over Michigan Dirt Late Model Series Presented by Kapnick Insurance and MacAllister CAT Rentals. Sanctioned by DIRTcar UMP, the Dirt Late Models took center stage for the inaugural event, which brought a Michigan-based Series back for the first time since 2024.

The Move Over Michigan Dirt Late Model Series was launched by Michigan Motorsports Hall of Fame Inductee, Jeff Finley. Over two dozen drivers pre-entered for the first race of the Series, held at Winston Speedway in Rothbury, Michigan, including names like Dona Marcoullier, Chad Finley, and Brandon Thirlby. The event also saw surprise guests like Eric Spangler and Mike Spatola.

By the time pre-race ceremonies began, the grandstands were nearly full at Winston Speedway, something Speedway Owner Andrew Heykoop says they have yet to see this season.

"Since reopening Winston Speedway this year, our Friday night grandstands have consistently been above 80% capacity," Heykoop explained. "On Friday, August 14th, we reached standing-room-only-capacity. We are incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported us and helped make Winston's return such a success."

The crowd from Friday night at Winston Speedway came in at over 3,000 fans, prompting Heykoop to commit to adding 2,000 additional seats for the 2027 season.

While other near-capacity crowds have been featured this season, including the High Limit Racing Sprint Cars at Butler Motor Speedway, the fact that three Michigan racing facilities hosted capacity crowds five times within seven days is a huge encouragement for what is possible in the Michigan Motorsports scene.