Kyle Hamilton returns to Anderson Speedway with a renewed energy for 2019. He will be driving the same car for Khlatt Enterprises Inc. that he took to victory lane in the 2017 Little 500. The team will once again have Little 500 Hall of Famer Bob East turning the wrenches on the car as the crew chief.
“We are bringing back the same group of guys that have worked with me in the past,” said Kyle Hamilton. “It is nice knowing when I work with Bob (East) that we have consistency and we are able to get up to speed quickly.”
2017 was a banner year for the Danville, Indiana driver. He was able to win the 69th Annual Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW. Hamilton beat drivers like Kody Swanson, Bobby Santos III, and Tony Stewart. He put together a perfect race from start to finish.
Transitioning to 2018, Hamilton continued his partnership with Bob East and Terry Khlatt to drive their USAC Silver Crown car on pavement. From the start of the silver crown season at Phoenix Raceway, the team could not overcome mechanical misfortunes. After having a commanding lead, the car came to a stop on the back stretch. The next race for Hamilton was the 2018 Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW.
The team came in with high hopes looking to be repeat winners. During Tin Plate pole day qualifying the team broke a drive shaft. They quickly saw the repairs were something that they couldn’t do at the track and loaded up to return to the shop. They returned the next morning for bump day with hopes of bumping into the field. On the first of the four laps he turned a 11.476 second lap, quick enough to make the field with four consecutive laps. Entering turns one and two on the second lap he made contact with the turn two wall. Unfortunately, this ended the team’s quest at back to back wins.
In the past few years Hamilton has expanded into another form of racing. He purchased his own kart and has been racing Whiteland Raceway Park and New Castle Motorsports Park. He has had other drivers behind the wheel of the kart including Little 500 rookie Trey Osborne.
“I purchased this kart a few years ago,” mentioned Kyle Hamilton. “With not as much pavement racing going on in the Midwest, I wanted to stay ready for when I jump into a sprint car or silver crown car.”
The 2019 season has already seen a change in momentum for the Khlatt Enterprises team. Hamilton has two top 6 finishes in the USAC Silver Crown car.
To pre-order 71st Annual Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW tickets, visit the main ticket office Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. or call 765-642-0206 ext. 21. Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW is scheduled for May 25th. The Little 500 will also be available for purchase on Pay-Per-View through www.speedshift.com.
71st Annual Pay Less Little 500 presented by UAW
4 Kody Swanson Kingsburg, Calif. Nolen Racing (W)
5 Kyle Hamilton Danville, Ind. Klatt Enterprises Inc. (W)
5g Chris Windom Canton, Illinois Goacher Racing (W)
8 Chris Neuenschwander New Haven, Ind. Tony Neuenschwander
12 TBA Jerry Powell
18 Travis Welpott Pendleton, Ind. Welpott Racing
20 Shane Hollingsworth Lafayette, Ind. Nolen Racing
22 Bobby Santos Franklin, Mass. DJ Racing
26 Jeff Bloom Bangor, Mich. Jeff Bloom (W)
26 Aaron Pierce Yorktown, Ind. Sam Pierce
32 Ronnie Roberts Biloxi, Miss. Terry Broadus (R)
44 Brian Tyler Parma, Mich. Brian Tyler (W)
45 Mark Hall New Palestine, Ind. Mark Hall
56 Tyler Roahrig Plymouth, Ind. Tyler Roahrig
59 TBA Jerry Powell
59 John Inman Dover, Fla. John Inman
68 Mickey Kempgens Tampa, Fla. PCS Racing Inc.
81 Trey Osborne Columbus, Ohio Mike Blake (R)
99 Baden Stewart Salem, Ind. Jamie Stewart (R)
19 Entries as of 4/30/19
