“The Conductor” Is Perfectly Tuned…Butler Wins Pagoda Race and SpeedSTR World Championship

Tim Buckwalter Claims Pagoda Speedway Point Title

Birdsboro, PA (October 18)— Bobby Butler and Briggs Danner authored a masterful performance in Sunday’s World 75, a 75 lap A-main that was the highlight of SpeedSTR World Championship Weekend at The Speedway at Pagoda Motorcycle Club near Birdsboro, PA.

Butler, known as “the Conductor”, had a nearly perfect weekend as he won three of the four A-mains in which he was entered, including Sunday’s big one. Going into that final feature, he trailed Tim Buckwalter by just one point in the chase for this year’s SpeedSTR World title. His win, coupled with Buckwalter’s third place finish, was enough to secure the Milford, NJ driver’s second consecutive World Championship.

Buckwalter did secure the Speedway at Pagoda track title for the River Valley Builders SpeedSTRs.

Other winners on Sunday included EJ Hatch (All Star Slingshots); Khloe Dennis (Junior Slingshots); Chase Frey (PA Micro Midgets 500cc); and Addison Noble (PA Micro Midgets 300cc). Additionally, Speedway at Pagoda point championships fell to Brett Putnam (All Star Slingshots) and Aubrey Romig (Junior Slingshots).

Butler darted from the pole position to lead the majority of the World 75 for the SpeedSTRs. Tim Buckwalter, Scott Houdeshell, and Briggs Danner chased him for most of the event, with Tanner VanDoren, Steve Drevicki, and Earl Paules joining the scuffle for positions two through seven.

Danner took control of the runner-up spot prior to the race reaching its one-third mark. He narrowed Butler’s advantage as the leader navigated in and out of heavy lapped traffic after he caught the back of the field.

With one mandatory pit stop that had to be taken between laps 21 and 75 a part of the race rules, a yellow flag on the 26th circuit provided the incentive for almost the entire field to exit the race track and head to their respective crews.

Cale Zangli was the lone car (on the lead lap) to remain on the track, so Butler lined up next to him for the restart. “The Conductor” made quick work of passing Zangli and going back to the head of the class, with Danner zipping back into the runner-up spot a few tours later.

“I just tried to keep up my pace and run a consistent line,” said Butler afterward. “I had to learn how to get through turn two without constantly bouncing my right rear off the wall. I thought I was good, but I knew Danner was gonna be tough and Tim is always tough here so I did not take anything for granted.”

A caution period with 11 to go gave Danner the opportunity to pounce on the leader. Danner executed a slide job in turns one and two on the restart, clearing the No. 04 when Butler again tapped the wall in the second corner.

Butler battled back but could not overtake the high flying No. 78, even with a restart opportunity on lap 67. Another yellow and ensuing restart played a different tune for “the Conductor”, though, and Butler utilized a slider of his own to reclaim the top spot with six to go.

One final caution with a trio of circuits remaining did not alter the outcome. Butler gassed his Short Load Concrete No. 04 to his fifth victory of the season at Pagoda, with Danner and Buckwalter completing the podium. VanDoren and Earl Paules finished fourth and fifth.

Butler also picked up the Chris Spotts Welding & Repair Fast Time Award, ripping off a lap at 11.932 seconds during Timed Warm Ups.

Cale Zangli was the Chris Spotts Welding & Repair Hard Charger in the World 75, climbing eight spots (18th to 10th) during the race.

Jason Musser, the winner of the 75 lapper in 2025, finished 15th and earned an extra $100 posted by the Pagoda Motorcycle Club in honor of racer Dustin Morris, who is currently battling severe health issues.

EJ Hatch, from East Nassau, NY, started tenth in the All Star Slingshot 20 lap feature and wasted no time in marching to the front of the field.

Hatch, who entered Sunday’s final “track points” event trailing Brett Putnam by 30 tallies, ducked under race leader Amanda Angstadt in turns three and four, then throttled into the lead as lap nine was scored.

Hatch went on to win his fourth race of the season at Pagoda, with Angstadt notching her best finish of the year by placing second. Putnam finished third to clinch the Speedway at Pagoda point title. Dave Carraghan and Brayden Ketchum completed the top five.

Preston, Maryland’s Khloe Dennis took the green from the inside of row two in the Junior Slingshot A-main. She bolted into the lead early in the 15 lapper, then held off a determined bid by Kenna Evans to register her second triumph of the campaign at the Speedway at Pagoda.

Kylin Evans, Kenna’s sister, finished third while 20th starting Mason Noll sliced his way to fourth. Brayden Stratton rounded out the top five finishers.

Chase Frey, from Airville, PA, battled Asher Paxton for the top spot in the 500cc feature for the PA Micro Midgets. Frey prevailed in that scrum and led the rest of the way in the 20 lap race, holding off July winner Mason Noble to score the victory.

Paxton wound up third, with Ryan Rost crossing the line in fourth and Todd Walls earning fifth place pay.

Addison Noble started on the pole of the 300cc main for the PA Micro Midgets and recorded a wire to wire romp for the win. Noble, who hails from Seven Valleys, PA, outran Maddie Myers, Hank Lloyd, Camden Spangler, and Ashlyn Moody in her winning effort.

This weekend, October 23 through the 25th, is Slingshot World Championship Weekend for both the All Star and Junior Slingers. There will be two complete programs per day (and night) for both divisions. The six-race gauntlet of intense competition will determine who wears the 2026 World Championship crown for the All Stars and Juniors.

Times and schedules for each day’s events will be posted on the Speedway at Pagoda MC’s Facebook page, the Slingshots by Tobias FB page, and other social media platforms.

RESULTS:
River Valley Builders SpeedSTRs World 75: 1. 04-Bobby Butler[1]; 2. 78-Briggs Danner[3]; 3. 52-Tim Buckwalter[4]; 4. 1R-Tanner Van Doren[6]; 5. 8-Earl Paules[5]; 6. 5S-Scott Houdeshell[2]; 7. C6-Jasper Zeigafuse[12]; 8. 1-Matt Janisch[8]; 9. 28-Brad Arnold[9]; 10. 7-Cale Zangli[18]; 11. 21R-John Repsik[19]; 12. 04M-Jordan Cox[14]; 13. P-Steven Drevicki[7]; 14. 9H-Chase Hartline[15]; 15. 52M-Jason Musser[11]; 16. 52H-James Hill[10]; 17. 15-Glenn Reinhart[17]; 18. 25X-Dan Lane Jr[13]; 19. C7-Kenny Miller III[20]; 20. 27-Jase Smith[16].

All Star Slingshots A-main, 20 laps: 1. 50-EJ Hatch[10]; 2. 55A-Amanda Angstadt[1]; 3. 15B-Brett Putnam[7]; 4. 3-David Carraghan[11]; 5. 15K-Brayden Ketchum[8]; 6. 12-Brian Smith[6]; 7. 32-Brett Bieber[9]; 8. 55B-Barry Seaman[5]; 9. 42H-Dylan Hahn[12]; 10. 8DS-Darren Shenk[2]; 11. 57-Tighe Smolenyak[19]; 12. USA1-Mason Lineman[17]; 13. X-Terry Noll[4]; 14. 12SR-Dan Lane Jr[13]; 15. 11-Colton Lineman[24]; 16. 18-Mackenzie Henn[21]; 17. 6-Patrick Weiss[15]; 18. 04-Devin Knispel[18]; 19. 14P-Pete Knappenberger[16]; 20. 17-Jared Hale[23]; 21. 27-Blake Banek[14]; 22. 25X-Bryan Sharp[25]; 23. 21H-Hunter Handelong[27]; 24. 12JR-Haley Thunberg[3]; 25. 22J-Joshua Ohlinger[22]; 26. 86H-Hailey Burnatowski[20]; 27. 2K-Colby Knappenberger[26].

Junior Slingshots A-main, 15 laps: 1. 79-Khloe Dennis[3]; 2. 10K-Kenna Evans[7]; 3. 14K-Kylin Evans[8]; 4. 43-Mason Noll[20]; 5. 18B-Brayden Stratton[4]; 6. 48W-Luke Whitby[12]; 7. 113-Carson Shirmer[14]; 8. 24-Austin Whitby[18]; 9. 9W-Angel Whitby[17]; 10. 5A-Anna Strachko[13]; 11. 5M-MJ Tralies[1]; 12. 48-James Labar[16]; 13. 94S-Emma Sneddon[19]; 14. 10S-Aubrey Romig[5]; 15. 942-Braden Sier[2]; 16. 15-Billy Pauch III[9]; 17. 16B-Brody Jennings[11]; 18. 72-Landon McNichol[10]; 19. 00-Anthony Dinatale[6]; 20. 28-Carter Mullins[15].

PA Micro Midgets 500cc A-main, 20 laps: 1. 9F-Chase Frey[2]; 2. 48N-Mason Noble[5]; 3. 21K-Asher Paxton[1]; 4. 16-Ryan Rost[12]; 5. 33-Todd Walls[8]; 6. 9W-Maddox Wire[15]; 7. 21-Daniel Feltch[3]; 8. 55-Ryan Wells[9]; 9. 1XJR-Josh Forry[6]; 10. 927-George Reed[10]; 11. 4L-Lily Barrett[17]; 12. 71B-Byron Urey[16]; 13. 17G-Landon Godfrey[24]; 14. 3K-Katelyn Johnson[20]; 15. 21M-JD Myers[13]; 16. 10G-Bobby Geiman[18]; 17. 41N-Paul Craley[21]; 18. 12-Wesley Walls[19]; 19. 22-Keenan Wade[14]; 20. 30-Jeremy Sperlein[23]; 21. 19C-Jim Rost Jr[22]; 22. 7-Matt Kiefert[7]; 23. 27C-Justin Care[4]; 24. 17-Chris Lennox[11]; 25. (DNS) 16SR-Jim Rost Sr.

PA Micro Midgets 300cc A-main, 15 laps: 1. 12N-Addison Noble[1]; 2. 73-Maddie Myers[2]; 3. 911-Hank Lloyd[4]; 4. 5-Camden Spangler[3]; 5. 9M-Ashlyn Moody[5].

[Photo by Mike Knappenberger]