Redbud 400 Next Stop on Butcher’s Championship Hunt

Cole Butcher has raced with Wilson Motorsports since 2016 when he competed in the Snowflake 100 at Five Flags Speedway, making periodic starts in the States with the team while also contesting a full schedule of races in the Canadian Maritimes and the Northeast United States. After expanding his Super Late Model schedule with the team in 2022, he got the nod to run the full ASA STARS National Tour season in 2023.

The Porter’s Lake, NS native currently sits third in the ASA STARS standings, the highest of the drivers yet to win a race. While he has yet to visit victory lane with the series, he has three top-five finishes in the first five races, including a second at Milwaukee and a third at Hickory. In addition, he has collected 72 stage points, fourth among all drivers.

“I think it’s been pretty good, we’ve had our ups and downs. We had the DNF at Madison when we could’ve came out of there with a top-five, top-ten,” Butcher said. “But we’ve had a couple top-three finishes on the year and we’re heading to Anderson, which is one of my favorite tracks. We’re looking forward to it.”

The Redbud 400 will be Butcher’s second appearance at Anderson Speedway. He led just over 100 laps in last year’s Redbud before finishing eighth.

He will do so as a teammate to Hickory winner Gio Ruggiero, who is also racing for an ASA STARS National Tour championship. Wilson Motorsports has two full-time cars in the series, while fielding as many as four cars in each of the last three races.

With teammates aplenty for Butcher, he mentions the advantages of going to the track with extra help.

“There’s a lot going on, a lot of people. It’s nice going to the racetrack with a bunch of cars because you can find balance quicker. They work their butts off at the shop and I can’t thank them enough. Every time we show up to the racetrack we’re there to win and we’re capable of winning.”

Butcher has won his fair share of races over the years in both the United States and Canada, having won last year’s Oxford 250 and sweeping two Pro All Stars Series races at Hickory Motor Speedway back in March in family equipment. However, he has yet to secure his first win with Wilson Motorsports. He has been close to winning with the team on several occasions, most notably in the Snowball Derby, where his worst finish in the last four races has been a sixth.

With five races left on the ASA STARS National Tour season, he looks to deliver car owner Donnie Wilson a checkered flag.

“It would mean the world to finally get a Super Late Model win and check it off the box, especially with the ASA tour. Donnie’s been after me to get one for him for a couple years now and it seems like everyone else has a win. It would mean the world to me and my family, hopefully we can get it done here soon because it’s definitely time.”

On-track activities for the 57th Annual Greg Hubler Automotive Group Redbud 400 will kick off on Friday, July 14th with inspection and practice for the ASA STARS National Tour. Go Fas Pole Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, July 15th, with the Redbud 400 set to go green at 7:30PM Eastern Time. Tickets for the event are currently being offered at a special price of $20 for an adult ticket until Friday, July 14th. Tickets for children aged 6-12 are $10 and children aged 5 and under are free. To purchase tickets, or for more information, contact or visit Anderson Speedway’s main ticket office.

Tickets for the 50th Anniversary ASA Racers Reunion are available for a special price of $50. These tickets include access to the Racers Reunion luncheon, a Q&A session with ASA legends, an autograph session with these same legends, and a ticket to the 57th Annual Greg Hubler Automotive Group Redbud 400. Tickets for the ASA Racers Reunion can be purchased by calling Anderson Speedway at 765-642-0206 or by visiting the trackside ticket office located at 1311 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Anderson, IN 46016.

The Redbud 400 will be co-sanctioned with the ASA CRA Super Series, which will be the third race of the CRA season. Gio Ruggiero won the opener at Salem Speedway, while race two will be contested on Sunday, July 2 at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

The ASA STARS National Tour opened the ten race, six-state schedule at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, FL on March 11. Ty Majeski is the most recent winner, claiming the victory in the Father’s Day 100 at the Milwaukee Mile.

For the full ASA STARS National Tour schedule, plus Super Late Model rules and other information, please visit the series website at starsnationaltour.com, or be sure to follow the series on social media (Facebook: STARS National Series | Twitter: @racewithstars | IG: @starsnational).

ASA STARS National Tour
The ASA STARS National Tour debuted in March of 2023 for Super Late Model racing in America. Announced last October, many of the best drivers in America will compete in the ten-race national tour with a minimum $100,000 point fund. The championship team will be guaranteed $25,000.

The ASA STARS National Tour is made up of three races from each of the regional pavement Super Late Model Series under the Track Enterprises banner; the ASA CRA Super Series, the ASA Midwest Tour and the ASA Southern Super Series.

The Team Construction Winner’s Circle program has been announced as a part of the ASA STARS National Tour for licensed drivers/teams with perfect attendance. The program provides additional financial incentives to those teams who support the Series, thanks to Team Construction.

Track Enterprises, a Racing Promotions Company based in Illinois, will operate the ASA STARS National Tour. It announced the acquisition of the CRA sanctioning body in January and followed that up with the purchase of the Midwest Tour in July. In October, Track Enterprises President, Bob Sargent announced a partnership with the Southern Super Series which set the table for the formation of the ASA STARS National Tour.

-ASA STARS National Tour Release
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy/Racing America