Dirt
Bo Knows No-Prep
Bo Butner tries his hand
at no-prep racing
By Josh Hachat
Camaro in Phoenix at
the NHRA’s preseason
testing, quickly de-
veloping a friendship
with Hruska. He men-
tioned the big Small
Tire Legends race
was close to where
Butner currently was
for business, so on
a whim, Butner and
his team picked up
the Duster and went
straight to the track.
Once they got to
Thunder Road Race-
way – after the harsh
greeting, of course
– there was work to be done. Led by Darrel Her-
ron, Butner’s crew chief in Pro Stock, the team
took off the big tires, put 10.5-inch tires on the
Duster, welded parts, removed the wheelie bar
and put it all back together, all in time to make
to make a pair of test hits on Thursday and Friday.
“I had no idea what to think,” Butner says. “It was
a whirlwind, but we went out and did well. That
felt pretty good.”
Of course, the highlight of the experience was
a pair of grudge matchups in the no-prep race,
including the must-see duel with Kelley. It was
close initially – with Butner quickly adjusting to
having a person flashing a flashlight to leave off
the starting line – but the Duster took over in
the back half, outdistancing Kelley for the win
in front of a huge, overflow crowd at Thunder
Road Raceway.
Butner’s phone got in a workout the rest of the
night, which told the former NHRA Lucas Oil
Comp world champion all he needed to know
about the significance of the win.
“He’s supposed to be the man and it was funny
how everybody packed in on the starting line for
that one,” Butner chuckles. “There was so much
betting going on, it was pretty crazy. We outran
him by a car length and we knew we were a player
then. That was a big win. I had a lot of people
texting me they had bets on that one, so that was
a pretty cool deal.”
The experience was certainly a memorable one
for Butner, from the huge crowd and what he
called an old-school setting. Of course, the back-
end power of the Duster had a distinct impression
on Butner as well. “When you drive something
with that much boost, there’s no feeling like it,”
Butner says. “I like the unpredictability of it.”
The no-prep experience continues an impres-
sive run for Butner, one that started with his Pro
Stock championship run a year ago, then winning
the NHRA opener in Pomona to start 2018 in
what he hopes is a strong title defense year.
Along the way, he plans to do more no-prep
races and possibly step into a NHRA Pro Mod
car as well in 2019. It’s a lot to juggle, but Butner
continues to have a blast, even as he is still getting
accustomed to his celebrity status.
“It’s still so different. I really feel like a normal
guy that just wants to race,” Butner offers. “I was
getting on a plane (last week) and I walked past a
lady and she said, ‘Hey, you’re Bo Butner.’ It took
a second for it to register, but it’s still great and
I’m just blessed. If it can make the sport grow,
that’s my goal. It was very cool to win Pomona
and the season started has great in Pro Stock.
This new stuff is a bonus, but all of this is fun.”
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hen Bo Butner pulled
into Thunder Road Race-
way in Gilliam, Louisiana,
for the National No Prep
Racing Association’s Small
Tire Legends event in late
March, there was a stern message waiting for
him. Considering the defending NHRA Pro Stock
world champion had his semi, bus and Nitro Fish
merchandise trailer in tow, it was a little peculiar,
but also a sign Butner, racing his first no-prep
event, was entering into a bit of a different world.
“As I pulled in the
gate, a guy at the
track said, ‘You know,
I really appreciate you
coming, but don’t get
your feelings hurt
because people don’t
know who you are
and you’re probably
not going to do well’”
Butner says.
It didn’t long for
egg to turn up on
that man’s face. But-
ner was recognized
almost instantly and
in great numbers,
and man deemed
“The People’s Cham-
pion” by a steadily-
growing fanbase had
an impressive first-
time showing driving
Harry Hruska’s ultra-
cool turbo Duster. He
pulled off a round win
in a race that paid $100,005 to winner Keith
Szabo, and also won a pair of grudge races that
night, most notably a thrilling duel against a
Street Outlaws star, Kye Kelley.
During an off weekend in NHRA Pro Stock,
the venture proved quite the thrill ride for Butner,
who enjoyed every aspect of the weekend on and
off the track.
“As soon as we pulled in a lot of fans recog-
nized us, which was pretty cool,” Butner admits.
“They’re hardcore racers and it was pretty impres-
sive. It’s a good group of people. After being in
the middle of it, they are fans of (NHRA racing)
and there’s more than a few of us that keep an eye
on them. It’s a neat world. I’m all about racing, I
don’t care what it is.”
The whirlwind of a weekend all transpired
in a matter of four days for Butner. He got his
Pro Mod license in Harry Hruska’s turbocharged