Hammett Breaks Runner-Up Streak with Strategic Masterclass at Nashville

Lebanon, TN — In a race defined by high-stakes pit calls and the sudden unraveling of a dominant points leader, Chris Hammett finally traded silver for gold in Round 5 of the Red Light Racing League Scrambler Series at Nashville Superspeedway. The event featured NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen cars with sequential shifters, and the 1.33-mile concrete oval proved as temperamental as ever, with drivers wrestling “snap loose” handling that punished the slightest miscalculation.

Maxime Theriault began the night from the pole, intent on extending his early-season advantage after two wins in the opening four rounds. Living up to his reputation, Theriault quickly built a gap of more than a second, pacing the field with machine-like consistency. Trent Potter, remarkably still perfect in podium appearances this season, shadowed him in second, keeping the pressure steady through the opening green-flag run.

Behind them, the race simmered with chaos. Jason Wells, the spotlight driver known for routinely slicing through the field, faced an uphill climb after failing to post a qualifying time. Meanwhile, Hammett’s night nearly derailed early when he looped his car through the front-stretch grass. Somehow, he escaped without damage, later joking that he had simply decided to “cut some grass” before getting back to business.

The defining moment arrived during the second round of green-flag pit stops around lap 65. As Theriault and Potter approached pit entry, they encountered Hammett, who was stretching his fuel window. The trio compressed into a tense three-wide squeeze at high speed. Contact followed, sending Theriault hard into the wall and inflicting race-altering damage. A driver who had controlled the evening suddenly found himself four laps down and out of contention.

A timely caution flag flew shortly afterward, flipping the script entirely. Hammett, along with Ethan Troutman and Adam Matz, was able to complete service under yellow and cycle to the front of the field, transforming a survival effort into a winning opportunity.

The race set up for a dramatic Green-White-Checkered finish following a late spin by Sean Single. Hammett led the field back to green with Potter looming and Troutman within striking distance. On the final lap, Matz lost control exiting Turn 4, the same treacherous corner that had claimed multiple drivers throughout the night, spinning out of podium contention and clearing the stage for a straight fight to the line.

Hammett stayed composed, hitting his marks with the calm of a veteran who knew the math was finally on his side. He crossed the stripe to secure his first victory of the season after three consecutive runner-up finishes. In victory lane, Hammett admitted it was likely his first win earned primarily on strategy, explaining that while he did not have the fastest car, his decision to run the tank nearly dry and wait for the right caution made all the difference.

Potter’s second-place finish extended his extraordinary podium streak, Troutman surged from fifth to third, Conner Blasco added a solid fourth, and Tim Combs completed the top five. Luke Logan Allen earned Big Mover honors by charging from 14th to sixth, while Tony Strano brought his machine home seventh. Theriault salvaged a 16th-place result but remains firmly in the championship picture as the series pushes toward the back half of the season.

With Nashville’s concrete now in the books, the Scrambler Series heads to the short-track intensity of the Nashville Fairgrounds for Round 6, where patience will once again wrestle with aggression under the lights.