Butler Legacy Continues with 2024 Tour Commitment
Butler Legacy Continues with 2024 Tour Commitment
Veteran sprint car racer, Shane Butler, has announced plans to run the full 500 Sprint Car Tour schedule in 2024. Butler, a native of Bushnell, Florida, recently made the move to Indiana to focus on both his racing career and the beginning of his son’s racing career. After competing in only one event in 2023, Butler is poised to return to the track full time in 2024.
Team meeting before practice at Anderson Speedway in 2022 - Dave Sink Photo
“I’m super excited to be able to run the full 500 Sprint Car Tour schedule in 2024,” Butler proclaimed. “After moving up here to more, unfortunately we were only able to make one race last year. I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in ‘24.”
Since the inception of the 500 Sprint Car Tour in 2021, Butler has competed on the tour on four separate occasions. With three events in 2022 and one event in 2023, Butler began to test the 500 Sprint Car Tour before diving completely in. With the start of the 2024 season on the horizon, Butler is ready to strap in and compete for wins week in and week out.
Fans will recognize the Butler name as one that has been around the racing scene for over 45 years. Butler’s father, Stan, was an accomplished racer who competed in 26 Little 500’s and completed nearly 7,300 laps. Stan Butler currently ranks third in most Little 500 starts behind Jeff Bloom, Brian Tyler, and Eric Gordon. Shane Butler, to his own accord, has competed in 12 Little 500’s, seven of which as a driver/owner. Butler was also a crew member on the Michael Dutcher USAC Sprint Car Entry during the 2023 while taking a brief break from racing himself.
Stan, Shane, and Landon Butler in the pits prior to the 2023 Little 500.
“I don’t think people understand how much the Little 500 means to our family,” said Shane Butler. “For me, as a kid growing up, that’s what I looked forward to every May. I can’t wait for Landon to one day start the Little 500 and continue to carry the Butler name at Anderson Speedway.”
The third generation of Butler’s has arrived as Shane Butler’s son, Landon, competed in his first dirt race in late October at Kokomo Speedway. The 15 year old racer has his eyes set on competing in a non wing pavement sprint car once he reaches the required age of 16. Landon has spent the majority of his youth alongside his Father and Grandfather working on race cars and seeing the ins and outs of a racing season. Now, with a chance to apply all that he has learned, Landon is poised to make a racing career of his own.
“We are all very excited for Landon to start his racing career. He will be running a wing 305 on dirt mainly, and maybe even try to find him a Kenyon Midget to run once or twice this summer.”
Landon Butler at Kokomo Speedway in October
The 2024 500 Sprint Car Tour season will see nine points earning events across a ten race schedule from early April to mid October. The 76th Annual Little 500 will once again be a non-points earning event for the series, filling out the ten race schedule in its traditional Memorial Day Weekend slot. For more information on the 500 Sprint Car Tour visit: 500sprintcartour.com and be sure to follow on social media (Facebook: 500 Sprint Car Tour | Twitter (X): @500SprintTour | Instagram: @500sprintcartour).
2024 500 Sprint Car Tour Schedule:
April 6 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 24th Running of the Glen Niebel Classic
May 22-25 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 76th Annual Little 500
June 8 - Berlin Raceway | Marne, Michigan
June 28 - Toledo Speedway | Toledo, Ohio
July 13 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 3rd Annual Gene Nolen Classic
August 23 - Kalamazoo Speedway | Kalamazoo, Michigan
August 24 - Berlin Raceway | Marne, Michigan
September 7 - Salem Speedway | Salem, Indiana | 65th Running of the Joe James/Pat O’Connor Memorial
October 5 - Anderson Speedway | Anderson, Indiana | 9th Annual Tony Elliott Classic
October 19 - Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park | Brownsburg, Indiana | Championship Saturday
