It would seem strange that a lack of parts would be an issue for a standout Stock racer like Randi Lyn Butner in 2022.

However, that’s what the racing world has become at times since the COVID-19 virus impacted the world in March of 2020.

Having her 1967 Pontiac Firebird sit idle for most of the 2022 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series season was tough for Butner since she won the ultra-tough Division 3 championship title in 2021.

Waiting for parts in 2022 helped Butner keep perspective about what she accomplished in 2022.  

"I feel like once we got my engine back and everything was good, I drove better than I ever have," Butner said. "I like that going into this next season. The bracket racing we did when Bo (Butner, her husband) took some time off from Pro Stock definitely improved my Stock Eliminator driving, and I plan to do more of that to stay sharp."  

Last season, Butner entered nine national events and five division races, reaching the semifinals twice and claiming a final-round finish at the NHRA FallNationals at Texas Motorplex in Dallas.  

Her performance at the FallNationals was most impressive as she had to get past two heads-up D/SA matches to earn a bye run into the final. After utilizing steady, respectable reaction times in the first two rounds, she launched on an .018-second light next to Jeff Cheney in her first heads-up match of the weekend. Cheney was .005 at the tree and clocked a 10.823-second pass that could not defeat Butner's quicker 10.774.  

The quarterfinals set up a heads-up meeting with veteran racer Brad Plourd, and the two weren't far apart as they left the starting line – but at the final stripe it was Butner with the win on a 10.546 to her opponent's 10.604.
 

From there, she took the solo in the semis ahead of a late-night final round rendezvous with John Brimer, who was gunning for his sixth national event win. Butner pocketed a small starting line advantage but took a bit too much stripe, 10.701 on her 10.74 dial, allowing Brimer to secure the victory.
 
"That runner-up was the highlight of the year for me," Butner said. "Obviously, I would like to have won, but it was a good race. I had a couple rounds at night and did very well – over the years, I've tried to get better about not using the blinder as a crutch, and at night, you can't really do that. It tests how good you really are when you race at night, so I was very happy with that."

Butner has had plenty of driving options for 2023 like driving a stick shift in Stock Eliminator, racing a Comp car and being behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car.

Yet, she is most comfortable in her Pontiac, and she can't wait to get the new season started.
 
"One of the things I like about Stock is that it's very enjoyable to race," Butner said. "For me, racing isn't all about the speed – I like the competition and the camaraderie, I like the old cars and the environment that comes with it.
 
"I had some good end-of-season races in 2022, and I can't be upset about any of it. I didn't get to race for three or four months, so I'm pleased with the outcome. I look forward to starting with two fresh engines and two fresh transmissions, and we'll be able to hit it hard right at the get-go. We'll see where it takes me."

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