Cole Butcher Wins Appalachian Suckerpunch 250 at Dominion Raceway; Silvestri Legends Car Opener.

Photo By Mitchell Richtmyre

Written By Cody Sealey

It was a Dominion Raceway debut for the ASA STARS National Touring Series. The super late

models visited Thornburg for the first time as the third race of their 2025 season, The

Appalachian Suckerpunch 250.

Cole Butcher, a 28-year-old from Nova Scotia, won the first and second stages of the race

before dominating the last 50-lap stage. Butcher qualified fifth and was one of several

competitors who were chasing Carson Brown for the lead over the first 100 lap stage.

On lap 84, George Phillips would take a hard hit into the turn 4 wall while battling with Caden

Kvapil and Kyle Steckly. Former Craftsman Truck Series champion, Johnny Sauter, would also

suffer significant damage in the incident, ending his night.

Brown would pit during the caution and Cole Butcher would claim the lead on the restart. Stage 1 would end with him leading after Derek Kraus stalled on the backstretch.

Full-time Truck series driver Jake Garcia would lead most of Stage 2, while Butcher worked his

way back through the field, as he had fresher tires waiting to pit after the stage. Two more

cautions would come out after power issues led to Gavan Boschele and Bubba Pollard to stall.

With 93 to-go Butcher went from fifth to third in one lap. His fresh tires were a difference maker, as a hard dive into turn 3 saw him cleanly pass Garcia for the lead on lap 171. Butcher would hold on to the lead for the final stint of the race and take the checkered flag.

Butcher’s victory at Dominion was his second in-a-row after winning at Five Flags Speedway

and his sixth ASA STARS victory in his career.

“We were pretty good and had the right strategy,” said Butcher, in victory lane. “Track position

was important. This place is so hard to pass”

Derek Thorn would play the role of hard charger over the last 50 laps, as he passed Kvapil,

Dawson Sutton, and Garcia to finish second.

“We put tires on it and made quick work of those guys on old tires,” said Thorn. “A P2 this early

in the season is big for us.”

Before the ASA STARS feature, the Carlisle III INEX Legends took the green flag at 5pm to start

the 2025 season. Defending champion Miles Murray took the lead early, but he got loose on lap

6 and created an opening for Daniel Silvestri. The gray and blue #97 of Silvestri would establish

inside positioning on Murray and pull to the lead on the backstretch.

Kaitlyn Stradley was a solo spinner, bringing out the caution with 13 to-go. Silvestri pulled away

on the restart and would ride out the rest of the laps until he took the checkered flag.

Charlie Beals, Jake Waltman, Murray, and Peyton Worm would round out the remainder of the

top 5.

The NASCAR Advanced Auto Parts Weekly Series schedule kicks off next week April 12. The

America Racer Late Models, Dominion Stocks, UCars, and 4-cylinder Any Cars will be on track. The Grand National Super Series will also be in attendance and run twin 50 lap races featuring former cup series driver and Poco 500 winner Jeremy Mayfield and ARCA Menards/Craftsman Truck Series Driver Jason Kitzmiller. Join as as gates open 5pm for qualifying followed by a Pre Race Rock'N Fan Fast with Whiskey Tango-6 during on track meet and greet autographs.