Human for a Moment, Hero the Next: Cole Butcher’s June Roller-Coaster & What’s Next
Photo Courtesy of: Reid Scott of Liberty Racing Review
June 21st, 2025
Cole Butcher’s Super Late Model season has had a hectic six week stretch. He steam-rolled Nashville, snapped a rear axle while leading at Hickory, broke another axle at Newport three days later, looked mortal/beatable at Montgomery—pit-adjusted his way to a 2nd place salvaging a less than optimal points night in Madison, and then rose again in a seven-lap slug-fest with Ty Majeski at Slinger in a dominant night.
The numbers still scream dominance:
Starts: 12 – comprised of:
• 3 STARS-only races
• 5 SSS-only races
• 4 STARS & SSS (co-sanctioned)
Wins: 5
Podiums: 8
Worst Finish: 14th @ Montgomery, SSS Race
Laps Run: 2,337
Laps Led: 880
Avg. Laps / Race: 194.8
Avg. Laps Led / Race: 73.3
Races Led: 10 of 12
% of Total Laps Led: 37.7 %
May-to-June: Six Races, Six Storylines:
Nashville Fairgrounds — Flag-to-Flag Redemption (May 4)
A perfect day in Music City: pole, 100 laps led, first Canadian winner of the North–South 100, and a statement that the All American 400 in November might finally run through Nova Scotia.
Hickory Motor Speedway — Axle Heartbreak #1 (May 22)
Butcher controlled 128 of 255 laps before a rear-axle failure with 30 to go. Colby Howard capitalized for a hometown breakthrough; Butcher salvaged sixth after a late charge from the rear.
Newport Speedway — Axle Heartbreak #2 (May 24)
High-banks, high tension. Butcher led 68 circuits and unintentionally traded paint with teammate Gavan Boschele, but the killer blow was a second straight rear-axle failure under yellow. This time repairs took too long; he re-joined too late and finished a lap down, registering an 11th place finish while Derek Kraus seized the victory.
Montgomery Motor Speedway — Human at Last (June 10, SSS)
Only two cautions left minimal pit-tuning windows; Matt Craig led every lap, and Butcher’s less than perfect #28 trundled home 14th, 1 lap down - ending his season-long laps-led streak and surrendering the Southern Super Series point lead to Bubba Pollard.
Madison International — Damage Control (June 14)
Gabe Sommers dominated early until 16-year-old Carson Brown’s daring top-groove slide on Lap 158. Butcher, zero laps led, clawed back to second and limited the STARS points bleed in an otherwise sub-optimal points day for the championship leader.
Slinger Super Speedway — Salvation (June 16)
In a Wisconsin bull-ring classic, Butcher out-muscled Ty Majeski on a green-white-checker duel, leading 116 laps en route to win No. 5 and bouncing his STARS advantage back to 85 points.
Title Chases at Half-Time
| Series | Leader | Gap & Context |
|---|---|---|
| ASA STARS | Cole Butcher – 515 pts | +85 on rookie Carson Brown. Margin dipped to ~50 after Madison, then rebounded with Slinger win. |
| Southern Super Series | Bubba Pollard – 823 pts | +10 on Butcher after Montgomery stumble. Pensacola showdown is next. |
ASA STARS – Top 15
| Pos | Car | Driver | Bonus | Stage | Race | Total | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Cole Butcher | 88 | 144 | 283 | 515 | — |
| 2 | 81 | Carson Brown (R) | 92 | 86 | 252 | 430 | -85 |
| 3 | 51 | Stephen Nasse | 35 | 74 | 288 | 397 | -118 |
| 4 | 24 | Gavan Boschele (R) | 45 | 92 | 258 | 395 | -120 |
| 5 | 26 | Dawson Sutton | 52 | 80 | 258 | 390 | -125 |
| 6 | 9 | Derek Kraus | 46 | 45 | 257 | 348 | -167 |
| 7 | 14 | Austin Nason | 35 | 40 | 251 | 326 | -189 |
| 8 | 96 | Derek Thorn | 35 | 22 | 253 | 310 | -205 |
| 9 | 22 | George Phillips (R) | 35 | 29 | 237 | 301 | -214 |
| 10 | 30 | Kyle Steckly | 35 | 42 | 220 | 297 | -218 |
| 11 | 14 | Chase Pinsonneault (R) | 35 | 16 | 239 | 290 | -225 |
| 12 | 18 | Colby Howard | 35 | 77 | 165 | 277 | -238 |
| 13 | 54 | Matthew Craig | 37 | 46 | 181 | 264 | -251 |
| 14 | 26 | Bubba Pollard | 28 | 38 | 189 | 255 | -260 |
| 15 | 36 | Ty Fredrickson (R) | 34 | 38 | 155 | 227 | -288 |
Southern Super Series – Top 10
| Pos | # | Driver | Hometown | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 | Features | Points | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Bubba Pollard | Senoia, GA | 2 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 823 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Cole Butcher | Porters Lake, NS | 3 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 813 | -10 |
| 3 | 18 | Colby Howard | Simpsonville, SC | 1 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 807 | -16 |
| 4 | 51 | Stephen Nasse | Pinellas Park, FL | 0 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 786 | -37 |
| 5 | 24 | Gavan Boschele | Mooresville, NC | 1 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 785 | -38 |
| 6 | 54 | Matt Craig | Kannapolis, NC | 1 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 776 | -47 |
| 7 | 81 | Carson Brown | New London, NC | 0 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 693 | -130 |
| 8 | 14 | Chase Pinsonneault | Belle River, ON | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 652 | -171 |
| 9 | 22 | George Phillips | Charlotte, NC | 0 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 566 | -257 |
| 10 | 96 | Spencer Davis | Dawsonville, GA | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 536 | -287 |
What’s Next
| Date | Track | Series | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 21 | Scotia Speedworld (0.375 mi) | FGI PST | His first PST start since 2022, when he won a 200-lapper here. |
| June 27 | Five Flags Speedway (0.5 mi) | SSS | 2-for-2 at Pensacola in ’25; Pollard showdown on Gulf-Coast asphalt. |
| July 19 | Riverside Int’l – IWK 250 (0.333 mi) | FGI PST | Cole joins crew of brother Jarrett in the Maritimes’ crown-jewel 250-lap race. |
| July 26 | Redbud 400 – Anderson (0.25 mi) | STARS | Site of Cole’s first ASA win (’23); summer classic could cement—or shake up—the championship picture. |
Final Word
Back-to-back axle failures reminded everyone that mechanical issues don’t care who’s fastest.
But Slinger proved Cole Butcher still sets the pace when the equipment holds. With a hometown cameo, a Pensacola pressure-cooker, Jarrett’s IWK 250 tilt and the Redbud 400 looming, the next five weeks could set Butcher up very nicely for ‘Big Race Season’ down the late season stretch.
