MARTINSVILLE, VA., (Oct. 23, 2004) –Typical of short-track style racing, Square D driver Bobby Hamilton and his competitors did not give up any real estate in the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway without a fight. Hamilton and the drivers were bumping in turns and rubbing fenders on the .526-mile oval until halfway through the race when traffic stopped abruptly in front of him causing him to rear end a truck, bust his radiator and finish the race in 26th position.
Hamilton was granted the pole starting position when qualifying was canceled due to inclement weather on Friday. He led the first 10 laps, gaining five extra points in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series points battle, before relinquishing the lead to Ted Musgrave. Hamilton rode around in the top five until lap 40 when David Starr bumped the Square D driver out of his way. Hamilton fell to seventh and remained there until the fourth caution came out on lap 47.
Crew Chief Danny Rollins thought it was still too early in the race for a pit stop. The Tennessee-native driver agreed with his crew chief saying the truck was running really well right now. Others in the top 10 took advantage of the caution and pitted. Hamilton restarted the race in the fourth position on lap 54.
He quickly passed Carl Edwards for third and held this spot until the sixth caution came out on lap 69. Now the team was in its pit window, so Rollins called Hamilton in. Hamilton entered pit road on lap 71 and the Square D Racing Team performed a timely stop, making no adjustments. Hamilton restarted the race in the 21st spot.
By the halfway mark of the race, Hamilton was already up to 16th position. On lap 106 Hamilton was racing hard in turns one and two when several trucks bottled up stopping in front of him. Unable to stop, he accidentally rear ended Robert Huffman causing his own radiator burst. The veteran driver entered pit road quickly to preserve his motor from overheating.
The Square D Racing Team quickly opened the hood on the No. 4 Dodge and went to work. They did a precise, but speedy job fixing the radiator and enabled Hamilton to get back on the track by lap 123.
But the string of bad luck was not over yet. On lap 167 Hamilton had a flat right-front tire, forcing him to pit under green-flag conditions. The team quickly changed two tires and Hamilton went back on the .526-mile oval. He held on until the next caution on lap 173 when the team changed left side tires to make Hamilton’s Goodyear Wranglers an equal set.
Hamilton finished the race in 26th position, and surrendered the points lead to Dennis Setzer by only one point. “They did a great job resurfacing this place, but the speeds are almost too fast to race,” Hamilton said. “It was a heck of a race for the fans. It’s Martinsville. We had a lot of crashes today, but fans like to see crashes.
“I’ve always said it’s easier to be the chaser,” Hamilton continued on the points battle. “Now I’ve got to chase and they’ve got to worry about it. We’re going to win this thing. They haven’t got a chance. I’ll guarantee you they’re worried about us in Darlington and Homestead.”
Jamie McMurray won the Kroger 200 at Martinsville Speedway. Dennis Setzer, Bobby Labonte, Jon Wood and Ted Musgrave followed in the top five.
