For the first time ever, two of North America’s top short track racers – Cole Butcher and Bubba Pollard, will race each other on Canadian soil. They’ve both entered the Dash4Cash on Wednesday, July 15 at Riverside International Speedway, a prelude to the iconic IWK 250 Presented by Steve Lewis on Saturday, July 18.
Dubbed the Clash of the Short Track Titans, regional fans will see the two square off at a track Butcher has multiple wins in Legends and Pro Stocks, and where Pollard raced for the first time last year as the celebrity guest driver for the Cat Car for Kids – a role reprised for this year. They’ve raced against each other at marquis events throughout the United States numerous times. Until now, Canadian fans have either had to travel to see them or watch their legendary battles on television. Adding to the excitement, they’ll both need to fend off challenges for the checkers from top regional drivers also in the race.
The Dash4Cash featuring the Clash of the Short Track Titans is a 75-lap, $5,000-to-win, non-points pro stock/super late model race. It pays $1,000-to-start. Time trials will set the starting grid. The Piccott Care Legends Tour are also on the card in the Super Foundations Challenge, the first of two points-paying races for its drivers on the IWK 250 Super Weekend. Admission to the mid-week event is FREE for kids 15 & under and starting at only $30 ($26.31 = HST) for adults. Tickets are available at www.iwk250.ca.
This will be Butcher’s only appearance during the IWK 250 Super Weekend as he’ll return to North Carolina for a July 18 race in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series at North Wilkesboro Speedway. He’s the first Nova Scotian to ever race full-time on one of NASCAR’s three national series in the United States. After a successful racing career in the Maritimes, Butcher 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. Early in 2026, he announced he’d be driving full-time for ThorSport Motorsports in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series, in a truck sponsored in part by Riverside International Speedway.
Pollard, 39, hails from Senoia, Georgia. The third-generation driver has over 100 late model victories in some of the biggest and most well-known asphalt super late model races in North America including the ASA Stars Tour at North Wilkesboro, All American 400, Clyde Hart Memorial, Money in the Bank, Oxford 250, Rattler 250 (three times), Slinger Nationals, and Speedfest (four times). He is the only winner of the short-lived Canadian Short Track Nationals in 2018 and 2019. He’s won 14 series championships since 2009 in six series (Miller Lite, Gulf Coast, Southern Super Series, World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, Blizzard Series, and Spears SR National SL Series). In 2024, Pollard made two starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, one driving for NASCAR superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr.; the race was at Richmond Raceway in Virginia – Pollard finished an impressive sixth.
Pollard will be a teammate to Antigonish’s Donald Chisholm, with both cars fielded by Nova Racing. He follows a long list of renowned celebrity drivers in the Cat Car for Kids since its debut in 2008, including NASCAR greats like Mark Martin, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kenny Wallace, and more. Only two celebrity drivers in 16 tries have bested regional talent; Regan Smith won the IWK 250 in 2008, and Wallace won it in 2018.
The IWK 250 Super Weekend kicks off Wednesday, July 15, with the $5k-to-win Dash 4 Cash Pro Stock 75 and the Piccott Care Legends Tour. On Thursday, July 16, it’s the IWK 250 Tailgate Party Presented by Coldstream Clear. Friday, July 17, will see the NAPA/Henry’s Auto Parts 100 for the Dulux Paints MASS Sportsman Series and the Superior Foundations Legends Challenge for the Piccott Care Legends Tour. Saturday, July 18, will see the 18th running of the $20k-to-win IWK 250 presented by Steve Lewis Classic Cars – the 37th “250” at Riverside. With the addition of the Dash 4 Cash, more than $190,000 is being offered in prize monies and awards for the IWK 250 Super Weekend – making it one of the richest stock car racing events in Canada and, indeed, on the North American Eastern seaboard.
Tickets are available as single-day tickets or in 2-Day or 3-Day Bundles. The 2-Day bundle includes Friday and Saturday, and the 3-Day Bundle includes Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. Those purchasing a Bundle can add Tailgate Party tickets to their cart for just $10 each (regular $25). Ticket pricing, order links, and much more are available on the IWK 250 at www.iwk250.ca. As part of its commitment to affordable family entertainment, kids 15 & under get FREE grandstand admission all year long.
Fans should stay tuned to Riverside’s website (www.riversidespeedway.ca), social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram), and sign up for the electronic newsletter (www.riversidespeedway.ca/media/newsletter) for further announcements regarding the 2026 season at Riverside.
About Riverside International Speedway:
For 57 years, 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).
