Bobby Hamilton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bobby Hamilton
Hamilton in 1997
Born	Charles Robert Hamilton (1957-05-29)May 29, 1957 Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Died	January 7, 2007(2007-01-07) (aged 49) Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, U.S.
Cause of death	Head and neck cancer
Achievements	2004 Craftsman Truck Series Champion
Awards	1991 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year
NASCAR Cup Series career
371 races run over 15 years
Best finish	9th (1996)
First race	1989 Autoworks 500 (Phoenix)
Last race	2005 Bass Pro Shops MBNA 500 (Atlanta)
First win	1996 Dura Lube 500 (Phoenix)
Last win	2001 Talladega 500 (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles 4 67 5
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
86 races run over 12 years
Best finish	11th (1989, 1990)
First race	1988 All Pro 300 (Charlotte)
Last race	2005 Federated Auto Parts 300 (Nashville)
First win	1989 Commonwealth 200 (Richmond)
Wins Top tens Poles 1 22 0
NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series career
102 races run over 11 years
Best finish	1st (2004)
First race	1996 Hanes 250 (Martinsville)
Last race	2006 John Deere 200 (Atlanta)
First win	2000 NAPA 250 (Martinsville)
Last win	2005 UAW/GM Ohio 250 (Mansfield)
Wins Top tens Poles 10 54 5

Charles Robert Hamilton Sr. (May 29, 1957 – January 7, 2007), known as Bobby Hamilton, was a famous American stock car driver and team owner. He won the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. Hamilton also owned his own racing team, called Bobby Hamilton Racing. His son, Bobby Hamilton Jr., also became a NASCAR driver.

Bobby Hamilton is remembered for some exciting wins in the Winston Cup Series. His first big win was in 1996 at the Phoenix track. This was a special moment because it was the first win for the No. 43 Petty car since racing legend Richard Petty last won in 1984. Another memorable win was in 2001 at the Talladega 500. This race was very important because it was the first big race after the sad death of driver Dale Earnhardt. Hamilton won the race without any caution flags, which is very rare. He was so tired after the race that he needed oxygen and gave his interview sitting on the ground.

Early Life and Racing Start

Bobby Hamilton was born in Nashville, Tennessee. He started racing at a young age, at just 14 years old. He raced at the Nashville Speedway USA, which is now called Fairgrounds Speedway. He quickly became a champion there, winning the Late Model Stock Car Championships in both 1987 and 1988. In 1988, he even won four races in one night across three different racing groups! People in NASCAR started to notice him after he raced against famous drivers like Sterling Marlin and Darrell Waltrip in a special event.

NASCAR Career Highlights

From Movie Cars to Racing Stars

Bobby Hamilton got into the top NASCAR series, the Winston Cup, in a very unusual way. He was asked to drive one of the "movie cars" for the 1990 film Days of Thunder. He surprised everyone by qualifying fifth in a car that wasn't even meant to compete! This car was the No. 51 Exxon car, which was driven by the character Rowdy Burns in the movie.

Early Years in NASCAR (1988–1994)

Hamilton first raced in the Busch Series in 1988. He drove for Filmar Racing and finished 14th in his first race. In 1989, he raced full-time in the Busch Series and won his only Busch race at Richmond International Raceway. He also made his Winston Cup debut in the "Days of Thunder" car.

In 1991, he started racing full-time in the Winston Cup Series. He had four top-10 finishes and was named the NASCAR Rookie of the Year. He continued to race in both the Cup and Busch Series over the next few years, joining different teams like SABCO Racing.

Petty Enterprises and Big Wins (1995–2002)

Hamilton's 1997 Winston Cup car

Hamilton at Martinsville in 1997

In 1995, Hamilton joined Petty Enterprises, a famous racing team. He had a great year, finishing in the top 10 ten times. The next year, 1996, was even better. He finished a career-best ninth in the points standings and won his first Winston Cup race at Phoenix. This was a huge win for Petty Enterprises, as it was their first victory since 1983.

He won another race in 1997 at Rockingham. After that, he moved to Morgan-McClure Motorsports in 1998. In their eighth race together, he won from the pole position at Martinsville Speedway, leading most of the race. He finished that season in 10th place in the points.

In 2000, Bobby Hamilton made history. He became one of the few drivers to win a race in all three of NASCAR's top series: the Winston Cup, Busch Series, and the Craftsman Truck Series. He achieved this when he won a Truck Series race at Martinsville. In 2001, he joined Andy Petree Racing and won his final Cup Series race at Talladega. He finished 18th in points that year. In 2002, he had three top-10 finishes but had to miss some races due to a broken shoulder.

Craftsman Truck Series Champion

After his injury and some changes at his Cup Series team, Hamilton decided to focus on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. He drove for his own team, Bobby Hamilton Racing, and even brought his sponsor, Square D, with him. In his first year, he won two races and finished sixth in the points.

The next season, 2004, was amazing! He won four races and became the series champion. This was a special achievement because he was both the owner and the driver of the winning team. It was the first time an owner-driver had won a NASCAR championship since 1992.

In 2005, he started the Truck Series season with a very exciting win at Daytona. He was leading when a crash happened, and it was unclear who won. But after reviewing the race, it was confirmed that Hamilton had crossed the scoring loop first, giving him the victory! He also won at Mansfield that year and finished sixth in the points again.

In 2006, he started three races, but then he was diagnosed with cancer. His son, Bobby Hamilton Jr., finished the season for him.

Illness and Passing

On March 17, 2006, Bobby Hamilton shared that he had been diagnosed with head and neck cancer. He raced that night and then began his treatment.

Another NASCAR driver, Kyle Busch, honored Bobby Hamilton a few months later. For a Truck Series race, Kyle Busch drove a truck that looked like the "Rowdy Burns" car from the Days of Thunder movie, even with the No. 51 on it. This was a special tribute to Hamilton.

Bobby Hamilton returned to the track to oversee his team's work. He knew he wouldn't be able to drive in 2007, so he hired Ken Schrader to drive his No. 18 truck while he continued his cancer treatment. Sadly, Bobby Hamilton passed away on January 7, 2007, at his home in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, surrounded by his family.

Images for kids

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  Hamilton in 1997

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  Hamilton's 1997 Winston Cup car

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  Hamilton at Martinsville in 1997