Butcher picks up first win of season

Cole Butcher of Porter’s Lake, N.S., took his first checkered flag of the season Sunday night and his second consecutive Atlantic Cat 250 victory.

Butcher takes home $15,150 for the win and another plaque on the coveted Scott Fraser Memorial Cup.

Butcher took the lead early but was put to the rear on lap 55 for an on track incident but battled back through the entire field to reclaim the lead on Lap 101.

Shawn Turple (Enfield, N.S.) battled hard with Cassius Clark (Farmington, Me.) to finish runnerup in the 18th edition of the Atlantic Cat 250. Dylan Blenkhorn (Truro, N.S.) finished fourth with Greg Proude (Springvale, P.E.I.) following up his win at Oyster Bed Speedway with a fifth-place finish at Scotia Speedworld.

Four Atlantic Tiltload Heat races determined the starting positions for the iconic race. Butcher won heat one which put the reigning champion in the pole position. Five-time series champion John Flemming (Halifax, N.S.), Blenkhorn and Dylan Gosbee (Cornwall, P.E.I.) also won their respective heats.

Butcher led 198 laps to collect the Linde Most Laps Led Award.

His younger brother Jarrett Butcher (Porter’s Lake, N.S.) won the Exide Batteries Rookie of the Race Award.

Russell Smith Jr. (Lakeside, N.S.) won the King Freight Future Winners Award for the Atlantic Cat 250 by finishing sixth in his first Pro Stock start of the year.

Robbie MacEwen (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) accepted the Atlantic Tiltload Pole Challenge, sending him from eighth position in the starting grid to the final 26th starting spot. MacEwen earned $500 for taking the challenge but he was unable to make up enough positions during the race to secure additional bonus funds. Craig Slaunwhite (Terence Bay, N.S.) was the winner of the Goulden’s Shell Hard Charger Award by gaining 19 positions to finish seventh.

Prior to the Atlantic Cat 250 the Maritime League of Legends ran a 50-lap feature. Craig MacDonald (Waverly, N.S.) took the checkered flag followed by Waylon Farrell (Conception Bay South, N.L.) and Ryan Mackintosh (Kannapolis, N.C.).

The Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour is off next weekend but returns to Petty International Raceway on Aug. 26 for the Cummins 200 which will highlight River Glade International weekend.