On Sunday evening, January 7, 2007, former NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver, and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton passed away after battling neck cancer at the age of 49.
He leaves behind his wife Lori, his son Bobby Jr, and his granddaughter Haylie.
Throughout his NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup career, Hamilton accumulated 371 starts, four wins, 20 top fives, and 67 top tens. His first Cup start was at Phoenix on November 5, 1989 with Hendrick Motorsports. Despite driving a car full of movie cameras for the production of Days Of Thunder, Hamilton led five laps before a blown engine consigned him to 32nd place finish. Two years later, Hamilton was honored as the 1991 NASCAR Rookie of the Year.
His first victory was earned on October 27, 1996 at the Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix driving for Petty Enterprises. It was the first time that the legendary number 43 had visited victory lane since 1984 when Richard Petty, the King himself, won the Pepsi Firecracker 400 at Daytona driving for Mike Curb. A year later at Rockingham, Hamilton captured his second career victory, proving that he and the Petty’s were able to compete at NASCAR’s highest altitude of competition.
Hamilton joined Morgan-McClure Motorsports in 1998 to drive the recognizable #4 Kodak Chevrolet. Hamilton won at Martinsville in April of that year. After three seasons, Hamilton joined Andy Petree Racing in 2001, and won the spring event at Talladega, his first and only super speedway win.
After the 2002 season, Hamilton left the NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup circuit to focus on his Craftsman Truck Series operation. His first full season in the Trucks resulted in two wins, and a sixth place finish in the championship standings. He won the Craftsman Truck Series title in 2004 after winning four races. His final full season in the Trucks resulted in two wins and a sixth place finish in the championship standings. Hamilton started 102 Craftsman Truck Series events, winning ten of them. In those 102 starts, Hamilton scored 33 top fives, and 54 top tens.
In March of 2006, Hamilton revealed that he would step away from full-time competition and focus on defeating the cancer that had taken over his body. Mournfully, the cancer would end up taking his life.
Hamilton was acknowledged by his family and close friends as a regular guy who loved to race the old-school way. His grandparents raised him until he was a teenager. He began to pursue his career as a racecar driver by working at shops in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Hamilton longed for his racing career to be fun and enjoyable, and when the grueling schedule of the Winston/Nextel Cup was no longer his cup of tea, he crossed over to the Craftsman Truck Series where he was reminded of his youthful days at the Nashville fairgrounds. He eventually turned Bobby Hamilton Racing into a Craftsman Truck Series empire.
Hamilton will be greatly missed by everyone in the NASCAR community, including the drivers, crewmembers, fans, and media, but especially his immediate family.
“He will be greatly missed as a husband, a father, a grandfather, an owner and a friend.” Hamilton family
“He was old-school and one of those guys who did it his way.” Jim Hunter
“A guy that had all the success he had told me that I was his hero. It meant so much to me that he felt that way because, in reality, he was a hero of mine.” Darrell Waltrip
“He didn’t have a pretentious bone in his body. I think that’s why people were drawn to him.” Liz Allison
“He was a hard racer and a very good racecar driver…He was really smart. He was a real clean racer." Sterling Marlin
“Bobby Hamilton was a good man and he was a great racer.” Rick Hendrick
“He was a great driver and a great owner. My heart goes out to the BHR organization.” Brendan Gaughan
