Pro All Stars Series
Unofficial Results: PASS/ACT Easter Bunny at Hickory
Mar 18, 2023
Cole Butcher had a day to remember Saturday at Hickory Motor Speedway, winning both Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Model 150-lap races.
Inclement weather forced officials to combine the St. Patrick's Day 150 and Easter Bunny 150 into a one-day show, presenting a 300-lap stage for the Super Late Model competitors. Butcher took full advantage, winning both of Saturday's races.
In the St. Patrick’s Day 150 to start Saturday, Cole Butcher took the lead just past halfway and held off Max Cookson on a green-white-checkered restart for the victory.
“I can’t thank Max enough for racing me clean on that last restart,” said Butcher in victory lane. “I know he was better than me on the restarts, but we were able to get it done.”
As for Cookson, the runner-up finish was a promising start to his first full-time season of PASS competition after winning the Oxford Plains Speedway Super Late Model track championship last year.
“We got here Thursday and instantly, I really like the place,” said Cookson. “Three and four are really tricky, and there’s a lot of quirks. It’s a track you’ve really got to be able to drive. To come home second in the opener here, coming home second to Cole is always a good day.”
Butcher backed it up by finishing in the top spot in the Easter Bunny 150, taking the lead from Mike Hopkins on lap 95.
“We finished fourth last weekend [at Pensacola] and two wins here,” said Butcher. “Let’s keep it going.”
Cookson again finished second to Butcher in the second race, unable to reel in Car No.53.
“Cole had a really good car, and we’re all trying to take care of the tires. We made it better from the last race, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with him.”
Ryan Kuhn completed the podium in the first race, fighting to a third-place finish with a car that did not handle to his liking following an extended red flag for a multi-car incident on the 49th lap which ended the race for several competitors.
“After that red flag, the car got really, really loose. I knew I was kinda done from there,” said Kuhn. “We started off strong again. I wish I had a little more drive, I think we could have gotten there, but Cole was in a league of his own. Cookson was good. I think I managed my right-rear a little better than he did, he was getting loose. We gave them all we had, and we’ll go on to the next one.”
Mike Hopkins led plenty of laps throughout the day, but faded to 14th in the first half and finished third in the Easter Bunny 150.
“We got wicked too tight in the first race,” said Hopkins. “This one, we had them covered, but the same thing. It got wicked, wicked tight in the middle, and it got so you had no drive off.”
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
St. Patrick's Day 150
1. Cole Butcher
2. Max Cookson
3. Ryan Kuhn
4. Brandon Barker
5. D.J. Shaw
6. Joey Doiron
7. Garrett Hall
8. Michael Scorzelli
9. Andy Shaw
10. Shawn Knight
11. Jake Johnson
12. Kyle Reed
13. J.P. Josiasse
14. Mike Hopkins
15. Ben Rowe
16. Ryan Moore
17. Joshua King
18. Dennis Spencer
19. Trevor Sanborn
20. Nick Jenkins
21. Jeremy Davis
22. Wyatt Alexander
Easter Bunny 150
1. Cole Butcher
2. Max Cookson
3. Mike Hopkins
4. Brandon Barker
5. Garrett Hall
6. Ryan Kuhn
7. Kyle Reed
8. Jake Johnson
9. Trevor Sanborn
10. Andy Shaw
11. Joey Doiron
12. D.J. Shaw
13. Wyatt Alexander
14. Michael Scorzelli
15. J.P. Josiasse
16. Shawn Knight
17. Jeremy Davis
18. Ben Rowe
19. Dennis Spencer
20. Ryan Moore
21. Joshua King
22. Nick Jenkins