Racing around the learning curve: Stateline Speedway’s Bandolero division paves way for young drivers

Stateline Speedway’s divisional races head into the final weekends of the season with several tight battles for top-5 finishes.

The youth movement in the Pro Late Model ranks has several drivers under 18 years old in the hunt for a championship, while the track’s featured youth class, Bandoleros, also has competitive battles with just two weeks to go.

Sagle’s Corey Allard leads the Pro Late Model division but it’s a pair of teenagers, Cole Dasenbrock and Sydney Hamlin, that have had stellar runs to position themselves well in the race for championships.

Dasenbrock sits in fifth place while Hamlin is seventh in the season standings. Each driver can move up with good weekend runs in the last two races. With 17 points between Allard and Dasenbrock, the teenager is still in contention for the championship with Hamlin just eight points outside the top-5 drivers.

Showing his versatility, Dasenbrock is the championship points leader in the Legends division.

Hamlin and Dasenbrock got their starts in Stateline’s Bandolero division, and each has been busy in 2025 in a variety of race cars. Hamlin can be found running in a Legend car one weekend, Hobby Stock or modifieds when it does not conflict with her late model program and even an occasional start in the Mini-Stock ranks.

It’s all part of the learning curve to be a better driver in Stateline’s Pro Late Model division. The busy schedule is patterned in part after Hamlin’s favorite driver, NASCAR champion Kyle Larson.

“He races just about everything and it’s really awesome how he can go from car to car, place to place and be super competitive. I’m definitely working hard to be able to do that each race weekend,” Hamlin said.

The repetition of racing each week has paid off for Hamlin, she added.

“The late model is very technical. You’ve got to be smooth, put together consistent runs and understand the car and how it wants to handle the racetrack. Running the other types of cars I’ve been in they can sometimes be a little slower and in the Legends for example the track seems bigger. In the late model there’s cars all around you and it’s good tight racing which is a lot like the Hobby Stocks and Mods. Everything I can get from all the races has helped.”

At just 16 years of age Hamlin qualified into the recently completed Idaho 200 making the field based on her qualifying time. In the race, she ran patient with solid laps before falling out with 10 laps to go due to be collected in a racing incident.

The track’s lone female driver in the Pro Late Model top 10, Hamlin is set to race on Saturday night as part of Stateline’s two-day summer closeout event.

Bandolero driver, Hunter Hannum, the nephew of Stateline star, Jason O’Neil, looks to wrap up his 2025 season by adding to last weekend’s victory while continuing his consecutive top-5 finishing streak. With six starts amounting to six top 5 runs, Hannum has been strong all season, positioning himself to finish as high as third place in the final standings.

Throughout the season Hannum has been on the fast track when it comes to learning the Bandoleros constant challenges.

“I started in go karts and then we moved up to Bando’s and I’ve been learning pretty quick here this year. There’s a lot more beaten and banging with the Bandos on top of it’s just a lot more learning how your car feels (in compared to the go kart). Each race we’re learning a lot of new stuff about our car.”

With two races left in the Bandolero season Hannum plans to continue to chase solid finishes, he added.

“I just want to be able to run next to the car alongside me and be clean. I set that goal each week while trying to be aggressive in the race at the same time. I’m pretty sure we can run well and keep our finishes up.”

The biggest draw to the season for the Mountainside Middle School student has been the fun factor of racing and the growth of Stateline’s Bandolero class. Each week seems to have new faces and tougher competition. Hannum is hopeful that kids watching from the grandstands will want to get into karting or even Bandoleros.

“I would say to someone just try to believe in yourself that you can go out and do it. If you can’t afford racing the Bandos, go get a go kart or do the rental stuff (at Fast Kart in Spokane).”