Zachary Butcher gets call-up to Ultimate Driver Challenge

By Adam Hamilton 

Kiwi gun Zachary Butcher has some seriously big shoes to fill.

Butcher answered a late call-up to replace Swedish driving maestro Bjorn Goop in the innovative and exciting Ultimate Driver Challenge at Albion Park across 20 races and two nights on February 20 and 21.

Goop, who was a key part of the inaugural series last year, wanted to return but some feature race commitments back home with his huge stable ruled him out.

Butcher was trackside as a spectator for last year’s hugely successful Ultimate Driver Challenge won by local young gun, Angus Garrard.

“I heard that Bjorn wasn’t going to make it so I contacted Brittany Graham (from Trackside) and through her family connection with Scott Whitton (Tumby Park), she was able to discuss things with him,” Butcher told Racing Queensland.

“After being on track last year as a supporter for the brother-in-law (Carter Dalgety), I wanted to be involved on the other side of the fence and told Scott I was keen to jump at the opportunity.”

Whitton, a huge supporter of the Ultimate Driver Challenge and harness racing general, jumped at the chance to secure Butcher.

It maintains the international flavour with Butcher joining Canadian champion James MacDonald as the “raiders” in the series.

MacDonald will return Down Under just months after winning the World Driving Championship in New Zealand last November.

Despite having won six Group 1 races in Australia, this will be the first time Butcher has driven at Albion Park.

“I’ve always wanted to drive there, but it hasn’t worked out. Looking at the track last year when I was there, it looks similar to Cambridge and races left-handed as well,” he said.

The other drivers in this year’s Ultimate Driver are : Gary Hall Jr, Luke McCarthy, Pete McMullen, Robbie Morris, Cam Hart, James Herbertson and Trista Dixon.

Angus Garrard also returns to defend his crown.