Pit Pass Preview: ASA STARS Sunshine State 200

March 18, 2025

Pensacola, FL — The second event of the 2025 ASA STARS National Tour season is set to unfold on Sunday, March 23rd with the Sunshine State 200 at Five Flags Speedway.

The Super Late Model contest is part of a stacked weekend of racing that includes a plethora of local divisions, the Vore’s Compact Touring Series, and the ARCA Menards Series East.

This “Pit Pass Preview” will provide fans with valuable information on the ASA STARS Sunshine State 200 in particular.

Keep an eye on Liberty Racing Review’s social channels for info on other racing action that is set to unfold during the upcoming season-opening weekend at Five Flags Speedway.

Entries

A preliminary entry list of 28 cars sets the field for the third ever Sunshine State 200. Among the 28 drivers slated to compete for $15,000 on Sunday are 14 of the 15 ASA STARS Platinum Program title hopefuls, with the only Platinum driver to not enter to this point being Billy VanMeter.

The most popular driver in the discipline, Bubba Pollard, will be making the trip to Pensacola following a rather unsavory run at the 49th Rattler 250.

Speaking of the Rattler 250, the event’s third-place finisher, Stephen Nasse, will also be making a trip to the Gulf Coast for the Sunshine State 200. Jake Finch, who scored the win in this year’s Pro Late Model Baby Rattler 125, will also compete.

A pair of full-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series drivers, Jake Garcia and Dawson Sutton, will compete in the Sunshine State 200 following their race on Friday, March 21st at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

While defending ASA STARS National Tour champion Casey Roderick is not on the entry list (as of the time of this story’s creation), last year’s championship runner-up in Kyle Steckly will be competing.

Last year’s third-place finisher in season points, Cole Butcher, looks to defend his Sunshine State 200 victory from 2024.

Another notable driver that has entered to this point is defending Snowball Derby champion Kaden Honeycutt. Another Derby champion in Derek Thorn also joins the field.

The full entry list can be found below.

2025 Sunshine State 200 Entries

#08 Nicholas Naugle (Dartmouth, NS)
#1 Kasey Kleyn (Quincy, WA)
#5 Johnny Sauter (DeForest, WI)
#9 Derek Kraus (Stratford, WI)
#14 Austin Nason (Roscoe, IL)
#14 Chase Pinsonneault (Belle River, ONT)
#14 Connor Okrzesik (Grand Bay, AL)
#16 Jacob Gomes (Manteca, CA)
#18 Colby Howard (Simpsonville, SC)
#21 Kaden Honeycutt (Huntersville, NC)
#22 George Phillips (Charlotte, NC)
#22 Buddy Shepherd (Bakersfield, CA)
#24 Gavan Boschele (Mooresville, NC)
#26 Bubba Pollard (Senoia, GA)
#26 Dawson Sutton (Lebanon, TN)
#28 Cole Butcher (Mooresville, MC)
#30 Kyle Steckly (Milverton, ONT)
#35 Jake Garcia (Eatonton, GA)
#36 Ty Fredrickson (Webster, MN)
#44 Conner Jones (Fredericksburg, VA)
#51 Stephen Nasse (Pinellas Park, FL)
#51 Jake Finch (Lynn Haven, FL)
#54 Matthew Craig (Mount Pleasant, NC)
#54 Conner Sutton (Pensacola, FL)
#81 Carson Brown (New London, NC)
#96 Derek Thorn (Bakersfield, CA)
#96 Spencer Davis (Statesville, NC)
#112 Dustin Smith (Mobile, AL)

Weekend Schedule

The ASA STARS National Tour will have its weekend action take place across two days, with Saturday, March 22nd serving as a practice day for the Super Late Models.

Sunday, March 23rd, however, is where the bulk of the action will unfold, with qualifying taking place on Sunday morning and racing kicking off just after 2:00 p.m. local time.

The full weekend schedule as it pertains to the ASA STARS field can be seen below.

Season Standings

For the ASA STARS National Tour, the Sunshine State 200 serves as just the second race on the calendar.

Rookie of the Year contender Gavan Boschele scored the first win of the ASA STARS season in the Clyde Hart Memorial at New Smyrna Speedway. As such, he leads the standings heading into Pensacola.

15 points behind Boschele sits William Sawalich, with Gabe Sommers sitting 20 points behind Boschele.

ASA STARS National Tour Standings (Top 10)

Gavan Boschele – 87 points
William Sawalich – 72 points
Gabe Sommers – 67 points
Cory Hall – 61 points
George Phillips – 61 points
Stephen Nasse – 59 points
Colby Howard – 59 points
Cole Butcher – 52 points
Christopher Bell – 51 points
Bubba Pollard – 51 points

The Sunshine State 200 also serves as the third race of 2025 for the ASA Southern Super Series, the regional tour that coincides with the national series at certain events.

Gavan Boschele leads those points as well, but with Bubba Pollard sitting 15 points behind. While Boschele scored the most recent victory at New Smyrna, Pollard won the season-opening event, SpeedFest at Cordele Motor Speedway.

ASA Southern Super Series Points (Top 10)

Gavan Boschele – 197 points
Bubba Pollard – 182 points
Cole Butcher – 180 points
Stephen Nasse – 174 points
Colby Howard – 173 points
Spencer Davis – 166 points
Carson Brown – 148 points
Jake Finch – 146 points
Dawson Sutton – 142 points
Billy VanMeter – 128 points

Track Facts

Five Flags Speedway

Location: Pensacola, Florida

Year opened: 1953

Length: 1/2-mile

Maximum banking: 15 degrees

Surface: Asphalt

Streaming

Fans unable to make it to Five Flags Speedway can watch the racing action on TrackTV.com.

Fans are also encouraged to follow Liberty Racing Review’s social media pages for updates and coverage of the whole weekend.

Liberty Racing Review’s 2025 race coverage is presented by Patriot Media & Marketing Services.

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Photo: Reid Scott