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Fifth-place finish in DIRTcar Nationals finale at Volusia

Kyle Hammer returned to the driver’s seat of the Douglas Dodge No. 45 Late Model on Monday afternoon at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, Fla.) as the 51st annual DIRTcar Nationals got underway. In a field of 47 cars, Kyle timed in fifth-fastest in his group but slipped back to a ninth-place finish in his heat. Needing to place second or better in his B-Main, Hammer logged a 13th-place outing. (Josh James Artwork)

For another $7,000-to-win A-Main on Tuesday, Hammer missed a transfer spot by two positions in his heat, transferring him into the B-Main. Locking in the Top 2, Kyle fell short with a fifth-place finish.

In a field of 58 cars on Wednesday as the remainder of the week became World of Outlaws Case Construction Late Model Series sanctioned, Kyle was forced to take a provisional into the show after failing to score a transfer spot in his heat and B-Main. With $10,000 on the line, Hammer was an early exit on lap 20.

Later that evening for Sunshine Nationals make-up feature from January 22nd, Hammer improved 13 spots in the 40-lapper to reel in 15th-place finish.

On Thursday, Hammer followed up the second-fastest time in his qualifying group with a heat race triumph. Receiving the second-starting position for the $10,000-to-win A-Main via the redraw, Kyle paced the field for the opening 17 circuits but got cut off by another competitor on lap 19, sidelining him for the remainder of the evening.

Relying on a provisional into Friday’s feature after falling short of a transfer position in his heat race and B-Main, Kyle passed nine cars to finish 20th.

To wrap up the 51st annual DIRTcar Nationals on Saturday, Hammer followed up the fourth-fastest time in his group with a runner-up finish in his heat. Starting the $10,000-to-win finale in seventh, Kyle clawed forward two spots in the 40-lap affair to register a fifth-place finish. He trailed Chris Madden, Mike Marlar, Dale McDowell, and Max Blair to the checkers.

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