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Class-Act Buttrick Paying Forward His Plethora of Sportsman Victories to Lucky Young Fans

By Chuck Corder

Add another certainty in life: Death, taxes and Steve Buttrick out in clean air at Five Flags Speedway.

Even when he’s not taking another of his plethora of checkered flags — a rare occurrence, indeed — or setting track records, you can be sure the 51-year-old Cantonment driver is in contention.

Buttrick has been on quite the tear since making the leap from dirt tracks to the famed half-mile asphalt oval four years ago.

His number of feature wins in that span is approaching 30, at Pensacola’s high banks alone. He boasts a track championship for the season points crown. Most notably, though, Buttrick has hoisted the last three Sportsman Snowball Derby titles.

Needless to say real estate for any new hardware on his mantle was leased out months ago.

It’s just one of the reasons why if Buttrick wins again this Friday night, chances are you’ll see the gray-haired veteran with the bushy mustache deliver that trophy to some unsuspecting, wide-eyed child.

“I’ve got enough trophies; I don’t need anymore,� Buttrick said. “Why not go put a smile on some kid’s face and get an extra fan out of it.�

The grandstands are sure to be packed with eager children and fans of all ages when the Buttrick and the Sportsmen return to America’s Favorite Home Track along with the Pro Late Models, Pro Trucks and Bombers.

The gates open at 5 p.m. Friday; pits open at 2 p.m. Admission to the grandstands is as follows: $10, adults; $8, seniors, military and students; $5, children 6-11; and free, under-6.

It’s a rare night when Buttrick gets left off the podium. But that’s exactly what happened a the last race April 26 when his blue No. 33 finished fourth. A late-feature collision he was involved with sent him to the back of the pack was the impetus.

“It didn’t give me enough time,� Buttrick said. “It happened awfully late. We went though two corners before the yellow (caution) light came on. It is what it is. That’s the call. I can’t change it now.�

Still, the disappointment was all Buttrick’s. Most drivers would give their front fender to post a top-five finish. But Buttrick’s standards are much higher than that.

He won the first three features of this season at Five Flags and enjoyed nearly a month-long unblemished stretch between Pensacola and Mobile that also included heat races.

“Everything went my way,� Buttrick said. “I’ve got a really fast car. (Officials) keep changing the rules — taking things away — and I just make the adjustments. I don’t even have to change the setup in the car between here and Mobile.�

His early-season success reminded him of a streak he had just three years ago when he closed out 2010 with eight consecutive wins.

All of Buttrick’s accomplishments and feats seem almost improbable for a driver who spent 9 years on dirt and never had a brush with pavement.

He took to it like a duck to water.

“I hadn’t a clue; no idea,� Buttrick said of the differences between dirt and asphalt. “I didn’t have anybody tell me how to drive. I adjusted the car to what I thought I needed. I’ve been on a roll since then.�

That’s another certainty, to be sure.

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