The ASCoC was founded in 1970 by Bud Miller, emerging from discussions among Miller, motorsports journalist Chris Economaki, and Wellman Lehman about constructing a new race track near Youngstown, Ohio. When those track-building plans fell apart, the idea of creating a touring sprint car series in the region took shape instead. The series began operating in 1970 but went dormant almost immediately, suspending operations in 1971 and 1972 before resuming briefly in 1973. The 1973 oil crisis, which triggered sharp fuel price increases and shortages across the country, forced the series to suspend operations again after that season.
The All Star Circuit of Champions reformed in 1979 under new owner Bert Emick, though Emick initially lost access to the MOSS sanctioning body's territory in Ohio. He reestablished the All Star name in 1980 and ran the series through 2002, rebuilding it into a credible regional touring property. In 1995, Joey Saldana set a series record by winning 18 races in a single season driving the Art Wendt 77w car, a benchmark that stood as one of the most dominant single-season performances in series history.
Guy Webb assumed ownership of the series from Bert Emick in 2002 and ran it for 12 years, extending the ASCoC's reach and competitive calendar. Webb's tenure cemented the series as a fixture of Midwestern and Eastern sprint car racing.
In January 2015, Webb sold the All Star Circuit of Champions to Tony Stewart, the former NASCAR champion and IndyCar driver who had become a significant investor in grassroots American motorsports. Stewart's purchase came after a period of competition between Webb's group and a rival organization called Renegade Sprints. Stewart reunited the two competing factions under the All Star banner, stabilizing the series and providing it with a high-profile figurehead.
Arctic Cat became the series title sponsor beginning in 2016. The 2017 season produced 29 different winners, while Chad Kemenah used the year to claim his sixth series championship, tying Dale Blaney for the most titles in series history. Ollie's Bargain Outlet took over as title sponsor beginning in 2019, sharing naming rights with Mobil 1. FloRacing became title sponsor for the 2021 season, followed by Tezos on a three-year naming rights deal. Aaron Reutzel from Clute, Texas, emerged as one of the series' prominent champions during this era, winning three titles across his time with the series.
Starting in 2020, all races were broadcast live in full on FloSports, increasing the series' media exposure. In December 2018, MAVTV had previously announced acquisition of rights to broadcast highlights of select events.
On October 23, 2023, High Limit Racing announced the acquisition of the All Star Circuit of Champions from Tony Stewart. High Limit Racing, co-founded by World of Outlaws Sprint Car champions Brad Sweet and Kyle Larson, did not run the series in 2024, but for 2025 partnered with promoter Rich Farmer to reinstate the regional championship and continue Ohio Sprint Speedweek. The revived schedule concentrated the majority of events in Ohio, with additional visits to Indiana, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania.
The series produced some of the most prolific careers in regional sprint car racing. Dale Blaney stands as the all-time wins leader with 137 victories and holds six championships, a record matched only by Chad Kemenah's six titles. Kenny Jacobs accumulated 98 wins and four championships. Joey Saldana compiled 74 wins, Tim Shaffer won 58 times and four championships, Jack Hewitt won 56 events and one championship, and Frankie Kerr took 53 wins and four titles. Dave Blaney, Steve Kinser, Doug Wolfgang, and Danny Lasoski each contributed significant win tallies to the series record books. Steve Kinser, widely regarded as one of the greatest sprint car drivers in history through his World of Outlaws Sprint Car dominance, also appeared at ASCoC events, underlining the series' place within the broader sprint car ecosystem.
The All Star Circuit of Champions represents one of American short-track motorsport's most enduring regional touring organizations. Its more than five decades of history, interrupted only by economic hardship and organizational transitions, reflect both the resilience of grassroots sprint car racing and the appeal of the winged sprint car format across the northeastern and midwestern United States.