BHR Team History

Bobby Hamilton at the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Awards Banquet. High Sierra Photo

As a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver the late Bobby Hamilton Sr. was a proven winner with 10 wins, 33 top-fives and 54 top-tens in only 102 starts. And as a NCTS owner Hamilton Sr. had equal success. Fielding trucks for a wide variety of drivers Bobby Hamilton Racing has developed a reputation for providing competitive rides week in and week out as well as for developing young talent. In addition to the 10 NCTS wins by Hamilton Sr., BHR has posted multiple wins with Joe Ruttman, Robert Pressley and Chad Chaffin. Even at the series marquee race at Daytona, BHR has posted three wins (Ruttman-2001, Pressley-2002 and Hamilton-2005). With 19 total wins and one championship, BHR has established itself as one of the premier teams in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history. The most recent partnership is even more promising for the race establishment.

2008

Dennis Setzer (left) and Stacy Compton

In early January BHR completed its move to the Martinsville area. Stacy Compton was named driver of the No. 4 Dodge Dealers Dodge and Dennis Setzer returns to pilot the No. 18 Dodge during the 2008 season. As teammates for the first time the two are a force to reckon with in the NCTS with a combined total of 19 wins, 12 poles and 99 top-five finishes.

2007
Bobby Hamilton Sr. passed away after a long battle with Head and Neck Cancer. A management team was appointed to lead BHR. NASCAR Sprint Cup winner Ken Schrader and NCTS veteran Dennis Setzer both spent time behind the wheel of the No. 18 Fastenal Dodge scoring three top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes. Numerous drivers, including 2000 Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte and 2002 NCTS Champion Mike Bliss, piloted the No. 4 Dodge to four top-five finishes and four top-10 finishes.

In an effort to better align themselves with Dodge Motorsports Engineering and the NASCAR community Bobby Hamilton Racing (BHR) and Arrington Manufacturing announced in December the formation of a partnership between its two companies. AMI consists of a joint venture between Mac Bailey, Mark Melling, Clay Campbell, Stacy Compton and Joey Arrington.

2006
Bobby Hamilton Sr. was diagnosed with Head and Neck Cancer at the beginning of the season. Bobby Hamilton Jr. took over the No. 18 ride after the third race, Atlanta Motor Speedway. Jr. finished 16th in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver point standings.

Dennis Setzer (left) and Stacy Compton

Hamilton fielded two full-time teams and one part-time team with Hamilton Jr., Timothy Peters and Scott Lagasse Jr.

Peters was replaced in September by Dodge Development Driver Chase Miller who scored his first top-10 finish at Martinsville in only his fourth NCTS start.

2005
Bobby Hamilton ended the season with two wins and finished sixth in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver point standings. He owned three full-time teams with drivers Hamilton, Chase Montgomery and Timothy Peters.

Peters competed for Rookie-of-the-Year Title and came home in second place.

High Sierra Photo

2004
The most successful year in BHR history. Hamilton scored four wins, Atlanta, Memphis, Kentucky and Nashville, collecting more wins than any other driver in the series that year. He posted 12 top-five finishes and 16 top-10 finishes and in the process delivered Dodge Motorsports its first ever NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series crown.

Chad Chaffin added to BHR’s winning season with two wins, Dover and Indianapolis Raceway Park, and had a solid 10th place finish in the final NCTS series standings.

2003
Hamilton came home to drive full-time for the organization in the No. 4 Dodge, Chad Chaffin joined the No. 18 team and Bill Lester returned as the driver of the No. 8 team.

Hamilton won two races, Darlington and Homestead, in his first full season of competition and finished sixth in the NCTS series standings.

2002
BHR added a third team over the winter. They won the season-opening race at Daytona for the second year in a row. Then added another win at Michigan and by season’s end, placed all three teams in the top 20 in the final series point standings. A feat no other organization had ever accomplished.

2001
BHR began its third year of competition by moving into a new facility, and increasing its involvement with DaimlerChrysler. At the beginning of the season the organization formed a second full-time effort in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series as part of Dodge Motorsports’s diversity program. (No. 8 Dodge Team)

The team opened the season winning the Daytona 250 from the pole with driver Joe Ruttman. In 24 events, the No. 18 team recorded a series-high 20 top-ten finishes and finished third in the final NCTS series standings.

2000
Won the first three pole positions of the year and took home their first victory at Phoenix International Raceway in just the third event. Went on to add three more wins, six more poles and led over 800 laps of competition during the year.

The team also entered their first NASCAR Winston Cup Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway with Bobby Hamilton Jr. behind the wheel.

1999
Qualified for the opening event of the season at Homestead-Miami Speedway and finished ninth. Collected one pole, four top-five finishes and 14 top-ten finishes in its first year of full-time competition proving to everyone they were a force to be reckoned with.

1998
In December, Hamilton made the decision to buy out the partnership and in a small shop behind his Mt. Juliet, Tennessee home, Bobby Hamilton Racing was born. Weeks later, sponsorship and factory support from Dodge began taking shape. With two trucks and a handful of crewmembers, the work began on what has developed into one of the most successful NCTS teams.

1996-1998
Hamilton began pondering the idea to build a competitive team for Bobby Hamilton Jr. to one day step into. Hamilton then partnered with friend, Chuck Spicer, and purchased a race truck and began making plans to compete in NCTS races. In a span of three years, Hamilton started seven races with his own truck. In the mean time, Hamilton Jr.’s career took off as he made the move to the NASCAR Busch Series.