RIVERSIDE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY: Jarrett Butcher is heating up at exactly the right time.
The Enfield driver and the No. 54 Superior Foundations entry scored his second consecutive Fort Garry Industries Pro Stock Tour victory Saturday night, taking the checkered flag in the FGI 150 at Riverside International Speedway.
Butcher survived a hard-fought battle with Nicholas Naugle over the closing laps to claim the win, with Enfield’s Gage Gilby bringing his No. 25G CKG Elevator car home in third.
Rookie Owen Mahar finished fourth, while fellow rookie and Fall River driver Ayden Christensen completed the top five.
For Butcher, the victory came after a race that wasn’t necessarily smooth from start to finish.
“I didn’t know if we had the best car,” Butcher said in victory lane. “We struggled with mid-race… but then we were able to get air and it really fired off really well.”
That late-race speed proved to be the difference.
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Butcher and Naugle raced hard for the lead, with Butcher acknowledging that Naugle’s car was particularly strong getting off the corners.
“He just moved it off the corner way better than I could any day,” Butcher said.
Eventually, Butcher made the move he needed.
“I just had to get into his left rear a little bit,” he said, describing it as hard racing while also crediting the Naugle team for the battle.
The victory was Butcher’s second straight on the Pro Stock Tour, an impressive stretch heading into the final race of the season.
“Two for two was pretty awesome,” Butcher said.
The FGI 150 featured five lead changes and four cautions, with Antigonish’s Donald Chisholm turning in a strong performance before his race ended after 107 laps. Chisholm led the most laps and collected both the Eastlink Fastest Lap Award and R&D Performancenter Most Laps Led Award.
Gilby, meanwhile, was pleased to finally put together a strong Riverside finish after struggling at the track in the past.
“Just happy to finally bring home a good car here,” Gilby said. “We struggled with that.”
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Gilby said the race was a tale of two halves for his team, as the car came alive late.
“I struggled the first half and I thought it was just going to be the same old story,” he said, before crediting his crew for getting the car working toward the end.
The third-place finisher admitted he was saving his equipment for a late charge and was hoping the leaders might make contact, opening the door for him.
“It didn’t end up working out that way,” Gilby said, but he was still thrilled with the podium finish.
With Riverside now complete, only one race remains on the 2026 Fort Garry Industries Pro Stock Tour schedule.
And Gilby is heading to a track he knows well.
“We’re going to a place that I love,” Gilby said. “That’s my home track and a place that I’ve been good at this year.”
NASCAR Truck series driver Cole Butcher finished in eighth place in the no. 88 hot rod out of the NOVA Racing stable.
The Mr. Lube + Tires 200 goes Saturday, Sept. 26 at Scotia Speedworld, where the 2026 Pro Stock Tour champion will be crowned.
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FGI 150 — Riverside International Speedway
Unofficial finishing order
- Jarrett Butcher, No. 54 — 150 laps
- Nicholas Naugle, No. 08 — 150
- Gage Gilby, No. 25G — 150
- Owen Mahar, No. 66 — 150
- Ayden Christensen, No. 24 — 150
- Ashton Tucker, No. 2 — 150
- Jordan Veinotte, No. 11V — 150
- Cole Butcher, No. 88 — 150
- Austin MacDonald, No. 13 — 150
- Russell Smith Jr., No. 25 — 150
- Donald Chisholm, No. 89 — 107
- Kelsey Hann, No. 07 — 106
- Brad Eddy, No. 7 — 82
- Colton Noble, No. 0 — 82
- Stephen Lively, No. 30 — 40
- Gary Elliott, No. 36 — 8
Christensen and Chisholm won the Atlantic Tiltload heat races. Lively earned the QA1 Free Pass Award, Veinotte took the Swift Springs Hard Charger Award, Russell Smith Jr. received the Five Star Hard Luck Award, and Mahar was named Lucas Oil Rookie of the Race.
For the local contingent, Christensen’s fifth-place finish was especially notable as he continued his strong rookie season, while Noble finished 14th and Lively 15th.
Christensen also started the night by winning his heat race, while Lively was awarded the QA1 Free Pass.
