MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
The engines roar back to life this weekend at the Kansas State Fairgrounds as Salt City Racing opens its 2026 season with a packed two-night schedule highlighted by Saturday’s Salt City 100 Silver Crown race.
Salt City Racing operator Phil Nightingale said excitement is high as the season begins with one of the marquee dirt track events in the Midwest.
“This is their very first race of the year,” Nightingale said of the USAC Silver Crown series. “So I’m excited for that too. Got a good field of cars coming.”
Friday night’s action includes Silver Crown practice sessions along with IMCA stock cars, sport mods, A mods and the opening points race for the URSS 305 sprint cars.
Saturday’s feature event is the 100-lap Salt City 100, which returns to the May schedule this year after previously being held in July. Defending champion Briggs Danner is among the drivers returning to compete on the famed half-mile dirt oval.
Nightingale said the long-distance race creates unique challenges for drivers as the track conditions evolve throughout the evening.
“That track starts off one condition, and it goes through transitions,” Nightingale said. “It changes throughout the race on how you drive that car, how you protect your tire, and when it’s time to go and when it’s not time to go.”
Track crews have spent the week preparing the racing surface and making modifications to improve competition. Nightingale said corners were widened and track crews removed buried tires that had been used previously in an effort to reshape the corners.
“We have graded and graded and graded that racetrack and got some wider corners,” Nightingale said. “This is going to be fast.”
The weekend also includes fan events around Hutchinson. From noon to 2 p.m. Friday, Silver Crown cars and drivers will be stationed at several local businesses, including Prairie Hills Nursery, Weber Auto Glass, Pizza Ranch, Elliot Mortuary, 25 Steak & Social and Strataca. Fans can meet drivers, collect autographs and view the race cars up close.
Here are the locations where the drivers will be:
- 25 Steak & Social: #91 Grant & #160 Hughes
- Weber Auto Glass: #10 Danner & #94 Stone
- Elliot Mortuary: #32 Cory & #65 Tripplett
- Pizza Ranch: #08 Steffens & #64 Gennetten
- Strataca: #20 Clouser & #21 Leary
A restored 1976 Grand National winner driven by Jerry Stone will also be displayed, with Stone serving as grand marshal for Saturday’s race.
Nightingale credited new USAC Silver Crown director and former driver Cody Swanson for helping energize the series and increasing driver participation.
“He has breathed so much more light back into this race,” Nightingale said. “Cody’s just got these drivers excited and rejuvenated to come back and race.”
Salt City Racing’s 2026 season schedule has been condensed to eight race nights, although Nightingale said organizers are continuing to work on future schedules and sanctioning agreements.
Upcoming events later this season include a July appearance by NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader, a memorial race honoring longtime racing supporter Bob Burckhardt, and a combined late model weekend in August.
Gates open at 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, with racing scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online through Salt City Racing and MyRacePass or at the gate.