FORT WAYNE, Ind. — In June of 2021, Kyle Hamilton shocked the racing world with the announcement that after 20 years of racing he was stepping away from competitive racing.
That retirement will end December 30-31 when the Danville, Ind. native straps into his family’s midget to do battle in the 24th running of the Rumble in Fort Wayne presented by Jason Dietsch Trailer Sales.
“The reason I considered getting back behind the wheel and the reason for doing it at the Rumble go hand in hand,” explained Hamilton. “It came down to family time for me. One of the biggest regrets that I had when I stepped away from driving was not getting to drive for my dad in a family-owned car again. Him and I, along with my brother Nick, grew up racing together and kind of came up the ladder together.
“The Rumble is a race that our whole family has been racing in since we were kids, so it made sense to come back for this race.”
Preparing for the Rumble in Fort Wayne has centered around that family concept.
“While the past several months have been centered around preparing the car, it has also been about spending quality time with my dad and brother, as well as my two sons at the shop,” Hamilton said. “We have also had several of our old racing friends and family helping us build the car, which has been really fun. We have been reminiscing on old racing memories, as well as listening to some good music while we make the 32 car the best it can be. I truly feel like the car we are bringing this year is one of the best Midgets I’ll have driven. We are not taking it lightly.”
While Hamilton is excited to get racing again, he understands it may take a few passes to adjust to the car.
“I expect to be a little rusty when I get back in the car, but I honestly think I will pick back up quicker than I am expecting in my head,” Hamilton said. “I have thousands of laps in the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum over the years. Some of the more intrinsic racing tactics will be what is the most rusty for me, as opposed to going fast. When to make your moves, etc. is something I will be focusing on and studying leading up to the race. Physically I am in good shape, so I will be excited to see how quickly we can build speed.”
Hamilton has 25 midget appearances at the Rumble, with three top-five finishes, including a victory in 2016, along with eight top-10 runs.
“The Rumble in Fort Wayne is a marquee event in the winter that brings multiple disciplines of racing together, which is what makes it so fun,” Hamilton said. “I can’t wait to catch up with everyone and see if we can put the 32 car in victory lane, so that my wife thinks this whole thing is worthwhile.”
The Rumble in Fort Wayne will be broadcast on Pit Row TV.