{"id":6623,"date":"2025-01-26T03:10:09","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T07:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/volusiaspeedwaypark.com\/?p=6623"},"modified":"2025-01-26T03:10:09","modified_gmt":"2025-01-26T07:10:09","slug":"keep-on-roling-bubba-roling-wins-sunshine-nationals-602-late-model-finale-at-volusia-speedway-park","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/volusiaspeedwaypark.com\/recap\/keep-on-roling-bubba-roling-wins-sunshine-nationals-602-late-model-finale-at-volusia-speedway-park\/","title":{"rendered":"KEEP ON ROLING: Bubba Roling Wins Sunshine Nationals 602 Late Model Finale at Volusia Speedway Park"},"content":{"rendered":"
Bubba Roling showed redemption from a gut-wrenching loss the previous year to win his first 602 Late Model finale Feature at the <\/span>DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/p>\n 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 \u201cWorld\u2019s Fastest Half Mile.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s advantage, clearing Haskins from his sights on the top side.<\/span><\/p>\n Roling controlled the first portion, with reigning Volusia track champion Mikey Kopka and Rome, GA native Mario Gresham working to chase him down.<\/span><\/p>\n With lap traffic playing to Roling\u2019s 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.<\/span><\/p>\n That allowed newcomers Kyle Hammer and Dalton Peavy to step up and challenge Roling, who had limited time available in the race.<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt means a lot,\u201d Roling said. \u201cLast year, I led this whole race until Pierce McCarter passed me with one lap to go. So, this means a lot and I\u2019m glad we could finally get it done. I apologize to whoever I hit, I wear a HANS so I didn\u2019t see, but I was just able to hang on. It wouldn\u2019t turn, I guess the body was getting in the tire. But hey, we got it done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLast minute, we decided to buy a car on our way down (to Florida),\u201d Hammer said. \u201cWe picked it up Wednesday night when we got to the track, so we changed the seat, there\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 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.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThat was a whole lot better than last year,\u201d Peavy said. \u201cI think last year, we came from 16th to third until a fuel pump broke off, so we didn\u2019t get to finish. But all in all, this year has been pretty good to us. We\u2019d like to get us another win, I could get going early, but later we got pretty good and just ran out of laps.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Gray\u2019s 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 <\/span>Sunshine Nationals<\/span><\/i> finale.<\/span><\/p>\n RECAP NOTES:<\/span><\/p>\n Overall Quick Time: Bubba Roling (17.648)<\/span><\/p>\n Last Chance Showdown Winners: Koulten Herbert, Kody Cook<\/span><\/p>\n Feature Hard Charger: Kyle Hammer (+19)<\/span><\/p>\n Up Next: <\/b>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.<\/span><\/p>\n DIRTCAR NATIONALS TICKETS<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n If you can\u2019t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on <\/span>DIRTVIsion \u2013 either online or by downloading the DIRTVision App<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 \u201cWorld\u2019s Fastest Half Mile.\u201d … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":6624,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[135,40],"tags":[25,234,463,5,48],"class_list":["post-6623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recap","category-recaps","tag-602-late-models","tag-bubba-roling","tag-dirtcar-sunshine-nationals","tag-sunshine-nationals","tag-volusia-speedway-park"],"yoast_head":"\n