Halmar Friesen Racing announced that Cole Butcher will return to the organization’s No. 62 Toyota Tundra for his second career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start in the season finale at Phoenix Raceway on October 31.
HFR announced Butcher’s return on Monday afternoon.
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HFR announced today that Canadian short-track standout @colebutcher1 will make his second @NASCAR_Trucks appearance, driving the No. 62 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro in the Championship 150 at @phoenixraceway Friday, Oct. 31.
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— Stewart Friesen (@StewartFriesen) October 13, 2025
The 29-year-old Canadian short track star, who will carry primary sponsorship at Phoenix from Atlantic Tiltload, made his series debut in the Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway in September. The native of Porter’s Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada, started that race from the 21st position and ended the night with a 23rd-place finish behind the wheel of the No. 62 Toyota.
Butcher says he feels he was able to learn quite a bit from his first start in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition, a race that he completed 248 of 250 laps.
“I learned a lot in my first NASCAR Truck Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway with HFR,” Butcher said in a press release. “Adjusting from the sim to real life was a big step. The truck feels much narrower than what I’m used to, and running the radial tire is a completely different experience compared to the bias-ply. Every lap was an opportunity to learn and improve, and I’m looking forward to gaining more experience and track time in the series when we head to Phoenix.”
Stewart Friesen, the co-owner of Halmar Friesen Racing and a four-time race-winning driver who is sidelined by injury, also feels Butcher showed a lot of growth from the opening of the race weekend at Bristol to the end of the 250-lap event.
“Cole showed a lot of grit in his debut with us at Bristol in the 62. We’re very proud to partner with Atlantic Tiltload Ltd. and have him back in the seat for the most exciting race of the year,” said Friesen.
Butcher has amassed eight victories in the ASA STARS National Tour over the last three seasons, and has also taken crown jewel Late Model wins in the Oxford 250 (twice), Red Bud 400 (twice), and the Winchester 400.
