Zach Hampton: 'Trend in the right direction'

Kennedale, Texas – Zach Hampton sold his equipment not too long ago and was not sure of the management of his career as a sprint car racing.

He knew that there was a chance that he could not be in a sprint car in 2025, but how quickly things could change.

Hampton in connection with Bill Rose Racing for his debut season with the world of Outlaw's Nos Energy Drink Sprint Cars, and he is fresh from a run that made his six colleagues aware of.

Saturday on the Magnolia Motor Speedway began with a low grade for the Mooresville, Ind., Native, as rear problems brought him out of the heat race, but it was all from there. He last started the last chance showdown and went to fourth place to broadcast.

Then he took No. 6 from the 22nd to Seventh for his first top 10 with the biggest show on dirt. A run in which Hampton is prepared even more for the next stop this weekend in the Kennel Speedway Park in Texas.

“It obviously feels great,” said Hampton. “It is a great boost for Bill and I. I have the feeling that we are getting better every night before the lead. I don't think one of us had expected this run, especially after I came into the air in the heat race and then went to a transmission from the back of the LCS. We were decent in the LCS, but nothing crazy. I just somehow went in my way into the feature. “

The night was a highlight of the recent steps that Hampton and Rose took. It is a dynamic that both sides still adapt. In the past few years, injuries in time to time have forced a leading role of the crew, but his experience behind the steering wheel still prevails only on the wrench. For Hampton, he is used to driving and calling his own shots so that he still finds the fine line of how much feedback rose in the direction of the car.

“It's definitely different,” said Hampton. “I've done it alone in recent years and my first two years. I think it is a big learning curve for Bill, which mainly passes from a driver to a crew leader. And it is a big change for me to only concentrate on being just the driver, and not having the entries to the changes that we make. “

Despite these challenges, there is another side that benefits Hampton. I don't have to worry that he has to build the car and the daily maintenance kept him sharp. He can sleep a little more. He can only concentrate on one job and a job – the racing car drives.

“It is an insane amount of pressure that was lifted,” noted Hampton. “It is definitely strange even during the week and between the nights. Unless something happens and you need me like when we blown up the rear to help, but I don't work on it with normal operations. I can sleep a little later. Drivers get hatred for it, but there is no need to be at 7 a.m., so to sleep a little later, to be less tired at the end of the night and simply not have all these other thoughts and so much going on, it makes it so much easier. “

After the indictment on Saturday, Hampton also had a little fun on social media. He opened X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts and did not notice that his haters have been unusually quiet lately “.

How many racing drivers were criticized online. But his run over the weekend brought overwhelming support.

“It can be absolutely pretty brutal,” admitted Hampton. “I would say I read a lot, even if there are only negative things because I can go pretty well.” This person is either wrong or they rarely know what they are talking about. “It can be brutal and nobody wants to read this stuff about themselves, but the positivity was definitely nice to read. It is always nice to have a bit of confirmation, support or positivity from other people who are happy for myself or for Bill and I.

With a view to the future, Hampton does not precede. The personal best with the world of Outlaws was nice, but there is a long season.

“It is definitely exciting and I'm looking forward to it and satisfied with the progress we made,” said Hampton. “But I think we have to continue what we did, which only tried to improve just one thing every evening, be it on the track or with the trailer organization or preparation. I think if we can do one thing better every night, we can continue in the right direction and until the end of the year we can have a better basis. “