Butcher ‘25: NASCAR, Championships, Snowball Derby
#28 Cole Butcher lining up beside the #26 Bubba Pollard - Photo Courtesy of Reid Scott of Liberty Racing Review
October 21st, 2025
What began as a season defined by both regional, and National Tour ASA wins has become an indisputable career year, thus far. From leading laps in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Bristol to capturing two major ASA championships + plus 5 Flags Speedways’ Blizzard Series Super Late Model Track Championship, Cole Butcher’s 2025 campaign has officially entered elite company in North American short-track racing.
A Summer Surge That Never Stopped
After spending much of early 2025 on the road across the United States, Butcher returned home on June 21st for his first FGI Maritime Pro Stock Tour stop in years, at his home track of Scotia Speedworld. Mechanical issues left him finishing 16th, three laps down; a rare off-night that did little to slow his national-tour momentum. It seemed that his primary focus for the trip was a vacation/trip to go back to Nova Scotia, and he included a race date in the mix, as well.
Six days later, he stormed back to win at Five Flags Speedway, marking his third consecutive victory at the Pensacola oval. The feat made him the first driver in history to sweep the opening three events of the Blizzard Series (a 4 race Super Late Model Track Series at Five Flags Speedway - all 4 of which races being part of the ASA Southern Super Series, as well) in a single season. Bubba Pollard had previously won three straight, but only across two years. Butcher did it to start a season.
That streak continued the set tone for the months ahead. On July 26, he conquered the Redbud 400 for the second time in three years, dominating one of the ASA STARS Tour’s crown-jewel races.
In August, he continued stacking podiums: a hiccup of 7th at Mobile, was followed up by a dominant looking 2nd at Scotia Speedworld’s Summer Clash 250, and 3rd in a chaotic finish at Owosso Speedway. No matter the track or sanctioning body, Butcher remained a near certain fixture at the front.
Taking the Next Step: NASCAR at Bristol
On September 11, Butcher strapped into the Halmar Friesen Racing No. 62 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro, backed by Atlantic Tiltload and TOP Construction Ltd., for his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Qualifying 21st, the Porters Lake native employed an alternative pit-strategy that briefly vaulted him to the front of the field. He led multiple laps on the day, but ultimately an untimely long green-flag run erased his potential strategy advantage. In the end, he finished 23rd, but the effort turned heads surely caught attention of fans, and the Toyota world/various other worlds within NASCAR already had their eyes set on him, hinting that this might not be his last NASCAR start.
Clinching Championships and Cementing Legacy
Two nights later, he was back in an ASA STARS Tour car, finishing 2nd at Toledo, then 5th at Five Flags on September 27 to secure both the Blizzard Series title and a guaranteed Snowball Derby provisional.
Most recently, on October 12 at Winchester Speedway Butcher’s 3rd-place finish in the Winchester 400 locked up two championships in one night - the ASA STARS National Tour and the ASA/CRA Super Series. Of note, he won the CRA Super Series title despite having only raced 6 of the 7 features - he won by a margin of 1 point. This hearkens back to 2017 when Butcher missed 1 race (although he had a fill-in for the points), and ended up finishing 1 point shy of his 2nd straight Pro Stock Tour Championship, to winner Shawn Turple. Had he won that championship, he would have secured the first 3-peat the following year.
With the final race, the All American 400 at Nashville Fairgrounds still ahead in November, Butcher has already clinched the STARS National Tour Title, and has already swept half of the ASA Titles as a whole.
The ASA Midwest Tour: Butcher did not compete in any of the races.
The ASA Southern Super Series: the finale is at New Smyrna Speedway in November, with Butcher trailing points leader Bubba Pollard by 4 points, leaving a near open-canvas going into the final feature.
Trip to Phoenix Raceway: Ending a Two-Race Truck Series Debut in 2025
Butcher’s next Truck Series outing will come at the NASCAR Truck Series season finale, when he returns to Halmar Friesen Racing for the October 31 event at Phoenix Raceway.
The second start offers him a chance to build on what he learned at Bristol while closing the season with another showcase for his adaptability, and talent to a new audience. It’s the continuation of a path that has already seen several of his Donnie Wilson Motorsports teammates ascend into NASCAR success.
The 2025 Snowball Derby in December to finish the year is a story for a future article
