Ryan Hamm stays atop 4 Cylinder points standings with victory at Berlin Raceway

Ryan Hamm stays atop 4 Cylinder points standings with victory at Berlin Raceway

Steve Ungrey
The Grand Rapids Press

MARNE -- Ryan Hamm jumped out of his car and heard the screams of his cheering
section from across the track.

The Norton Shores resident has been in Berlin Raceway’s Victory Lane many times this season and, having a brother involved in the points championship along with him, has made the year quite enjoyable.

Entering Saturday’s 20-lap 4 Cylinder A feature, Ryan held a 20-point lead over Kyle Hamm, a Muskegon native spending his first full season at Berlin. That lead widened Saturday, when Ryan beat out Cole Roelofs and Jason Scheid by a half-second apiece for the checkered flag.

Kyle Hamm took 14th overall, meaning the distance between the brothers likely will be wider in the points standings.

The same can’t be said for the pit area, where Ryan and Kyle are next to each other at all times.

“It’s been a really good season,” said Ryan, who has won four points races and one race that didn’t count in the overall points standings. “We’ve had two one-two finishes this year with both of us, and it’s just been such an amazing year.”

The success on the track has come with adversity off of it.

Ryan’s 6-month old daughter Ashlynn died in June 2009 after health complications from her premature birth, and Stephanie Gross, the Hamms’ mother, died in May after a 5-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).

On the track, there was a bit of adversity for Kyle Hamm in the latest race.

He suffered car problems on the backstretch and ended up T-boned by Rob Shoemaker with five laps remaining, sending him out of the lead lap.

“I was going to make a pass between the first and second turns and my transmission went into neutral,” Kyle said. “The right side of the car has some damage to it and we’ll need to work on it.”

No matter how this season turns out, the brothers have enjoyed every second of it. They have seven wins combined this season and just three total years of experience.

Ryan is on the verge of the first championship offered in the 4 Cylinder category, which is new this season to Berlin.

"It doesn’t matter who wins the title this year as long as it’s one of us that does it,” Ryan said.

Kyle figured he had lost some ground after Saturday, but he still is hopeful one brother will hoist the trophy Sept. 11, which is championship day.

“It’s been good. You work all winter and build these nice cars, and then you race along your brother each week that’s what makes it fun,” Kyle said.

“I think Ryan will open up a decent lead, but it’s possible. We still have a shot, I’m not ruling it out. It’s a good feeling when we’re both involved in it. When one of us has a bad day, the other brother is there."

Berlin Raceway recap
Saturday winners: Tim Stewart (4 Cylinder B), Ryan Hamm (4 Cylinder A), Denny Anderson (Super Stocks), Chris Anthony (Late Models).

4 Cylinder camaraderie: It turns out “Uncle” Tim Stewart and Ryan Hamm have more in common than racing 4 Cylinder cars at Berlin. Stewart’s car took the checkered flag in the 4 Cylinder B feature. On Friday at Winston Speedway in Rothbury, Hamm drove that same car to victory in a dirt race. Stewart was 22nd in the 4 Cylinder B points standings entering Saturday.

Say what? “We’re not really racing for points, but if we win the championship that’d be cool. If it happens, it happens.” -- Denny Anderson, who is in the running for his first points title since 1985 (Sportsman) as a Super Stocks driver.

Up next: NASCAR driver Mike Skinner will visit the track Saturday as part of Modifieds Night, which includes action in Modifieds, Super Stocks, Pro Stocks and 4 Cylinders.