By: Ashley McCubbin 

The work put in with his late model program has paid off for Cole Butcher, as he has gotten the opportunity he has been waiting for in his career – a full NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series schedule with ThorSport Racing. 

“We’re just looking forward to the opportunity we have with ThorSport Racing,” Cole Butcher told News From The Pits. “We have a lot of good tracks throughout the season – a lot of new tracks. Like for example, St. Pete or Daytona – or anything really. We’re really looking forward to Martinsville and Bristol and back to our short track roots, but we’re also looking forward to the Charlottes and tracks like Texas, etc.” 

Despite all the success prior to  moving into the trucks, Butcher is keeping the goals simple for 2026, with a focus on winning Rookie of the Year, and potentially making the playoffs with a clean quiet year including some top-10 finishes, and “maybe a win if we get lucky.” 

The season has started off with a pair of top-15 finishes in the first trio of races this season, highlighted by 14th at both Daytona International Speedway and the streets of St. Petersburg. 

“Other than practice at St. Pete, I think the race went really well,” Butcher reflected. “I thought Daytona went really well.; Daytona could have played out multiple ways. We were just happy to finish. We would have probably had a solid finish in Atlanta, but we were unfortunately in an accident so can’t really complain with how the season has started – currently 15th in the points. (We) definitely have a long season to go (as) we’re only 3 races in – look forward to it.” 

As previously referenced, Butcher enters the NASCAR ranks following success in late models which included the  2025 ASA STARS National Tour Championship. 

“It’s just a lot different from everything I learned in a late model,” he explained. “You can pretty well scrap it to a point. Just trying to learn the aero and how the air reacts with a pass. These big heavy trucks;, they’re a blast to drive. It’s just you’ve got to understand them., No different than the late models; I had to understand the tire and all the horsepower we had underneath us. So yeah, it’ll take some time, but I I have a great team behind me with everybody at ThorSport – Duke, Rhonda, and Allison for giving me this great opportunity, and I think we’ll get our Ford F-150 up front here soon.” 

The opportunity for Butcher as ThorSport will also allow him to lean on his teammates: Ben Rhodes, Ty Majeski, and Jake Garcia. 

“It’s been great,” Butcher said of the teammate dynamic. “I’ve been talking to Ben and Jake a lot. Me and Ben have a really good relationship and I’ve known Ty and Jake for a while now – raced them in late model. So, it’s kind of cool to still have that background. We could still talk late models whenever we want; whenever we’re at the racetrack, we’ll usually talk about what’s going on in the late model world.” 

“Ben’s just a veteran – a very young veteran – that you can rely on, and he’ll give you a straight up answer. So yeah, really fortunate to have really solid teammates in this 2026 season.”

Butcher’s motorsports journey began by watching his father, and in 2005 he got behind the wheel of a Bandolero while also racing motocross. His passion for racing has only grown, there, with his whole family involved in the sport – from his father all the way to his wife and brother.  

His success allowed him to continue growing his own program, before joining Wilson Motorsports. Everything came together as he brought home four championships – ASA STARS National Tour, ASA Southern Super Series and ASA/CRA Super Series.  

“I think our last year’s season was pretty stout, winning all four Championships and coming out with eight victories and potentially having the opportunity to have more,” Butcher commented. “My Wilson Motorsports guys were pretty good last year, and we’ll get a couple more late model races under our belt this year with Bob Lyon Racing and the Henke house car and we’ll see what happens.” 

With a strong foundation built from years of racing alongside family and through late model championships, Cole Butcher enters the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season ready to learn, compete, and make his mark. Leaning on the guidance of his ThorSport teammates and fueled by a lifelong passion for motorsports, Butcher is focused on steady growth, top finishes, and seizing the opportunities that lie ahead. As the season unfolds, fans will be watching to see this rising talent chase his first Truck Series win while building the next chapter of a promising racing career.