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Bobby Hamilton Bio
Driver/Team Owner No. 4 Square D Dodge |
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Born: May 29, 1957
Birthplace: Nashville, TN
Residence: Mount Juliet, TN
Spouse: Debbie
Children: Bobby Hamilton, Jr.
http://www.squaredracing.com |
Lori Robinett
Public Relations
Bobby Hamilton Racing
lsr4racing@aol.com |
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 Bobby
Hamilton, who has four NASCAR Winston Cup Series wins to his credit,
doesn’t regret his decision to drive his No. 4 Square D Dodge Ram truck in
the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series last season. No way. Not this
down-to-earth Tennessee native, he doesn’t second-guess that choice for
one minute. And why should he?
“I had a ton of fun last season,” Hamilton said. “It was a nice break for
me from what I was used to in the Winston Cup Series. The drivers and
teams are very laid back. You don’t find very often that race teams will
help each other on such a regular basis like we did last year.”
The veteran driver won two races, Darlington and Homestead, was credited
with three Bud Pole Awards and finished sixth in the closest Championship
points race in Craftsman Truck Series history. Hamilton completed 98
percent of the laps en route to 10 top-five and 18 top-10 finishes. He was
ranked third in miles led standings by leading over 470 miles last year.
Pretty stellar most would think, but not this driver. He is always looking
for the next edge.
“Yes there are competitive moments that we give a lot or we take a lot,
but for the most part we are all really close,” Hamilton said. “Who can’t
be happy with that, but I won’t settle for it.”
It was most evident that the tell-it-like-it-is personality had his share
of laughs in the Truck Series when he walked across the stage at the
end-of-the-season Championship banquet without any shoes on. Hamilton
said, “I’ve loved this season. The points race was tighter than the
Winston Cup or Busch Series, but the bottom line is we’re still laid back
truck drivers. I mean look at me; I’m not wearing any shoes right now? Is
that stiff?”
Perhaps the Tennessee native has found his new home, but the competitive
side of him won’t let that place get dusty. “We’ll be stronger than we
were last year,” Hamilton said. “We cut back to the core group and we’ve
got good people in place right now. I added Danny Rollins back as my crew
chief this year. He’s been with my operation for a long time and I’ve seen
great results out of him. The main thing is we went back to what we were
accustomed to and had done so well with in the past. Why change a good
thing?
“Last year we started taking Winston Cup Series notes and applying them to
trucks,” Hamilton continued. “That didn’t work. I let it happen, and with
five races to go I made it stop. We saw the results.” Hamilton posted
three top-five and five top-10 finishes in the last five races. He won the
final race in Homestead from the Pole starting position.
This season Hamilton will have to compete against the likes of a new
manufacturer, Toyota, who is bursting into the Craftsman Truck Series.
He’ll also have to ward off his two fellow teammates Chad Chaffin, driver
of the No. 18 Dickies Dodge, and Chase Montgomery, driver of the No. 8 BHR
Dodge, both trucks owned by Hamilton. For a Driver/Owner who started from
the pole in his first truck race on September 21, 1996, this season is a
whole new ballgame.
“Oh it gets interesting sometimes for sure,” Hamilton said. “But that is
why we all keep coming back. If the series were stagnant, none of us would
want to compete in it. Toyota coming into the sport this year has made
other manufacturers step up to the plate. Dodge is really on top of its
game, so we feel pretty prepared. I’m fortunate in that aspect. I have
sponsors, Square D and Dickies, who keep my team top-notch and Dodge is
there to back us up with extra support throughout the year. We’ve got a
great deal, but performance is what keeps us in the game.”
Hamilton built the BHR Corporation in 1996 with the help of pal Chuck
Spicer in hopes of one day growing the business into one of NASCAR’s other
premier series. In only 14 starts, Hamilton claimed his first victory for
BHR. Since that time the team has posted over 100 top-10 finishes, a feat
Hamilton is very proud of. Those statistics, among others, are what has
built BHR into one of the most prominent truck series programs today.
“You think about all the work that goes into 100 top-ten finishes,”
Hamilton said. “It’s amazing how far we’ve come in eight years. I think
about the new shop we built for 2004 and wonder sometimes how all this
happened. I know it’s because I’ve got great help and I couldn’t have done
it without my employees, Dodge or my sponsors over the years. Three-team
deals are not just thrown together, especially if you get the same results
we do. We take pride in winning races, not just finishing them.”
Last season Hamilton finished in the top 10, 72 percent of the time. He
battled hard for the Championship, but a mid-season slide cost him the top
spot. This year, he promises it won’t be the same.
“I expect to win a lot of races and the championship this year, nothing
less,” Hamilton said. “I’m the owner and the driver, so I have complete
control over that. I’ve been monitoring things over the winter and making
a ton of changes. I was like an outsider looking in last year. So I
trimmed the fat, and there is no more fat on the meat right now. This is
all about confidence. When the owner, which is me, has doubt people feed
off that and start getting their own doubt. As long as I’m positive, they
seem the same way. I don’t have any doubt right now, so we are good to go.
“All I know is racing,” Hamilton concluded. “It’s my life, my passion and
my future. Hopefully one day I can step back and find a different hobby,
but rest assured it won’t be anytime soon.” |
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