By Jacob Hord, @HordRaceWatcher
The seventh year of the AFCS Sprint Series kicks off Friday, April 18th and Saturday, April 19th at Attica Raceway Park and Fremont Speedway, respectively. Over the 16 race series, the 410s will race for a $34,000 point fund, with $10,000 going to the winner. The 305s will be gunning for a $3,000 top prize and a $14,000 point fund. There are no stand-alone weekends this year, meaning that if there’s an AFCS Race on Friday, that Saturday is also an AFCS race. This gives drivers the ability to travel if they’d like, and aren’t tied down by a one-off AFCS show. In addition to the $48,000 in point fund money, there will be at least $85,000 in bonuses throughout the 16 race nights. That’s over $5,000 in bonuses per night; simply incredible for our local racers.
New for the 2025 season is the Ignite Your Passion mini-series, which boasts a $2,500 points fund for the four race series in the 410s. Those races will be May 9, May 10, July 4, and July 5. Each feature event of those four races will also pay an extra $2,500 through the field, with the winner getting $500 of that. That’s an extra $12,500 for those four races alone.
As always, Series Director Duane Hancock has done an amazing job to help out our local racers, and entice invaders to come race at Attica and Fremont (cc: Steven Snyder in the Heffner 27 car for AFCS Opening Weekend). We won’t make Duane’s head any bigger, so let’s get into the nitty gritty and see who’s tackling the AFCS Sprint Series this year:
| 2024 410 Points Standings | 2024 305 Points Standings |
| Cap Henry | Jamie Miller |
| Cale Thomas | Dustin Stroup |
| Zeth Sabo | Jimmy McGrath Jr. |
| DJ Foos | Dustin Dinan |
| Trey Jacobs | Steve Rando |
| Tyler Street | Zach Kramer |
| Stuart Brubaker | Logan Riehl |
| Sean Rayhall | Kasey Ziebold |
| Chris Andrews | Brenden Torok |
| Kody Brewer | Lee Sommers |
Confirmed 410 Drivers:
- Cap Henry: The now three-time AFCS Champion is back and looking for title number four in the Jeff Ward Motorsports 33W. Last year’s AFCS Championship came down to the last race, and Henry was able to nip Cale Thomas. We’re only two races into the 2025 410 season in Ohio, but Cap looks to be the guy to beat. He’s already scored a win and has a third-place run in those two races at Attica. It could be a long year for Cap’s competitors if he can keep this pace up.
- Kody Brewer: Coming off a solid rookie 410 season, Brewer is looking to build off a season that saw four top ten finishes in a mainly AFCS schedule. If Brewer can stay out of on-track trouble and get more of that valuable experience, we could see him crack into the top five this season.
- Larry Kingseed Jr.: Larry has been a staple at Attica and Fremont over the last few years in both the 305 and 410 divisions. Kingseed is still searching for that first 410 win, but has come close at Fremont. It will be worth keeping an eye on Kingseed to see if he can breakthrough and get that first win.
- Bryan Sebetto: Making his return to the 410 division, Sebetto won the 2011 410 Fremont title and was one of the few drivers that could take it to Jamie Miller on any given night in the 305 division in 2024. Sebetto finished P5 in Attica’s opener before going for a ride in the second race. Sebetto still has it, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him in victory lane.
- TJ Michael: Back for more in the Prosser 19 machine, TJ is poised to get back into victory lane again in 2025. I think he and car-owner Ryan Prosser are starting to hit on some things that will make them a nightly podium contender.
- DJ Foos: I know we’re only two races into 2025, but Foos is looking like the Foos we saw win championships a few years back. He has a podium and a top ten in two Attica starts, so he and the Burmeister team seem to be clicking well to start the season off. As long as they keep getting a little better each night, they’ll be competing for wins.
- Stuart Brubaker: It’s been a rough start to the year for Brubaker, but the veteran always finds a way to bounce back. If Stuart can find his groove early, he’ll be up front enough to click off top fives and break into the win column. He just has to keep those bad luck gremlins at bay.
- Chris Andrews: Like DJ Foos, Andrews looks like the Andrews we’ve seen win track championships. He finally got the monkey off his back and scored a win in his own 15C machine at Attica on March 29. He and crew chief AJ Havens now have the whole season to work together, and I don’t see a scenario where they don’t win more races.
- Tyler Schiets: Schiets is making the jump to the 410 division for 2025. He’s been racing 305s for the last few seasons and was a top ten contender most nights. I’d expect a big learning curve for Schiets in 2025. The most important thing will be getting as much experience as possible and keeping all four tires on the ground.
- Jerry Dahms: The low-budget racer is back for 2025, and represents the backbone of what short-track racing is all about. You won’t find anyone more grateful for the AFCS bonus program than Dahms, as it truly helps keep his operation going from week to week.
- There may be more drivers that sign up to run the AFCS Series, as they have until hotlaps on Friday to sign up
Confirmed 305 Drivers:
- “Chocolate” Chad Wilson
- Bradley Bateson
- Brian Razum
- Zach Kramer
- Logan Mongeau
- Kasey Ziebold
- Jimmy McGrath Jr.
- Austin Black
- Brenden Torok
- John Ivy
- Jamie Miller
- Dylan Watson
- Lee Sommers
- Randy Ruble
- Brayden Harrison
- Brandon Moore
- Blayne Keckler
- Seth Schnieder
- Dustin Dinan
- Steve Rando
- Matt Foos
- Daniel Hoffman
- Steve Watts
- Jud Dickerson
- Jim Leaser
- David Hoppes
- Drew Sifred
- Dustin Stroup
- Paul Weaver
The nation’s greatest support division is once again loaded with talent looking to dethrone defending champion Jamie Miller. Miller is the odds-on favorite for the AFCS 305 championship; he already has two wins this season at Attica. The 30ish competitors won’t make it easy for Miller, though. Veterans Paul Weaver, John Ivy and Steve Rando can also win on any given night
Miller will face steep competition from the likes of Seth Schneider, who has two podium runs, Blayne Keckler, who led laps during the season opener before being passed by Miller, Brandon Moore, who kept Miller at bay until an engine issue sidelined him in his new JRA Motorsports ride. Dustin Stroup spent a lot of time up front in 2024, but is now back in his own 10x machine, getting the kinks worked out of it. Jimmy McGrath Jr. broke out in 2024 and is poised for a strong 2025. We also see the return of accomplished 305 competitor Matt Foos, Drew Sifred and Chad Wilson.
The 305 division is also full of up-and-comers looking to break out in 2025 with the likes of Kasey Ziebold, Bradley Bateson, Daniel Hoffman, Dylan Watson, and Jud Dickerson all looking for their first trip to victory lane in the 305 division.
Again, with 30ish 305 members signed up, the best, most competitive support class should be another great one. It’s the definition of a great support class, and would be a great premier division at most tracks across the nation. Thirty or more cars at most every event, 12-15 drivers that can win on any given night, what more can anyone ask? It’s also worth noting that the AFCS 305’s have two non-points events at Millstream Speedway, Sunday, June 29 with the USAC Sprint Cars, and Friday, August 1 with the GLSS 360s. Any way you look at it, it’s shaping up to be another great year for the AFCS 305s and 410s.