April 9, 2025 | By Kyle McFadden/FLORacing

Cale Thomas named new driver of Shark Racing 1a

HANOVER, Pa. — Shark Racing has named Cale Thomas as its new driver of the No. 1A, the ride relinquished by Jacob Allen earlier this week when the Hanover, Pa., fan favorite rather unexpectedly announced his retirement from driving after 14 seasons racing Sprint Cars.

The 27-year-old of Fairland, Ind., and 2024's second-ranked driver in Ohio per sprintcarratings.com slides right into the Bobby Allen-owned team as a teammate to World of Outlaws campaigner Logan Schuchart and is expected to make his Shark Racing debut April 11-12 at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park (MO) with the World of Outlaws.

He'll have Jacob Allen by his side as the 30-year-old Allen becomes the No. 1A team's head mechanic.

Thomas initially was going to follow the revived NAPA Auto Parts All Star Circuit Champions presented by Valvoline with the Demyan-Rudzik Racing No. 49 team, but now returns to Central Pennsylvania where he raced with the PA Posse from February-June in 2020 June 2020, racing for five brief months with John Trone's No. 39 team.

Although Thomas's five months racing in Central Pennsylvania five years ago only yielded one top-10 finish in 12 races, he's upped his stock the last four years. Last year he put forth a career-best season that saw eight wins, 17 podiums and 35 top-10s in 60 races mainly around Ohio. Two of those top-10s even came with the World of Outlaws.