BO
BUTNER
BO BUTNER
was standing in line, preparing
to board a plane – a drill he
repeats hundreds of times each year, both as a racer and as the owner
of Jim Butner Auto Group – when he was recognized by two fans. What
happened next is something that has become commonplace for Butner
since his rise in Pro Stock culminated in a 2017 world championship.
“They were standing in front of (Butner’s fiancé)
Randi Lyn (Shipp) and myself and he said, ‘You’re
Bo Butner, right?’ I said, ‘yeah,’ and he asked for
a picture, and that was pretty neat,” Butner says.
“Another time, I was walking through another
airport and a woman said, ‘Hey, you’re Bo But-
ner,’” but the Floyds Knobs, Indiana, native had
to pause momentarily before realizing she was a
fan and that, yes, he indeed was Bo Butner.
It’s a rise to stardom the man referred to as
“The People’s Champ” never expected when he
made his Pro Stock debut in 2015. Racing was
his outlet, a way to have fun with friends and his
fiancé. Not once did he think that would turn into
being recognized at airports, car auctions and
everywhere else Butner’s life takes him.
“I never would’ve imagined this in a million
years,” Butner says. “We kind of do this deal to
get away from our car dealerships at home, and
just to enjoy it. Plus, we’re very competitive, but
to get to a point where we’re actually recognized,
I never thought that would happen.”
Butner’s story is a fascinating one, starting with
the fact he never went down a dragstrip until he
was 21 years old. He climbed the sportsman ranks
before jumping into Pro Stock, formed strong
friendships with the likes of the late Bob Glidden
and just recently acquired Nitro Fish, one of the
more iconic brands in the sport.
Butner has also battled his demons and has
now been sober for 11 years, an aspect of his story
that has made him the person and racer he is to-
day. As much as he may be “The People’s Champ,”
Butner’s willingness to help racers, genuinely
listen to fans and cater to almost everyone he
comes across almost makes him the Robin Hood
of the sport as well.
At heart, he remains a sportsman racer, a major
reason for the groundswell of support he received
through his championship run. By carrying the
flag for the sportsman crowd, Butner became a
sensation for the hardcore racer and that fanbase,
receiving texts and phone calls from every major
sportsman racer along the way.
It has been a wild ride, one Butner shared with
84 | D r a g
I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Drag Illustrated in an interview that touched
on a variety of topics, including suddenly becom-
ing a prominent face in the sport, his unique
approach to running his business, the foray into
no-prep racing, his relationship with KB Rac-
ing teammates Jason Line and Greg Anderson,
and how his story of becoming sober can be an
inspiration to others.
The nickname “The People’s Champ” really
seems to fit with how this has all played out for
you. Where did that originate and how cool
has it been to receive such heartfelt support
from fans?
If I had to guess, it’s probably something from
Brian Lohnes. He knows just about everything
on anybody. For somebody to come in and that
wasn’t supposed to win and they come from a
straight sportsman background, I think that’s
where all the support came from. We get a kick
out of it. It’s a funny deal and I can’t thank the
people that support us enough. I’ve met a lot of
great people through this.
Since we’re traveling up the East Coast (for the
NHRA race in Virginia), I haven’t been able to
see a lot of the people there since we won. I’ve
gotten a lot of message and calls and texts, and
some of the racers I don’t even particularly know,
which kind of makes it even bigger yet because
they’re watching, too. It’s a win-win for us, and I
think it was really good for the sport.
It’s proof that dreams still come true. You can
start out in a Super Street car, maybe get lucky
enough to get licensed and show up and do well.
There’s room out there for those people still.
You’re a sportsman racer through and
through, and that was certainly a big part
of the story of winning the Pro Stock world
title. How satisfying was that aspect of your
Issue 134