By Jacob Hord, @HordRaceWatcher
On June 6th, 1970, Jan Opperman would win a 100 lap race at Canfield Speedway in Ohio, being the first driver to ever win an All Star Circuit of Champions event. After a brief hiatus in 2024, the All Stars are back in 2025 under Rich and Shelly Farmer, and ready for race number 2,145 in series history as the series roars back to life at Fremont Speedway on Saturday, April 26th.
The series is now slated for 28 races across Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and New York, including Ohio Sprint Speedweek in June. The opening weekend at Attica was cancelled due to issues with Mother Nature.
There are currently 13 drivers signed up for the All Star slate, and it’s a field that puts the Champion in the All Star Circuit of Champions.
- Devon Borden: The former Port Royal Speedway track champion is aboard the Bryan Grove Racing No. 45 machine full-time in 2025 after limited appearances in the car in 2024. The team has four races under their belt so far in 2025, two being at Attica. Fortunately for Borden, he scored his first win in over a year, and his first at Attica in Friday night’s AFCS Opener. Borden will be a wildcard in this year’s title chase. In his limited starts in Ohio last year, his results weren’t super, but Friday’s win could do a lot for his confidence. Borden seemed very rejuvenated Friday night. Most of the tracks on the schedule are going to be new for Borden, but that will also be the case for most of the All Star roster. We’ll see how well Borden adjusts to points racing and all of the new tracks.
- Cody Bova: Bova has made a name for himself in the Western PA region, scoring a few wins the last few seasons at Wayne County and Lernerville. Bova has a top ten in FAST action at Pittsburgh earlier this season, but he’s still searching for speed around Attica. Bova probably has the dates at Wayne County and Mercer circled. Wayne County accounts for two of Bova’s 410 wins, and he is a former 305 champion at Mercer. Bova was also the winner of the best 305 race I’ve ever seen at Mercer back in 2017. It’ll be tough sledding at points for Bova, but I’m confident he’ll be a better driver and be enjoying some good results by the end of the season.
- Justin Clark: Clark finds himself behind the wheel of the Joe and Diane Seeling 97 machine for the 2025 season. The former 305 national champion is slated for his most aggressive 410 schedule in 2025, and he was only a tenth of a second away from his first Attica win back on March 29th. He battled some gremlins in his first night in the Seeling 97 at the AFCS opener, but once they get those gremlins behind them, Clark could be a dark horse pick for some race wins. He’s raced a little bit here, there, and everywhere in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Western PA and that experience will come in handy.
- Zane DeVault: The Lane Racing Team and DeVault will be one of the championship favorites. The Lane team has experience running the All Star tour, and they also ran second in the FAST points last year with DeVault. They’re one of the more aggressive local/regional teams and will have a good notebook at most of the tracks on the All Star schedule. DeVault and crew chief Hunter Jackson work really well together. The team has a P5 and a P6 this year at Attica, plus a hard charger to their credit. DeVault is one of two drivers on the All Star roster that has a full Speedweek under his belt, which will be critical come June. If this team gets on a hot streak, they could be clicking off wins like nobody’s business.
- Bobby Elliott: Driving his family owned 5E machine, Bobby is looking to take on a new challenge after a P3 championship run last season with the FAST Series. Wayne County is a bright spot on Elliott’s resume, he had two top five finishes there in 2024. Elliott can also pick off a sneaky top ten against the stiff northwestern Ohio competition. Unfortunately for the 5E team, they tore up a car at Attica last Friday, but they will rebound and gain lots of experience in 2025.
- Van Gurley Jr.: Gurley has been behind the wheel of a sprint car longer than most of his All Star competitors have been alive. But, Gurley still gets the job done, proven by his 2024 Butler track championship. Gurley is also the only driver on the All Star roster with an All Star win, where he has three back in the mid-90’s at Lima, Kokomo, and Bloomington.
- Kalib Henry: Another title favorite, the Californian was easily the most impressive driver in Ohio in 2024 in the Muth 101. The Fremont Speedway track champion has a new crew chief in Andy Potter. I was curious how Henry and Potter would gel, but after their third place run Friday at Attica, I don’t think they’ll skip a beat. Henry seemed to adapt to any of the new tracks he saw in 2024 quickly, which will be key in 2025. As long as they can stay consistent, they will be a problem for their competitors in the championship chase. Sidenote: I cannot wait to see how Kalib takes to Williams Grove and Lincoln in early June.
- Creed Kemenah: The newest addition to the All Star roster, Creed joins his father Chad (six time All Star champion) and Grandfather Harold (All Star Champion car owner) as the latest generation to run with the All Stars. This is a logical step for Kemenah and the family-owned 15K car. Creed and Chad haven’t been afraid to jump in the deep end and take on the Outlaws all over the region, and even down south. It’s tough sledding, but it only makes the team better. Chad knows what it takes to get a car up and down the road and Creed can lean on that experience. I’d like to think Creed will find victory lane for the first time in a 410 this year. At the very least, an All Star run makes this team better and keeps Creed’s career progressing.
- Trey Jacobs: The now second-latest addition to the roster, Jacobs will be the new pilot of the Demyan-Rudzik 49X machine in 2025. This is easily the biggest opportunity of Jacobs’ career, and I’m sure he’ll be poised to make the most of it. Jacobs will be seeing a lot of these tracks for the first time, but to his credit, he can win at most any track in Ohio. Jacobs will have to get to meshing with his new team rather quickly, as they may only get one night together before the All Star season kicks off. This car has brought drivers like Tim Shaffer and Tanner Thorson to victory lane, and it would come as no shock if Jacobs picks off his first career All Star win in 2025.
- Darin Naida: I believe Naida could be looking at a breakout season even with the stiff competition and new tracks ahead of him. He scored four wins in 2024 between Butler and Lincoln Park and had a smattering of good results across the region. Statistically, Naida has gotten better each year he’s been behind the wheel of a 410 sprint car. It’ll be a big step in 2025, but I think it’s a step this team is capable of making. Plus, Naida is only 18 years old, he has plenty of time to gain more experience and fine-tune his craft. Naida also said last year that I was “the smartest person he knew” and for that, I think he should win a million times.
- Aiden Price: Admittedly, I know nothing about Price other than he’s a Millbridge champion and has some late model experience. He’ll be wheeling the Marc Dailey 2MD machine for 2025. The 15 year old doesn’t have any 410 experience, so it’s tough to know what Price will be capable of in 2025. Gaining experience and getting seat time are probably two of the team’s main goals this season.
- Brandon Spithaler: The defending FAST champion has switched to the All Stars for 2025 and is a championship contender. Spithaler has 16 wins between 2023 and 2024 spread out between Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Indiana and has also scored a top five with the Outlaws at Attica. You’re going to be hard-pressed to find a more well-rounded driver than Spithaler on this roster. I feel like Spithaler is slept on as one of the best local/regional drivers in the country, and it baffles me. You don’t win that many races and two FAST championships by accident. A lot of the tracks on the All Star schedule are in Spithaler’s wheelhouse.
- Leyton Wagner: The defending Wayne County Speedway track champion is taking a big step in his 410 career. Wagner struggled some in the front half of the 2024 season, but added Scott Bartson to the team and the results were noticeable. Bartson is back with the team in 2025. Wagner has plenty of experience in the Western PA region and Wayne County, and started venturing out a little more in 2024. That experience in the Western PA region will be beneficial in 2025 and if Wagner can be a quick learner at the new tracks, he’s easily a nightly top ten or top five competitor.
This field of competitors is very solid. There’s a good mix of established competitors and up and coming stars, all mixed in with the locals they’ll be going up against each and every night. Personally, I see the championship going to Kalib Henry, with Brandon Spithaler, Zane DeVault, and Devon Borden close behind. Henry’s potential is at Outlaw/High Limit level, and he’s tapped into it very well in Ohio. Spithaler is so well-rounded and can race well darn near anywhere, and knows how to points race. If DeVault and Borden can avoid the mistakes and contact with things they shouldn’t make contact with, they’re right there in the battle as well.
This championship is going to be compelling from start to finish, which is just what the All Stars need in their first year back.
The full All Star schedule can be found at: https://www.allstarsprintcar.com/schedules/