Bubba Roling showed redemption from a gut-wrenching loss the previous year to win his first 602 Late Model finale Feature at the DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals.
The Clay Hill, FL native captured the Late Model Palooza win with a dominating performance that comes with his time of experience racing weekly at the “World’s Fastest Half Mile.”
Lark Haskins and Bubba Roling led the field to the green flag. A battle ensued between the two drivers, which resulted in a door slam in Turn 3. This worked to Roling’s advantage, clearing Haskins from his sights on the top side.
Roling controlled the first portion, with reigning Volusia track champion Mikey Kopka and Rome, GA native Mario Gresham working to chase him down.
With lap traffic playing to Roling’s advantage, the pilot of the No.515 Late Model widened his distance to his competition by over three seconds until it was erased with a six-car accident with five laps remaining.
That allowed newcomers Kyle Hammer and Dalton Peavy to step up and challenge Roling, who had limited time available in the race.
Nailing the final restart to perfection, Roling did not relent in his track position from any form of opposition behind him as he crossed the finish line to claim his first career surfboard trophy.
“It means a lot,” Roling said. “Last year, I led this whole race until Pierce McCarter passed me with one lap to go. So, this means a lot and I’m glad we could finally get it done. I apologize to whoever I hit, I wear a HANS so I didn’t see, but I was just able to hang on. It wouldn’t turn, I guess the body was getting in the tire. But hey, we got it done.”
Hammer finished second, completing an improbable 19-place comeback in a 602 Late Model bought on Wednesday night at the Barberville, FL, race track. The Clinton, IL driver did not compete on Friday night but did his first on-track laps in Hot Lap/Qualifying on Saturday.
“Last minute, we decided to buy a car on our way down (to Florida),” Hammer said. “We picked it up Wednesday night when we got to the track, so we changed the seat, there’s duct tape numbers on it. We missed qualifying, missed our Feature (Friday night), ended up running the LCS, started 21st, so it was a fun time for us.”
Dalton Peavy finished the night in third – two spots shy of his second-career Sunshine Nationals Feature win. Like Roling, the 2025 edition of the event brought better results than 2024, with Peavy finishing the race inside the podium to begin his 2025 racing season.
“That was a whole lot better than last year,” Peavy said. “I think last year, we came from 16th to third until a fuel pump broke off, so we didn’t get to finish. But all in all, this year has been pretty good to us. We’d like to get us another win, I could get going early, but later we got pretty good and just ran out of laps.”
Gray’s Creek, NC driver Chase Blackwell took the fourth-place result, and Volusia Speedway Park regular Jason Papp, of Palm Bay, FL, took home his first career top-five finish in the Sunshine Nationals finale.
RECAP NOTES:
Overall Quick Time: Bubba Roling (17.648)
Last Chance Showdown Winners: Koulten Herbert, Kody Cook
Feature Hard Charger: Kyle Hammer (+19)
Up Next: Volusia Speedway Park welcomes the biggest kickoff party in dirt racing with the 54th Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, starting on Thursday, January 30, starring the American Sprint Car Series and DIRTcar UMP Modifieds.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVIsion – either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App.