Ryan Moore won the Pro All Stars Series St. Patrick’s Day 150 on Saturday at Hickory Motor Speedway while Cole Butcher and Mike Hopkins controversially did not.
Moore inherited the lead with two laps to go under these dubious circumstances.
Butcher, who swept PASS’ season-opening Hickory doubleheader last year in dominating fashion, was putting on a similar show when Hopkins began to carve away the Canadian’s lead. With three to go, Hopkins caught Butcher, setting up a pass and taking the top spot with two to go.
The defending Oxford 250 winner fired back two turns later, spinning Hopkins and collecting third-place Garrett Hall in the aftermath. Hopkins, his car destroyed, drove backwards down the backstretch, taking a swipe at Butcher to show his displeasure.
As Hopkins returned to the infield, officials sent Butcher to the rear of the field, handing the lead to Moore with two laps to go.
Moore held off Gabe Brown on the two-lap dash to the checkered flag, taking his first PASS victory in nearly two years. The Scarborough, Me. native, who now calls North Carolina home, beat Butcher to win the first leg of the 2022 Easter Bunny 150 doubleheader.
Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. was third at the line, with multi-time PASS winner Trevor Sanborn and five-time PASS North titlist D.J. Shaw rounding out the top five.
Butcher could only race his way back to tenth at the finish.
Reigning PASS North and National champion Max Cookson finished outside the top ten in a PASS-sanctioned race for the first time since 2022, forced to the pits for a rare mechanical failure. Derek Griffith, who swept the 2021 Easter Bunny 150 weekend, was also sidelined with mechanical problems.
PASS St Patrick’s Day 150
Hickory Motor Speedway
March 16 2024
Ryan Moore
Gabe Brown
Jimmy Renfrew
Trevor Sanborn
D.J. Shaw
Cory Casagrande
Jeremy Sorel
Nicholas Naugle
Cory Hall
Cole Butcher
Garrett Hall
Austin Teras
Bryan Kruczek
Brandon Barker
Joey Doiron
Dennis Spencer, Jr.
Josh King
Mike Hopkins
J.P. Josiasse
Max Cookson
Aiden King
Ben Rowe
Travis Stearns
Derek Griffith
Rusty Poland
Colby Benjamin
