All Star Sprints To Have 20 Full-Time Drivers Travel With Series In 2018

Story By: TYLER ALTMEYER / ALL STAR CIRCUIT OF CHAMPIONS – BROWNSBURG, IN – Arguably one of the most competitive fields ever assembled under the All Star banner, the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 will be led by 20 full-time travelers in 2018, each chasing the $50,000 top prize that will be awarded at the end of the near-nine month journey that includes 49 full-point events stretched across eight states.

Representing hometowns from coast to coast, countless victories, and an array of track and series championships, the 2018 All Star Circuit of Champions roster is talented and diverse, sure to challenge all opposing competition throughout their tour of the Midwest and Northeast.

“We are all very excited to unveil the 2018 All Star roster,” Tony Stewart, owner of the All Star Circuit of Champions, said. “It’s hard to look down at the list of committed drivers and comprehend how much talent and potential is really there. All of the names on this list are certainly recognizable, some with a multitude of wins and accomplishments. I’m excited about all of the young talent represented, also, each eager to get out on the road and show race fans what they are capable of doing. This certainly says a lot about where we are today, as well as the future of the All Stars.”

All full-time drivers will be eligible for membership benefits in 2018 which includes the season-ending championship point fund. The top-15 member teams will receive their earned share of the championship fund so long as competitors enter at least 80% of the completed events and do not participate in any non-All Star events that occur on the same dates as 2018 All Star events.

Leading the All Star charge comprised of eight returning teams and 12 newcomers is six-time and defending Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 champion – Alvada, Ohio’s Chad Kemenah.

2018 Returning All Stars:

Chad Kemenah – Hunter Racing – No. 10H:
Needing little introduction, defending Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 titlist, Chad Kemenah, is on the hunt for a record-breaking seventh Series championship in 2018, and a potential third consecutive for car owner, Rob Hunter. Kemenah’s consistency has been unmatched during All Star competition over the last two seasons, earning a combined 70 top-ten finishes since the beginning of 2016. The six-time champion earned victories on three separate occasions in 2017, also amassing 18 podium runs including a stretch of six consecutive during the month of June. The Ohio native owns 34-career victories during All Star competition, also earning a pair of Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Cometic Gasket championships over the course of his storied career.

Max Stambaugh – Max Stambaugh Racing – No. 5M:
“Mad Max” Stambaugh took the All Star Circuit of Champions scene by storm in 2017. Paired with Ray Marshall Motorsports, the Elida, Ohio, native earned Rookie of the Year honors with the traveling All Stars, accumulating 13 top-ten finishes and qualifying for 40 main events. A former NRA Sprint Invader turned All Star, Stambaugh highlighted his Rookie of the Year run with a podium performance at the world-renowned Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Stambaugh will pilot his family-owned No. 5M in 2018.

Caleb Helms – Helms Racing – No. 17:
Findlay, Ohio’s Caleb Helms has been a staple on the All Star Circuit of Champions campaign trail for several seasons. Finishing fifth in the final championship standings in 2017, Helms, paired with veteran crew chief, Andy Potter, earned 12 top-ten finishes during Series competition last season, an increase from six top-ten finishes a year prior, finally crossing into the win column during competition at Wayne County (Ohio) Speedway over Labor Day weekend. The first-ever All Star victory earned Helms a $10,000 payday; the largest victory of his young career.

Brandon Spithaler – Brandon Spithaler Racing – No. 22:
Former Lernerville Speedway track champion, Brandon Spithaler, will return to All Star Circuit of Champions competition in 2018 after joining for the first time in 2017. The Evans City, Pa., native was a rookie front-runner during his inaugural season, finishing second in the final Rookie of the Year standings behind Max Stambaugh, as well as sixth in the overall championship standings. Spithaler’s run of six top-ten finishes was accomplished during 32 main event starts, highlighting his season with a podium performance at the Orange County Fair Speedway in Middletown, New York.

John Garvin – Liz Matus Racing – No. 51:
Former dirt late model hotshot turned sprint car racer, John Garvin, the hired gun for Liz Matus Racing, will travel with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 for a second consecutive season in 2018. Climbing a ladder of improvement as the season progressed, the Sarver, Pa., native finished ninth in the final championship standings in 2017, amassing a trio of top-ten finishes in 18 feature starts. Garvin’s late model career included championship runner-up finishes at the famed Lernerville Speedway.

Tyler Esh – Esh Racing – No. 35:
For the second time in as many years, Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Tyler Esh, rejoining his brother and car owner, Travis Esh, will hit the road with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1, hoping to add to an All Star resume that includes three top-ten finishes, one inside the top-five, during 29 main event starts. Although sidelined by injury during the last few weeks of the 2017 season, Tyler Esh and Esh Racing persevered and fulfilled their All Star commitments with car owner, Travis Esh, behind the wheel, ending the season tenth in the title chase.

Jordan Mackison – Mackison Racing – No. 1080:
An All Star Circuit of Champions Rookie of the Year contender in 2017, York, Pennsylvania’s Jordan Mackison is ready to embark on the All Star trail once again in 2018, continuing his trek toward a first-ever All Star main event victory. Jordan Mackison, who will return to the cockpit of the Triple J Specialities No. 1080, finished one position shy of a top-ten spot in the final All Star championship standings, earning 18 main event starts in the process.

Hunter Mackison – Mackison Racing – No. 95:
Representing York, Pa., Hunter Mackison returns to the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 in 2018 with a full season of competition under his belt. Accompanied on the road by his brother and teammate, Jordan Mackison, Hunter will pilot the Triple J Specialties No. 95 during his second attempt at an All Star campaign, working to outperform his 2017 statistics that included 16 feature starts.

2018 New All Stars:

Aaron Reutzel – Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports – No. 87
Representing the Lone Star State, Aaron Reutzel brings a stout resume to All Star competition in 2018. An ASCS national champion in 2015, as well as a former Knoxville Nationals Rookie of the Year Award winner, and hard charger, the Clute, Texas, native has since joined forces with Josh Baughman to form Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports and will now aim for an All Star Circuit of Champions title in 2018. Although limited action with the Series last season, Reutzel earned two top-ten finishes during four main event attempts.

Ayrton Olsen – Ayrton Olsen Racing – No. 71
Seventeen-year-old Ayrton Olsen brings a dose of young talent to the All Star roster this season. The Indianapolis native, who launched his racing career within the micro sprint and quarter midget ranks, will work to solidify his name in the All Star Circuit of Champions record books by earning a first-ever All Star main event victory in 2018.

Cale Conley – Dave Jessup Racing – No. 7K
Representing the Mountain State, Cale Conley and Ohio-based car owner, Dave Jessup, will tackle the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 schedule for the first time during the upcoming season. The Vienna, W.Va., native has yet to earn an All Star Circuit of Champions victory, but during a part-time schedule with America’s Series in 2017, Conley and the Dave Jessup Racing No. 7K accumulated a pair of top-five finishes during 13 main event starts. Like many others in 2018, Conley will hunt for Rookie of the Year honors with the All Star Circuit of Champions, as well as an overall Series championship.

Carl Bowser – Chiappelli Motorsports – No. 98:
For the first time in his career, Sarver, Pennsylvania’s Carl Bowser will hit the highway full-time with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1, searching for Rookie of the Year honors with the traveling sprint car series, as well as a first-ever All Star victory. Bowser, who will pilot the Chiappelli Motorsports No. 98 in 2018, is a two-time Lernerville Speedway track champion, as well as a multi-time winner throughout the local, Western Pennsylvania circuit.

Carson Macedo – Joe Gaerte Racing – No. 3G
Lemoore, California’s Carson Macedo has big plans in 2018, one of which earning an Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 title. Macedo, who earned an All Star victory in 2017 during competition at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway, is a former King of the West Series champion for Tarlton Racing, now joining the familiar Joe Gaerte Racing No. 3G for a full-on All Star assault during the upcoming season. Although participating in a partial schedule with the All Stars in 2017, Macedo racked-up one victory and six top-five finishes in just 19 feature starts.

Dave Blaney – Premier Motorsports – No. 70
Dave Blaney’s racing resume is extensive. The Ohio native, now residing in North Carolina, is a former World of Outlaws champion, a NASCAR Cup Series regular, and will now join the All Star Circuit of Champions full-time in 2018, working to become an All Star champion while at the helm of the Premier Motorsports No. 70. Certainly no stranger to All Star competition, the brother of six-time Series champion, Dale Blaney, owns 48 victories with the All Star Circuit of Champions, most recently scoring a victory at the highbanks of Atomic Speedway in August. Although never earning a prior All Star championship, Dave Blaney is the 1989 Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Cometic Gasket champion.

Jac Haudenschild – Haudenschild Racing – No. 3
A name certainly synonymous with sprint car racing, the “Wild Child” Jac Haudenschild will bring a new level of excitement to the All Star Circuit of Champions campaign trail in 2018, working to pad an impressive racing resume that includes 30 All Star main event victories at 18 different facilities, 10 of which accomplished at The Big E – Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. Piloting the Haudenschild Racing No. 3 for the upcoming season, the Wooster, Ohio, native will work to earn an All Star title; one of very few accomplishments that Haudenschild has yet to earn behind the wheel of a sprint car.

Joey Saldana – Rudeen Racing – No. 26
Once again, the “Brownsburg Bullet” Joey Saldana is a full-time All Star, but this time in control of the Washington-based, Rudeen Racing No. 26. Spending a number of seasons as a full-time All Star before making the transition to World of Outlaws competition, Saldana is one of the most accomplished All Stars in Series history, earning 74 victories across 33 different facilities, first finding victory lane in 1992. In addition to his impressive collection of victories, the Brownsburg, Ind., native also owns a pair of Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Cometic Gasket championships; the first in 1997 and again in 1999.

Max McGhee – Sam McGhee Motorsports – No. 11
Continuing his transition from the non-wing ranks to winged sprint car competition, Camby, Indiana’s Max McGhee will join the All Star Circuit of Champions in 2018 with the intent to claim Rookie of the Year honors, as well as a first-ever Series victory. McGhee, who will wheel the Sam McGhee Motorsports No. 11 during his outings with America’s Series, entered action with the All Star Circuit of Champions on two occasions in 2017, one of which during the annual Lou Blaney Memorial at Sharon (Ohio) Speedway.

Parker Price-Miller – Destiny Motorsports – No. 4
A Kokomo, Ind., native with plenty of speed, as well as a diverse racing resume, Parker Price-Miller and Destiny Motorsports will hunt for an Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 title in 2018. Although never completing a full season with America’s Series, Price-Miller owns one victory during All Star competition (Wayne County Speedway, Ohio), accumulating five top-ten finishes in 12 main event starts in 2017.

Paul McMahan – Tom Buch Racing – No. 13
The 1999 All Star Rookie of the Year Award winner, Paul McMahan will center his attention back on the Northeast and Midwest in 2018, piloting the Tom Buch-owned No. 13 on a full-time basis with the Arctic Cat All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1. The Nashville native via Elk Grove, Calif., has three All Star victories to his credit, last visiting victory lane with America’s Series during the 2002 season. Although joining the All Star Circuit of Champions on a very limited basis in 2017, McMahan accomplished a trio of top-ten finishes in just five main event starts.

Trevor Baker – T-Rev Performance – No. 45
Shreve, Ohio’s Trevor Baker will attempt to permanently etch his name in the All Star Circuit of Champions history books in 2018, chasing an All Star Rookie of the Year title, as well as a first-ever feature win. The pilot of the T-Rev Performance No. 45 is still young in terms of experience, but the potential is high, already claiming a win behind the wheel of a 410 cubic inch sprint car during weekly competition at Wayne County (Ohio) Speedway.