Bobby Hamilton
Encyclopedia
Charles Robert Hamilton, Sr. (born May 29, 1957 in Nashville, Tennessee
– died January 7, 2007 in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
) was a driver and owner in the NASCAR
Craftsman Truck Series
circuit and the winner of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (now Camping World Truck Series) championship. Hamilton owned Bobby Hamilton Racing
, which fielded three entries in each NCWTS event. Hamilton's son, Bobby Hamilton, Jr.
, is currently a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and owns Bobby Hamilton Racing, yet he has disavowed his relationship with the team. Bobby's team shut down after the 2008 season
due to the slumping economy.
Hamilton may be best remembered for two of his Winston Cup
wins. His first career victory at the 1996 Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix
was the first win for the #43 Petty car since Richard Petty
's last win in 1984. He also had a memorable win at the Talladega 500
in April 2001 driving the #55 car for owner Andy Petree
. The entire 500-mile race was run caution-free and was under intense scrutiny from both NASCAR and the media at large, being the first superspeedway race run since the death of Dale Earnhardt
at the 2001 Daytona 500
two months earlier. A physically and mentally exhausted Hamilton slumped to the ground after exiting his car and was given oxygen from a tank before giving the standard post-race Victory Lane interview while sitting on the ground, leaning against the drivers door.
, Hamilton quit school at the age of thirteen and began his racing career at Nashville Speedway USA, now Music City Motorplex
, racing on the weekly circuit at the legendary track, where he won the track championship in 1987. Hamilton began to be noticed within the NASCAR ranks after racing in a special four-car "Superstar Showdown" at Nashville in 1988 against Winston Cup drivers Sterling Marlin
, Darrell Waltrip
, and Bill Elliott
.
film Days of Thunder
, qualifying fifth in a movie car at the 1989 Autoworks 500
in Phoenix, in a car that was not intended to be competitive. The car was the #51 Exxon
-sponsored machine, portrayed in the movie as being driven by the character Rowdy Burns.
In 2006, Kyle Busch
, at the time a driver for Hendrick Motorsports
, which fielded the movie cars, drove a Billy Ballew Motorsports truck in the Craftsman Truck Series featuring a "throwback" paint scheme visually echoing Hamilton's car from that movie. It was raced at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2006, in support of Hamilton, who was undergoing cancer treatment. The name on top of the door on Busch's truck was listed by the nickname "Rowdy Busch" (clearly referencing the Rowdy Burns name on the original car), and won the event.
After Busch departed the team, BBM has kept the paint scheme, uniform design, and #51 for their Camping World Truck Series campaign as the reverse number to their regular #15.
in 1988 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
driving his own #16 Chevrolet
, finishing 14th. He ran the next race at North Carolina Speedway
, finishing 20th. He drove full-time in 1989 driving the #8 Lighting & Fans Buick
for FILMAR Racing
. He finished 11th in points and won his only career Busch race at Richmond International Raceway
. He also made his Winston Cup debut in a "Days of Thunder" car owned by Hendrick Motorsports
. He led five laps but finished 32nd after an engine failure. He matched his 11th place points finish in 1990 with FILMAR, when he was promoted to Winston Cup full-time. He drove the #68 Country Time Lemonade
Oldsmobile
for Tri-Star Motorsports
, posting four top-ten finishes and narrowly defeating Ted Musgrave
for Rookie of the Year.
In 1992, he only had two top-tens and dropped to 25th in points. He began 1993 with Tri-Star but was released early in the season. He spent the rest of the season in the Cup and Busch Series, posting two top-tens for Akins-Sutton Motorsports. In 1994, he joined SABCO Racing, driving the #40 Kendall Motor Oil Pontiac Grand Prix
. He had just one top-ten finish and left at the end of the season.
For the 1995 season, Hamilton moved to Petty Enterprises
to drive the #43 STP
Pontiac. He posted ten top-tens and moved up to fourteenth in the final standings. The next season, he finished a career-best 9th in the standings and won his first race at Phoenix. He also formed his own Craftsman Truck Series team and began competing in the series part-time. He won in 1997 at Rockingham, but departed the team after falling to 16th in points.
He signed with Morgan-McClure Motorsports
in 1998, and in their eighth race together, he won from the pole at Martinsville Speedway
. He ended the season tenth in the points. He had another ten top-ten finishes the following season, but after falling to 30th in points in 2000, he left for Andy Petree Racing
, drive the #55 Square D
Chevy. He won his final career race at Talladega and finished 18th in the standings. He posted three top-tens in 2002, but suffered a broken shoulder late in the season, causing him to miss several races.
Dodge Ram
Hamilton picked up two wins in his first year on the circuit and finished sixth in points. The following season, he picked up four wins and clinched the championship, marking the first time since Alan Kulwicki
's championship in 1992 that an owner-driver won a NASCAR championship. He switched to the #04 in 2005 and won an additional two races on his way to another sixth-place points finish.
He drove the #18 Fastenal
Dodge for three races in 2006, but was diagnosed with cancer and never raced again, with his son
finishing out the season.
. He took part in the Craftsman Truck Series race that night, before starting therapy the following Monday.
Kyle Busch
paid tribute to Hamilton two months later for the Truck race at Lowe's Motor Speedway by driving a truck painted to resemble the Rowdy Burns car in Days of Thunder, complete with the #51 and "Rowdy" decals, a tribute that Busch continues today in late model and truck racing.
Hamilton returned to the track for the race at Kentucky Speedway
, overseeing his team's operations. Knowing he would not be well enough to drive in 2007, he hired Ken Schrader
to drive his #18 Fastenal
Dodge
for the full 2007 schedule while Hamilton was to continue his cancer treatment. Hamilton died of neck cancer on January 7, 2007, at his home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
with his family by his side. He also died the day before his son's
29th birthday.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
– died January 7, 2007 in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mt. Juliet is a city located in the western portion of Wilson County, Tennessee, U.S.A. It is a suburb of Nashville, and is approximately east of downtown. It is located roughly between two major national east-west routes, Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70. As of the 2010 census, the city had a...
) was a driver and owner in the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
circuit and the winner of the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (now Camping World Truck Series) championship. Hamilton owned Bobby Hamilton Racing
Bobby Hamilton Racing
Bobby Hamilton Racing-Virginia was a former NASCAR racing team. It was owned by four-time NEXTEL Cup winner and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton until his death on January 7, 2007. Bobby Hamilton, Jr. was given ownership after the death of his father, but the younger...
, which fielded three entries in each NCWTS event. Hamilton's son, Bobby Hamilton, Jr.
Bobby Hamilton, Jr.
Charles Robert Hamilton, Jr. is a NASCAR driver and owner, and current track promoter. He is currently a free agent...
, is currently a driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and owns Bobby Hamilton Racing, yet he has disavowed his relationship with the team. Bobby's team shut down after the 2008 season
2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
The 2008 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series began on February 15, 2008 at Daytona International Speedway with the Chevy Silverado HD 250. The season concluded on November 14 of that year at Homestead-Miami Speedway with the Ford 200. Johnny Benson of Bill Davis Racing was crowned champion. The season...
due to the slumping economy.
Hamilton may be best remembered for two of his Winston Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
wins. His first career victory at the 1996 Dura Lube 500 at Phoenix
Phoenix International Raceway
Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series...
was the first win for the #43 Petty car since Richard Petty
Richard Petty
Richard Lee Petty is a former NASCAR driver who raced in the Strictly Stock/Grand National Era and the NASCAR Winston Cup Series...
's last win in 1984. He also had a memorable win at the Talladega 500
Aaron's 499
The Aaron's 499 is a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car auto race held at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama. The race has always been held in late April or early May. The Aaron's 499 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates, the others being the AMP Energy 500,...
in April 2001 driving the #55 car for owner Andy Petree
Andy Petree
Andy Petree , is a long-time fixture in NASCAR. After racing for years at local short track , Andy became part owner of the #32 Busch Series car for Dale Jarrett. By the age of 28, Andy was already a NASCAR Winston Cup crew chief on the Leo Jackson racing team...
. The entire 500-mile race was run caution-free and was under intense scrutiny from both NASCAR and the media at large, being the first superspeedway race run since the death of Dale Earnhardt
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Dale Earnhardt, Sr. was an American race car driver, best known for his involvement in stock car racing for NASCAR...
at the 2001 Daytona 500
Daytona 500
The Daytona 500 is a -long NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race held annually at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. It is one of four restrictor plate races on the Cup schedule....
two months earlier. A physically and mentally exhausted Hamilton slumped to the ground after exiting his car and was given oxygen from a tank before giving the standard post-race Victory Lane interview while sitting on the ground, leaning against the drivers door.
Short track roots
Born in Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Hamilton quit school at the age of thirteen and began his racing career at Nashville Speedway USA, now Music City Motorplex
Music City Motorplex
Fairgrounds Speedway is a NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racetrack located at the Tennessee State Fairgrounds near downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The track is one of the oldest tracks in the United States. The track held NASCAR Grand National/Winston Cup races from 1958 to 1984...
, racing on the weekly circuit at the legendary track, where he won the track championship in 1987. Hamilton began to be noticed within the NASCAR ranks after racing in a special four-car "Superstar Showdown" at Nashville in 1988 against Winston Cup drivers Sterling Marlin
Sterling Marlin
Sterling Marlin is a retired NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. He is the son of late NASCAR driver Coo Coo Marlin. He is married to Paula and has a daughter, Sutherlin, and a son, Steadman, who sometimes races in the Nationwide Series....
, Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Waltrip
Darrell Lee Waltrip is a 3-time NASCAR Cup Series champion , 3-time runner-up , winner of the 1989 Daytona 500 and 5-time winner of the prestigeous Coca-Cola 600 ,...
, and Bill Elliott
Bill Elliott
William Clyde "Bill" Elliott , also known as Awesome Bill from Dawsonville or Million Dollar Bill, is a part-time driver and former champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Elliott was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on August 15, 2007. He won the 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup...
.
Days of Thunder
Hamilton broke into the Winston Cup ranks in a very unusual way. He was asked to drive one of the "movie cars" for the 19901990 in film
The year 1990 in film involved some significant events.-Events:* CGI technique is expanded with motion capture for CGI characters, used in Total Recall .* The first digitally-manipulated matte painting is used, in Die Hard 2....
film Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder
Days of Thunder is a 1990 American auto racing film released by Paramount Pictures, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer and directed by Tony Scott. The cast includes Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, Robert Duvall, Randy Quaid, Cary Elwes and Michael Rooker. The film also features appearances...
, qualifying fifth in a movie car at the 1989 Autoworks 500
1989 Autoworks 500
The 1989 Autoworks 500 is a NASCAR Winston Cup Series racing event that took place on November 5, 1989 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona, USA.-Summary:...
in Phoenix, in a car that was not intended to be competitive. The car was the #51 Exxon
Exxon
Exxon is a chain of gas stations as well as a brand of motor fuel and related products by ExxonMobil. From 1972 to 1999, Exxon was the corporate name of the company previously known as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey or Jersey Standard....
-sponsored machine, portrayed in the movie as being driven by the character Rowdy Burns.
In 2006, Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...
, at the time a driver for Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
, which fielded the movie cars, drove a Billy Ballew Motorsports truck in the Craftsman Truck Series featuring a "throwback" paint scheme visually echoing Hamilton's car from that movie. It was raced at Lowe's Motor Speedway in 2006, in support of Hamilton, who was undergoing cancer treatment. The name on top of the door on Busch's truck was listed by the nickname "Rowdy Busch" (clearly referencing the Rowdy Burns name on the original car), and won the event.
After Busch departed the team, BBM has kept the paint scheme, uniform design, and #51 for their Camping World Truck Series campaign as the reverse number to their regular #15.
1988-1994
Hamilton made his NASCAR debut in the Busch SeriesBusch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
in 1988 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
driving his own #16 Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
, finishing 14th. He ran the next race at North Carolina Speedway
North Carolina Speedway
Rockingham Speedway, formerly North Carolina Motor Speedway and later North Carolina Speedway is a racetrack located near Rockingham, North Carolina...
, finishing 20th. He drove full-time in 1989 driving the #8 Lighting & Fans Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
for FILMAR Racing
FILMAR Racing
FILMAR Racing is a former NASCAR Winston Cup and Busch Series team. It was owned by Fil Martocci and crew chief Gil Martin. The team was sold in 1999 to the Pinnacle Motorsports Group and then to Davis & Weight Motorsports.- Beginnings :...
. He finished 11th in points and won his only career Busch race at Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway
Richmond International Raceway is a 3/4-mile , D-shaped, asphalt race track located just outside Richmond, Virginia in Henrico County. It hosts the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series...
. He also made his Winston Cup debut in a "Days of Thunder" car owned by Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports
Hendrick Motorsports , originally named All Star Racing, is a current American auto racing team created in 1984 by Rick Hendrick. The team currently competes in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with Chevrolet Impalas...
. He led five laps but finished 32nd after an engine failure. He matched his 11th place points finish in 1990 with FILMAR, when he was promoted to Winston Cup full-time. He drove the #68 Country Time Lemonade
Country Time
Country Time is the name of a brand of lemonade drinks. It is a non-carbonated lemon-flavored drink mix and soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines. The powdered mix is produced by Kraft Foods...
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile was a brand of American automobile produced for most of its existence by General Motors. It was founded by Ransom E. Olds in 1897. In its 107-year history, it produced 35.2 million cars, including at least 14 million built at its Lansing, Michigan factory...
for Tri-Star Motorsports
Tri-Star Motorsports
TriStar Motorsports is a racing team that competes in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. They currently field the #14 Hefty Chevrolet for Eric McClure, the #19 Chevrolet for Mike Bliss, and the #44 Chevrolet for Jeff Green and Charles Lewandoski...
, posting four top-ten finishes and narrowly defeating Ted Musgrave
Ted Musgrave
Theodore Musgrave is an American race car driver.-Pre-NASCAR:Musgrave's father, Elmer, was a famous short-track racer in the Midwest who raced for over 25 years at Soldier Field, O'Hare, Waukegan, and Wilmot, Wisconsin before moving into asphalt late models in the American Speed Association and...
for Rookie of the Year.
In 1992, he only had two top-tens and dropped to 25th in points. He began 1993 with Tri-Star but was released early in the season. He spent the rest of the season in the Cup and Busch Series, posting two top-tens for Akins-Sutton Motorsports. In 1994, he joined SABCO Racing, driving the #40 Kendall Motor Oil Pontiac Grand Prix
Pontiac Grand Prix
Picking up where the Pontiac Ventura model left off, the Grand Prix first appeared in the Pontiac line for 1962. It was essentially a standard Pontiac Catalina coupe with minimal outside chrome trim and a sportier interior...
. He had just one top-ten finish and left at the end of the season.
1995-2002
Petty Enterprises
Petty Enterprises was a NASCAR racing team based in Randleman, North Carolina, USA. The team was owned by Richard Petty, his son Kyle Petty, and Boston Ventures. At the time of its folding the team operated the #43 and #45 Dodge Chargers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Petty Enterprises ran from...
to drive the #43 STP
STP (motor oil company)
STP is an American brand and trade name for the automotive additives, lubricants and performance division of Armored AutoGroup.Founded in 1953 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, the company’s name, STP, was derived from “Scientifically Treated Petroleum”...
Pontiac. He posted ten top-tens and moved up to fourteenth in the final standings. The next season, he finished a career-best 9th in the standings and won his first race at Phoenix. He also formed his own Craftsman Truck Series team and began competing in the series part-time. He won in 1997 at Rockingham, but departed the team after falling to 16th in points.
He signed with Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Morgan-McClure Motorsports
Morgan-McClure Motorsports is an American auto racing team that competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full time until 2007 and now occasionally attempts races. It has been in operation for 27 years, starting in 1982. The team is most notable for running the #4 from 1983 to 2009.-Starting...
in 1998, and in their eighth race together, he won from the pole at Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway
Martinsville Speedway is an International Speedway Corporation-owned NASCAR stock car racing track located in Henry County, near Ridgeway, Virginia, just to the south of Martinsville. At in length, it is the shortest track in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The track was also one of the first paved...
. He ended the season tenth in the points. He had another ten top-ten finishes the following season, but after falling to 30th in points in 2000, he left for Andy Petree Racing
Andy Petree Racing
Andy Petree Racing is a former NASCAR team. Its ownership changed hands several times over the years, with three different owners from its beginning to its close in 2004. The team was based out of North Carolina and was always a steady competitor for the win despite never winning a championship.-...
, drive the #55 Square D
Square D
Square D is an American manufacturer of equipment used to control and distribute electric power headquartered in Palatine, Illinois.Square D was founded in 1903 in Detroit, Michigan by Bryson Dexter Horton who is credited with the invention of the safety switch which encased high voltage switches...
Chevy. He won his final career race at Talladega and finished 18th in the standings. He posted three top-tens in 2002, but suffered a broken shoulder late in the season, causing him to miss several races.
Craftsman Truck Series
Due to the injury as well as an unstable financial situation at Petree Racing, Hamilton left the Winston Cup Series for the Truck Series driving for his own team, taking the Square D sponsorship with him. Driving the #4 DanaDana Corp.
The Dana Holding Corporation is a supplier of axles, driveshafts, off-highway transmissions, sealing and thermal-management products, and service parts....
Dodge Ram
Dodge Ram
The Dodge Ram is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by the Chrysler Group LLC. As of late 2010, it has been sold under the Ram Trucks brand. Previously, Ram was part of the Dodge lineup of light trucks...
Hamilton picked up two wins in his first year on the circuit and finished sixth in points. The following season, he picked up four wins and clinched the championship, marking the first time since Alan Kulwicki
Alan Kulwicki
Alan Dennis Kulwicki , nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series racecar driver. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional stock car touring series...
's championship in 1992 that an owner-driver won a NASCAR championship. He switched to the #04 in 2005 and won an additional two races on his way to another sixth-place points finish.
He drove the #18 Fastenal
Fastenal
Fastenal Co is an American company based in Winona, Minnesota. Selling industrial and construction supplies and services including inventory management services, Fastenal refers to itself as an industrial supply company, but Reuters calls it an industrial distributor.-History:Founded in 1967 by...
Dodge for three races in 2006, but was diagnosed with cancer and never raced again, with his son
Bobby Hamilton, Jr.
Charles Robert Hamilton, Jr. is a NASCAR driver and owner, and current track promoter. He is currently a free agent...
finishing out the season.
Illness and death
On March 17, 2006, Hamilton announced that he had been diagnosed with neck cancerHead and neck cancer
Head and neck cancer refers to a group of biologically similar cancers that start in the upper aerodigestive tract, including the lip, oral cavity , nasal cavity , paranasal sinuses, pharynx, and larynx. 90% of head and neck cancers are squamous cell carcinomas , originating from the mucosal lining...
. He took part in the Craftsman Truck Series race that night, before starting therapy the following Monday.
Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch
Kyle Thomas Busch, is an American NASCAR driver and team owner. He currently drives the No. 18 Mars/Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, the No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs in the Nationwide Series, and the No...
paid tribute to Hamilton two months later for the Truck race at Lowe's Motor Speedway by driving a truck painted to resemble the Rowdy Burns car in Days of Thunder, complete with the #51 and "Rowdy" decals, a tribute that Busch continues today in late model and truck racing.
Hamilton returned to the track for the race at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
, overseeing his team's operations. Knowing he would not be well enough to drive in 2007, he hired Ken Schrader
Ken Schrader
Kenneth Schrader is a second-generation race car driver. He currently races on local dirt and asphalt tracks around the country while driving part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the ARCA Racing Series for his own Ken Schrader Racing. He also runs part time in the NASCAR Camping...
to drive his #18 Fastenal
Fastenal
Fastenal Co is an American company based in Winona, Minnesota. Selling industrial and construction supplies and services including inventory management services, Fastenal refers to itself as an industrial supply company, but Reuters calls it an industrial distributor.-History:Founded in 1967 by...
Dodge
Dodge
Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler Group LLC in more than 60 different countries and territories worldwide....
for the full 2007 schedule while Hamilton was to continue his cancer treatment. Hamilton died of neck cancer on January 7, 2007, at his home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mt. Juliet, Tennessee
Mt. Juliet is a city located in the western portion of Wilson County, Tennessee, U.S.A. It is a suburb of Nashville, and is approximately east of downtown. It is located roughly between two major national east-west routes, Interstate 40 and U.S. Route 70. As of the 2010 census, the city had a...
with his family by his side. He also died the day before his son's
Bobby Hamilton, Jr.
Charles Robert Hamilton, Jr. is a NASCAR driver and owner, and current track promoter. He is currently a free agent...
29th birthday.