NICK HAMILTON PREPARES TO RUMBLE IN FORT WAYNE
By Zach Tasker
As the annual Rumble in Fort Wayne indoor midget auto races get closer Danville, Indiana native Nick Hamilton is ready to get back behind the wheel of a midget after a successful 2014 racing season. The younger brother of national midget hot shoe Kyle Hamilton is hoping to capitalize on winning the 2014 Short Track Auto Racing Series (STARS) national midget rookie of the year. “I have many things to be thankful for from this season and the team and I are both happy with the steps we have taken. I do think that I have stepped up my game as a driver this season, and I think I can put together a good 2015 season as well. “

It was the first full season of racing with national midgets for Hamilton after running select sportsman races. He started it off with a bang finishing in 4th position in his first ever visit to Lucas Oil Raceway for the prestigious running of the “Night before the 500.” He followed that up with consistent and strong runs at the Grundy County Speedway in Morris, Illinois with STARS highlighted by a career-best 2nd place feature finish at the Bob Tattersall Challenge on July 26.

While the younger Hamilton was a rookie to national midgets this season, he is certainly no stranger to the Rumble “I look forward to the rumble every year for many reasons. I love the sounds of the engines after a long break from racing. I also enjoy the close racing at the Fort Wayne coliseum. Our luck at the rumble has been inexistent for the past few years, and we have struggled with many engine failures and mechanical failures. This year I feel like I can put together a great weekend with my team, car, and engine. I've made it into the feature two times before in a Kenyon midget. So even though my Ford Focus engine might not have the same horsepower as a full midget I think I have proven myself to drive better in the under horse powered car. “

The driver of the Curtis Motor Sales/Danville Community High School Beast/Focus owned by Gregg Steele had a tough go at the rumble last season when he was involved in a bizarre incident at the start of a heat race which caused his car to flip over making contact with the flag stand. However, he is determined to have a stronger performance this season. “I think the second I crawled out of the car last year I was over the crash and my mind was set on getting my car better. I knew the dangers of Fort Wayne when I stepped in the car, so I think my mind is set on putting down a great weekend this year. “

The 17th annual Rumble in Fort Wayne will be held at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana on December 26-28 with three full shows of midget racing. Tickets are now on sale, for more information visit rumbleseries.com


Photo credit: Phil Rider