After 12 races, 10 months and trips to eight states, the 2025 ASA STARS National Tour season has finally drawn to a close.
The famed All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway served as the season finale for the ASA STARS season, leaving a lot to look back on as the premier Super Late Model touring series in America concluded its campaign.
Here are three takeaways from the ASA STARS National Tour’s All American 400.
ASA STARS Championship Serves as a Testament to Cole Butcher’s Dominance
It was evident from the start of the year that Cole Butcher would likely face little opposition on his way to an ASA STARS title. Coming off of a 2024 season that left Butcher sidelined towards the end of the year following atrial fibrillation ablation, the Canadian racer was not to be denied when he got a chance at revenge in 2025.
Butcher started the year on a hot streak, winning two of the first three races. Two more victories in the latter half of the season gave Butcher a total of four victories in ASA STARS competition – and that’s not to mention his success in regional Super Late Model competition.
Butcher’s raw pace was also rewarded with a plethora of stage wins and stage points scored, further cementing his dominance throughout the majority of each race weekend. Butcher even picked up the Stage 1 victory at the All American 400, before tire trouble halted his chance at victory and led to the wheelman settling for a 14th-place finish.
The unfortunate late-race fade aside, Butcher stood atop his peers, becoming the third ASA STARS National Tour champion since the tour’s revitalization in 2023. The 2025 season proved to be huge for the 29-year-old outside of short track racing as well. Butcher was granted the opportunity to compete in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races at both Bristol Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway.
It’s safe to say that Butcher represented ASA (and short track racers as a whole) well on a national stock car stage. That opportunity was granted in large part due to his consistent growth and speed over the past few years. Butcher is still searching to add more accolades to his resume as the season winds down, seeking an ASA Southern Super Series championship and a coveted Snowball Derby victory.
What Could’ve Been for Casey Roderick in his ASA Return
The last time we saw Casey Roderick in Super Late Model competition came almost exactly one year ago, in the 2024 rendition of the All American 400. It was a day that proved to be rewarding for Roderick, with the racer being crowned the 2024 ASA STARS National Tour champion with Anthony Campi Racing.
One year later, Anthony Campi Racing is still finding success with young phenom Carson Brown. But for Roderick, 2025 had been composed almost entirely of scarce Pro Late Model appearances. That was the case, anyways, until it was announced that Roderick would return to SLM racing in the Music City to kick off a newfound partnership with Rette Jones Racing.
The pairing had potential to find victory lane if they played their cards right in Nashville, and the final restart of the day even looked to play out perfectly in Roderick’s favor. With the freshest tires on track, Roderick made quick work of the field and got as high as third place, chasing down leaders Dawson Sutton and Brown in the process.
But things quickly changed when Roderick’s decklid suddenly collapsed. The damage significantly altered his car aerodynamically, forcing Roderick to to settle for a 12th-place result.
With an almost perfect strategy in place, the decklid failure stunted what could have been a triumphant return to Super Late Model competition for Roderick. The driver/team combination will have another chance at victory, though. Roderick and Rette Jones Racing will now set their sights on the Snowball Derby in December.
The Ultimate Homecoming Victory for Dawson Sutton
As grand as some motorsport events are – at the short track level and beyond – the All American 400 serves as the biggest race Sutton could have won. The Tennessee native has a long history at the famed Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, as does his team, Rackley WAR.
The team was founded in Tennessee and was based in the Nashville area for years before moving to North Carolina in an effort to expand both its late model and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series operations. Yet despite the grandeur of the greater short track world and the NASCAR scene, there’s something to be said about the races close to home.
Sunday’s All American 400 wasn’t just a local race in central Tennessee. It’s a crown jewel event that some would consider to be on the same level as the Snowball Derby. The list of All American 400 winners serves as a ‘Who’s Who’ of short track competitors, including Rusty Wallace, Darrell Waltrip, Chase Elliott and Bubba Pollard. Sutton’s victory puts him in elite company.
With a Pro Late Model championship and a victory in Tennessee’s biggest Super Late Model event, Sutton is quickly adding up marquee accomplishments at a young age. And he did so with local flair through a partnership with the University of Tennessee Volunteers. With Tennessee Orange adorning Sutton’s Super Late Model this past weekend, the victory meant even more to the hometown crowd.