Management at Riverside International Speedway is proud and excited to announce a partnership with Nova Scotia’s Cole Butcher as he embarks on a full-time NASCAR racing career, starting on February 13 at Daytona International Speedway in Florida. The partnership will see Riverside as a sponsor on Butcher’s NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series No. 13 ThorSport Racing Ford F-150 for the full 25-race season, with events all over the United States and concluding in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Florida. With the sponsorship, fans will see Riverside branding primarily on the tailgate of Butcher’s truck, promoting the facility and its events – and at the same time proudly helping to support the first Nova Scotian to ever compete full-time on one of NASCAR’s top-tier series.
“I look forward to representing one of the best short tracks in Canada this season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series,” said Butcher. “I can’t thank Donald (Chisholm, track owner) and the whole Riverside family enough.”
Besides the truck sponsorship, the Riverside partnership with Butcher will see him racing at the popular 1/3-mile oval just outside of Antigonish for two of his three scheduled Canadian events this year, on June 27 and September 12, where he will wheel his familiar No. 53 in Maritime Pro Stock Tour races. Butcher has multiple wins in Pro Stock and Legends cars at Riverside. Fans can expect to see contesting and more unique and exclusive Cole Butcher opportunities in partnership with Riverside International Speedway as the season progresses.
“We’ve watched Cole grow his racing career over the past 15+ years,” said Joan Roue, Riverside manager. “It’s exciting to see him embark on this chapter of his career, and, for us, it’s an opportunity to give back to Maritime stock car racing while at the same time providing fans and well-wishers the chance to see him at home this year. As fellow Nova Scotians and race fans ourselves, we’re proud of what he’s accomplished – it’s a testament to the calibre of talent we have here in the Maritimes. We wish Cole all the best in his NASCAR career.”
Originally from Porter’s Lake, Butcher, 29, moved to North Carolina three years ago to pursue a professional racing career. Already a multi-time winner and two-time champion of the regional Maritime Pro Stock Tour, Butcher quickly made a name for himself south of the border with wins and podium finishes in the biggest short track races in North America. In 2025, he won an amazing four super late model series championships in the U.S., including a national title with the ASA STARS National Tour, a first for any Canadian. Concurrently, he made two starts in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, one at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee (after which Riverside is patterned), and the other at Phoenix Raceway in Arizona. In January, Butcher took his first laps at the 2.5-mile Daytona superspeedway in an ARCA race car, finishing an impressive ninth-fastest overall of 82 drivers who participated in the pre-season test. Soon after that, Butcher was announced as driver for ThorSport Racing’s No. 13 in the 2026 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. ThorSport is a premier NASCAR Truck Series team with a record six championships since 2013 – the only team to win back-to-back titles twice.
Additional sponsors on Butcher’s No. 13 NASCAR truck will be announced by Butcher/ThorSport Racing. Cole Butcher’s NASCAR Truck Series schedule for this year can be found at www.thorsport.com. Fans can follow Cole Butcher on Facebook, X, and Instagram, with links available on his bio page of the ThorSport Racing website.
Riverside’s season kicks off on May 30 with the Spring Fling featuring the inaugural East Coast Enduro Challenge, offering a whopping $3000-to-win from a $15k+ purse. On June 26 and 27, it’s the Maple Leaf Classic Weekend, starting on Friday (June 26) with the Minglewood Rocks Riverside concert featuring Canadian rock legend Matt Minglewood and his band, along with opening act Hammer Down. Saturday (June 27) will see qualifying and 450 laps of feature racing action from two of the nation’s top touring series, NASCAR Canada and the Maritime Pro Stock Tour. Next up is the legendary IWK 250 Super Weekend from July 15 to 18, starting with the $5k to win Pro Stock Dash 4 Cash and Legends Cars on Wednesday, the IWK 250 Tailgate Party on Thursday, Prelude to the IWK 250 with Sportsman and Legends racing on Friday, and the $20k to win IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis on Saturday. On August 15, it’s the Summer Sizzler with MASS Sportsman, MASS Mini Stock, and Legends racing, and the season concludes on September 12 with the Back to School Spectacular featuring the Maritime Pro Stock Tour, MASS Sportsman, and the Hot Rod Classics Vintage Cars.
Tickets and camping reservations for the Maple Leaf Classic Weekend, when fans will have the first chance to see Cole Butcher racing on home turf this year, are available here.
Fans should stay tuned to Riverside’s website, social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram) for the latest news.
About Riverside International Speedway:
Since 1969, Riverside International Speedway has been recognized as a premier stock racing facility in Canada. The 1/3-mile high-banked asphalt oval roars to action several times each year for special events. It is the largest outdoor entertainment venue in eastern Canada and the home of the IWK 250 – widely known throughout North America as a “bucket list” event for racers and fans alike. It also hosts the NASCAR Canada Series in its only stop on the East Coast. Located in James River between New Glasgow and Antigonish, the facility is easily accessible at Exit 30 on Trans-Canada Highway 104. For more information, please visit www.riversidespeedway.ca or call 902-863-2410 (May to September) or 902-404-7049 (October to April).
