---

Butcher, Finch, Salter Earn Track Crowns on Night of Champions No. 2 at 5 Flags

Butcher, Finch, Salter Earn Track Crowns on Night of Champions No. 2 at 5 Flags

By Chuck Corder
5flagsspeedway.com reporter

Perfection matters little when goals and championships are achieved.
Super Late Model driver Cole Butcher’s chase for a historic Deep South Cranes Blizzard Series sweep fell short, but he still found his piece of immortality with a Super Late Model track championship.
The Canadian transplant, who lives in North Carolina, had dominated the first three Blizzard races coming into Night of Champions No. 2 on Saturday. Butcher came away with fifth in the Southern Super Series Deep South Cranes 100, a race Dawson Sutton led flag-to-flag in a commanding fashion similar to Butcher’s earlier victories.
Young Carson Brown finished second and veteran Matt Craig brought home third.
Despite the result, Butcher easily won the Blizzard Series title by more than 21 points against Craig.
“It was good year,” said Butcher, who has four other Appalachian Sucker Punch
ASA STARS National Tour wins in addition to his three at Five Flags. “We had to work on this one tonight. The whole team works so hard together.
“We look forward to the big one.”
That big one, of course, being the 58th annual Snowball Derby in December. A plethora of drivers made their first appearance at Five Flags this season on Saturday, as the entire field of 23 cars took one final look at Pensacola’s high banks before the Derby.
Kevin Harvick, former NASCAR Cup Series champion, charmed the Five Flags faithful during an autograph session. The FOX Sports NASCAR analyst knew the class of drivers he was up against before the green flag dropped. Harvick struggled to make up ground throughout the 100-lapper en route to 12th-place finish.
No one had anything for Sutton, who earned the pole outright with a fast lap of 16.517 seconds. The Tennessee driver learned the value of clean air at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.
“My team brought me great car,” said Sutton, driving for the Rackley W.A.R. team. “This is definitely my favorite track. I fell in love with it a few years ago. Hopefully, we can come back for the Derby.”
That marks the second big victory in the month of September for Sutton. He took down the Glass City 200, another Appalachian Sucker Punch ASA STARS National Tour race, at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway on Sept. 13
“Right now, it seems like we’re on a roll,” Sutton said. “I’m thankful I get to race for them. These guys work their butts off night and day.”

Allen Turner Hyundai Pro Late Madels

His “Dawgs” didn’t get the job done Saturday night, but Jake Finch sure did.
Doing double duty in both the Pro and Super Late Model cars on Night of Champions No. 2 at Five Flags Speedway meant Finch had no time to catch any of Georgia’s loss to Alabama.
It was for the best. With a points title hanging in the balance, Finch focused on the task at hand in the Allen Turner Pro Late Model 100 and collected his first career PLM track championship at Five Flags.
His second-place finish Saturday handily secured the crown while Spencer Davis won his second PLM 100-lapper of the season in Pensacola. Davis recorded a win at the June race. Seth Christensen, who finished second to Finch in the points battle, was third.
“It’s always nice to win a championship,” said Finch, who also owns a 2021 Outlaws track crown at Five Flags. “I love being home here at Pensacola. We show up every week trying to win and do the best we can and let the points figure out themselves. “We came up a little bit short, but luckily it worked out in our favor.”
Davis assumed the lead early on while the action was fast and fierce behind him. Keeland Harvick, the teenage son of Kevin Harvick, was a part of the group making moves in Davis’ rearview.
The younger Harvick turned heads all night long. He grabbed the fast time in qualifying (16.847 seconds) and finished fourth in the race.
There were a few cautions, but nothing could disrupt Davis’ rhythm Saturday.
“This machine was fast,” Davis said, crediting his team. “They make this thing bad to the bone. It has been a good year for us. We’re here to win races.”

Story and Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks
Adam Salter had seemingly 25 victory laps Saturday night at Five Flags Speedway.
The Andalusia, Ala., driver’s lead coming into Night of Champions No. 2 was 62. That was an insurmountable cushion and made the Story and Bleich Roofing Crown Stocks 25-lap feature a Sunday drive for Salter.
Hunter Lambert won the feature with Salter finishing second and Austin Reeves rounding out the podium for his best career finish at Five Flags.
“We had a lotta fun all year,” Salter said. “I got lucky at the beginning of the year to win a couple races. It’s always fun competing down here. I knew it was gonna be tough all year. I’m glad we could secure this championship.”
Lambert slid under Salter for the lead on Lap 6 and never looked back.
“That was a really good race,” Lambert said. “All this is to get ready for the Derby.”
Allen Turner Hyundai PLM 100
Winner: Spencer Davis
2025 Track Champion Jake Finch

1 96 Spencer Davis, Dawsonville, GA
2 18 Jake Finch, Lynn Haven, FL
3 51 Seth Christensen, Pemdergrass, GA
4 62 Keelan Harvick, Mooresville, NC
5 35 Luke Yarbrough, Cumming, GA
6 9 Brandon Lopez, Woodstock, GA
7 54 Matt Craig, Mt. Pleasant, NC
8 91 Jim Wall, Madison, AL
9 2 John Bolen, Jasper, AL
10 33 Dustin Smith, Mobile, AL
11 67 Zack Dixon, Lawrenceville, GA
12 24 Jade Avedisian, Clovis, CA
13 87 Colin Allman, Plant City, FL
14 22 Chase Burgeson, Yuciapa, CA
15 99 Cody Martell, Ft. Myers, FL
16 51 Anthony Bello, Newtown, CT
17 11 James Patrick, Mobile, AL
18 46 Cole Williams, Memphis, IN
19 2 Jaxon Bishop, Toney, AL
20 11 Dylan Cappello, Mooresville, NC
21 1 Cody Brinson, Auburndale, FL
22 4 Elliott Massey, Lucedale, MS
23 25 Isaac Katzmiller, Mooresville, NC
24 32 Stuart Dutton, Tallahassee, FL
25 82 Presley Johnson, Huntsville, AL

Story and Bleich Cown Stock 25
Winner: Hunter Lambert
2025 Track Champion: Adam Salter

1 97 Hunter Lambert, Pensacola, FL
2 6 Adam Salter, Andalusia, AL
3 8 Austin Reeves, Enterprize, AL
4 51 Caleb Sanford, Coden, AL
5 5 Jason Lang, Warner Robbins, GA
6 4 Braden Kitchen, Pensacola, FL
7 5 Jason Lang, Jr. Warner Robbins, GA
8 22 Chris Mitchell, Mt. Olive, AL
9 44 Tyler Young, Pensacola, FL
10 75 Colton Rutherford, Cantonment, FL
11 27 Michael Chadwick, Ozark, AL
12 12 Dee Davis, Walnut Hill, AL
13 13 Zach Abdelwahed, Pensacola, FL
14 19 Garrison Story, Pensacola, FL
15 2 James O'Neal, Wilmer, AL
16 92 Taylor Ortiz Pensacola, FL
17 89 Jeremy Finney,
18 62 Doug Thorpe, Jr. Pensacola, FL
19 11 Cody Griggs, Pensacola, FL
DNS 47 Gary Burkett, #NAME?

Deep South Cranes SLM 100
Winner: Dawson Sutton
2025 Track Champion: Cole Butcher

1 26 Dawson Sutton, Statesville , NC
2 81 Carson Brown, New London, NC
3 54 Matt Craig, Mt. Pleasant, NC
4 51 Jake Finch, Panama City, FL
5 28 Cole Butcher, Porters Lake, NS. Canada
6 89 Dylan Fetcho, Lebanon, TN
7 33 Dustin Smith, Mobile, AL
8 21 Kaden Honeycutt, Concord, NC
9 26 Bubba Pollard, Senoia, GA
10 51 Stephen Nasse, Pinellas Park, FL
11 96 Spencer Davis, Dawsonville, GA
12 29 Kevin Harvick, Mooresville, NC
13 2 John Bolen, Jasper, AL
14 22 George Phillips, Charlotte, NC
15 14 Chase Pinsonneault, Belle River, ONT Canada
16 17 Hudson Bulger, Ft. Valley, GA
17 8 Nicholas Naugle,
18 24 Gavan Boschele, Mooresville, NC
19 91 Dylan Bates, Fair Grove, MO
20 54 Conner Sutton, Pensacola, FL
21 14 Michael Atwell, Naples, FL
22 1 Kasey Kleyn, Quincy, WA
dns 39 Friday Hassler Jr. Chatanooga, TN

Back to News