Cole Butcher’s Rise to Dominance at Five Flags Speedway
#28 Cole Butcher celebrating his ASA STARS Sunshine State 200 victory - Photo Courtesy of: Liberty Racing Review (Reid Scott)
March 30th, 2025
For years, Cole Butcher has been a formidable presence at Five Flags Speedway, steadily building an impressive record at the historic Pensacola half-mile. With 15 career starts, Butcher has demonstrated remarkable consistency, earning 8 top-five finishes (53.33%) and 11 top-ten finishes (73.33%). However, his recent results indicate that he is no longer just a strong competitor—he is becoming one of the track’s elite drivers.
From his first Snowball Derby appearance in 2017, Butcher has consistently delivered competitive performances. Worthy of note is that his early Snowball Derby races represented his very first races in a Super Late Model, including his podium finish in the 2019 Snowball Derby (3rd place), which marked a turning point. Over the years, he has steadily improved his ability to navigate Five Flags’ challenging fields, and fine-tuning his race-craft to maximize speed and tire management, especially after gaining broader experience in a Super.
His record reflects this steady progression, especially when it comes to laps led. His variety ranging from starting on the front row, to starting deep in the field (28th) show that he has been able to finish on the podium regardless of qualifying position, capitalizing on race strategy and executing when it matters most.
Breaking Through: A New Era of Success
While consistency has been a hallmark of Butcher’s Five Flags tenure, his recent performances indicate a shift from contender to dominant force. Following 3 straight top-5s, and a 19 laps led effort, it culminated in a win in March 2024 when he captured his first ASA STARS National Tour victory at the track, leading 102 of 200 laps. He followed this up with a top-5 and 2 laps led, and then a dominant race in which he took the lead early on, and maintained it through lap 98. Unfortunately an incident following a late race shoot-out caused him to be unable to complete the race. With lots of momentum going into the 2024 Snowball Derby against the strongest field of Late Model Drivers in the world, the race didn't go his way, and for the first time since his debut in a Super Late Model where he finished all but 1 lap at the Derby, he didn't complete every lap. Last weekend, March 23rd 2025, he rebounded, delivering an even more commanding performance, winning back-to-back ASA STARS Sunshine State 200’s, leading 130 of 207 laps.
Beyond ASA victories, his Snowball Derby performances remain strong, with 4 top-five finishes in the event since 2019, as well as 2 6th place finish.
The Numbers Tell the Story
Note: Snowball = Snowball Derby (race), SSS = Southern Super Series, now ASA Southern Super Series, ASA = ASA STARS National Tour Series
What’s next in the ASA STARS Tour?
After a strong first race at New Smyrna Speedway was affected by late race misfortune, Butcher’s dominance at Five Flags in Race #2 leaves him sitting 1 point behind rookie team mate #24 Gavan Boschele for the points standings. After a nail biter coming down to the All American 400 in year 1 vs #91 Ty Majeski, and what looked to be a similar fight for the championship with #26 Casey Roderick last year before a medical procedure caused him to miss 2 races, Butcher will once again be a favourite for this year’s championship. The following races may be especially worth circling on the calendar:
Tar Heel 250 at Hickory Motorspeedway, May 22nd
Redbud 400 at Anderson Speedway, July 26th
Glass City 200 at Toledo Speedway, September 13th
and The Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway, October 12th.
Although he only has one race under his belt at Toledo, he has multiple victories at Hickory, including last year’s Tar Heel, he won the Redbud before, and he won last year’s Winchester 400. [Author Opinion: I also think that he will be really strong at Slinger Super Speedway, though he has never raced at that track yet].
What’s Next at Five Flags?
With back-to-back ASA victories at Five Flags and a proven track record in marquee events like the Snowball Derby, Cole Butcher is solidifying himself as a top-tier competitor at the track. On his current trajectory, he will continue to be a top favourite to add a Snowball Derby trophy to his growing list of Five Flags accolades - and make himself the first Canadian to ever win the historic race in the process.
His performances suggest that his time leading laps, and finishing at the very top of the podium may be just beginning.
