Merriman, Kreiser run away with 2025 honors at Northfield Park

Let’s be honest—the driving title was decided on Day One. Just as it has been for the past nine years. Aaron Merriman seized control immediately, and history took care of the rest. Everything that followed didn’t change the outcome; it merely delayed the announcement.

Merriman capped off another sensational season with 578 victories from 2,255 starts, more than doubling his closest competitor. It was dominance, plain and simple.

Trailing Merriman in the standings were Chris Lems (281), Justin Irvine (249), Kurt Sugg (240), and Dan Noble (225), rounding out the top five.

On the national stage, this marked Merriman’s best season in terms of wins, as he eclipsed 900 victories since 2019, finishing with 922. It was also his eighth consecutive season with more than $8 million in earnings (excluding 2020). The 47-year-old Northfield native, who began his career in 1997, now boasts over $130 million in career earnings.

With 17,096 lifetime wins, Merriman ranks third on the all-time wins list, sitting 936 behind Tony Morgan and 4,366 behind Dave Palone, the only driver to surpass the 20,000-win milestone.

While the driving title was a runaway, the training crown traditionally unfolds as a season-long battle. That said, for the second consecutive year—and third time overall—Cory Kreiser proved dominant, leading all trainers with 199 wins, edging his own 2024 total of 197.

Following Kreiser were Sam Schillaci (151), Edward Miller (112), Ron Burke (109), and Keith Kash Jr. (63) to complete the top five.

Nationally, Kreiser ranked sixth in total wins, compiling 228 victories across all tracks. It was the second-best season in both wins and purse earnings for the Kreiser barn. And before long, another milestone will fall: Kreiser is rapidly approaching $10 million in career earnings, currently standing at $9,271,597.

The 2026 season is already underway. MGM Northfield Park currently races four evenings a week on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.