Cole Butcher Conquers The 50th Oxford 250: A Victory Born from Skill & Teamwork
Cole Butcher celebrates in Victory Lane following his triumph. Photo Courtesy of: 3 Wide Media Productions
August 27th, 2023
The term "Rising Star" no longer applies to Cole Butcher; he's a celestial body in full brilliance in the Super Late Model universe. Fresh off a string of electrifying performances from various U.S. circuits, the native Nova Scotia, Canada driver set his sights on making history at the 50th running of the Oxford 250 — a race that carries its weight in both heritage and competitive spirit.
A Storied Lead-Up
Before diving into the Oxford 250, it's essential to grasp the enormity of Butcher's recent achievements. This young Canadian powerhouse has been on an inexorable rise since his post-COVID return to the U.S. racing scene. Running under the banner of Donnie Wilson Motorsports, Butcher has crafted an impressive resume. In six appearances at the prestigious Snowball Derby, his "worst" performance was a 15th-place finish. Subsequently, he posted a commendable string of results, going 9th, 3rd, 6th, 3rd, and 5th, proving his consistency against the best of the best, year after year.
While filling in for Isabella Robusto this year in the CARS Tour Pro Late Model Series, Butcher locked in finishes of 4th, 4th, 1st, and 3rd. The most recent 3rd came in a 75-lap feature where passing was challenging, but he managed to rally from an early cut tire and muscle his way back through to finish in 3rd place.
Butcher's ascent doesn't stop there. Amidst the series that has seen the most competitive fields in recent Super Late Model touring series history, he sits in 2nd place in the revived National ASA Tour points standings. And he's not trailing just anyone; he's behind a Super Late Model legend in his prime, and NASCAR Truck Series standout Ty Majeski. Across seven races in the ASA Tour, Butcher boasts a win, four top-5 finishes, and six top-10 placements.
Hottest Driver in PASS
Although the Donnie Wilson team deserves immense credit for their unbelievable success over recent years, Cole still races for his family team Butcher Racing, another fantastic contingent with a deserving driver. While Cole's brother Jarrett Butcher runs 2nd in points and leads the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour in Maritime Canada in season wins, Cole, driving his family #53 has been indisputably the hottest driver in PASS, despite his very limited schedule under that banner.
Ever since returning to PASS Competition (absence due to COVID) in 2022, Butcher has 8 PASS Starts. Starting with a 2nd place finish in the first half of the twin Easter Bunny 150s in 2022, where he led 79 laps. He followed this up with a 19th place finish in the other Easter Bunny 150 race, having led laps, but had to retire early due to an accident. After this, he would win a 150 lapper at Oxford, followed by a 25th place finish at Oxford in a race where he had to retire early. Since then? He is undefeated. First winning the 2022 Oxford 250, then winning both of the twin 150 Easter Bunny races in 2023, and now making history as the first Canadian to repeat as back-to-back Oxford 250 champion. So in 8 starts over the past 2 years in PASS, Butcher has a 2nd, 19th, 1st, 25th, 1st, 1st, 1st, and 1st. His worst finish over 8 races when he finished the race, was one 2nd place finish.
A Rollercoaster Race Day
Qualifying was an event in itself — a captivating display of youth versus experience. With a striking age gap that stretched over half a century between the youngest and oldest two drivers to win their heat races and start in the top-5, the stage was set for a historic race. Butcher, however, stole the spotlight early. From a starting position near the back, he charged forward with purpose and precision, overtaking the field with the confidence that he had a car to win; sprinkle in some, okay, a lot, of calculated muscle to win Heat Race #2. This not only showcased his talent, but also secured him a front-row spot for the Oxford 250's main event.
The race itself was not without its drama. Seven laps in, an unfortunate run-in with #00 Jimmy Renfrew Jr. where Cole got a little too eager too fast, something he later apologized for, resulted in a penalty that sent Butcher to the back of the pack, along with Renfrew Jr. who spun as a result of rear end contact. A benefactor of this, young #39 Max Cookson quickly assumed a commanding lead, starting to run away from the pack as the early trailblazer. Then came a strategy move that would go on to be pivotal. Around the quarter-race mark, a caution flag flew, and Butcher went in for two right-side tires, of his allotted 6, leaving him with 4. Most of the front-runners would elect to stay out.
In what turned out to be a green flag run that exceeded 100 laps, the #7 of Curtis Gerry showed himself as a car to beat, capturing the lead from Max Cookson for the first lead change since the early frames. Butcher meanwhile, who after being sent to the rear and had begun regaining many position, had seemed to settle into a more mid-late teens range after his 2-right side tires changed, including after some contact in a large series of spins, trying to avoid a pile up. However, late into this very lengthy green flag run, as other drivers' cars started experiencing some fall off, Butcher's strategy started to show it's true colours in terms of track position. When the caution flag finally flew, his pit grew executed an excellent stop that saw him restart within the top-10. Heart breakingly for Curtis Gerry, he missed his first opportunity to enter pit road, and had to complete another circuit under yellow, before entering the pit. In fact, Jimmy Renfrew Jr. who had been spun by Butcher 7 laps into the race had actually found himself all the way to the front with Gerry, and they both made this mistake. Utilizing a live pit stop format where position can be earned or lost on pit road, but laps cannot be lost, as only green laps count, Gerry & Renfrew Jr. found themselves sent to the rear, with 70 laps to go.
Over these last 70 laps, it seemed clear that Cole Butcher was the car to beat, though #60 DJ Shaw was charging, and the #7 (3d) of Joey Doiron, having started 41st, relying on a provisional after a tech infraction sent him through the last chance race, which Gerry had won, appeared to be a strong contender. Butcher moved methodically through the field to capture the lead in the last 30 laps, getting to the inside of leader Doiron, and ultimately the win, finishing with a nearly 1.5-second lead over Doiron and Shaw.
The victory was a masterclass in teamwork. While Cole Butcher's skill as a driver is undeniable, and his personal involvement and input sometimes mirrors that of a successful crew chief, it was the seamless operation between him, his pit crew, and his entire team that turned potential into victory. Racing is often seen as a sport focused on individual prowess, but as Butcher and his team demonstrated, it takes an ensemble of excellence to cross the finish line first. In fact, just as was the case in another Butcher Racing victory at Oxford Plains Speedway recently, the team had to mitigate significant mechanical woes that arose leading into or during practice; in this case clutch problems and an engine change.
In a season already filled with incredible moments, including the Redbud 400 under the ASA Stars National Tour Banner, the 50th Oxford 250 will undoubtedly stand as one of Cole Butcher's most memorable races — a testament to what can be achieved when skill meets near-perfect execution, and perfect recovery from an early mistake.
