Kierkegaard's Stages
by: 14Falcons
Bobby Hamilton Jr. Returns Home
Jan 26, 2007 | 5:25PM | report this

Today I am continuing to report on an interview that Bobby Hamilton Jr. gave Sunday in Daytona.  Believe me, cleaning up this interview, which was posted in Hamiltonease is no easy task itself.  The self described #### runs a lot of partial sentences together like a lot of us southerners do.  Today's subject is Team Rensi.  Lookout Sterling Marlin, Bobby Jr. is slinging that middle Tennessee accent around a lot like you do and Bill Weber may be imitating him next instead of you.

Much of the personnel at Team Rensi is the same as it was when Bobby Hamilton Jr. drove the No. 25 Marines Ford for Ed Rensi as recently as 2004.  According to Hamilton, "It's Ronnie Russell, and he's kind of the COO (Chief Operations Officer) and President that's running it for Ed.  Rob Winchester was involved with the Marines forever.  He's kind of Ronnie's right-hand man.

I walked in the shop, and the cool thing about it is that it's all people who I've not worked with but ran against in the past.  It's a group of guys that either I used to work with them or ran against them.  And, it was so easy. I walked in and used nicknames from school or nicknames from back in the past that we used, and that's kind of the relationship that we already have.

Whether it's going to be a homerun from the green flag here at Daytona, it's just like anything else, it's a building process.  We will build it.  I think after having the drought of success that I've had in the last two years, nothing burns more than wanting to run good and taking trophies home.

I've been 100 percent focused on trying to learn everything that I can and be involved, not in their business as far as running the team, but just with me and Chris Wright (crew chief) trying to be right-hand men for each other.  He will call me at two or three o'clock in the morning, and I'll call him at two or three o'clock in morning and just bounce ideas off one another.

Chris Wright

Things have changed so much that you can't go off two or three years ago.  It changes every month, and I've told him that I'm not opposed to trying anything.  'Make sure my seatbelts are tight and I'll try it.'  Whatever is going to make it fast, I want to try it and that's what it's about.

Hopefully this can kind of be starting over again.  I think the best part about it is that I've been to all of the tracks.  The only place that I haven't been to is Mexico.  Other than that, hopefully my experience (in Busch Series Racing) from past years, and even in the Cup stuff, that's 500 miles of experience every week that I've learned, can come back and help.

These guys, I can try to feed them as much information as I can.  I'll wear them out.  The minute that I think of something, I'll be over there in the truck and run back out and tell them something else that I remember.  I'll try to feed them everything I can and give them all of the information that I can.  We can build (a relationship) where they can learn me and what I mean by my 'loose' or my 'tight.'

It's the same thing that me and Harold (Holly) had.  We just had that niche from the beginning.  He knew my, 'Dude, I'm going to die if you don't tighten this thing up.'  He knew how bad that was. He knew when I would tell him that I was really good and don't touch it, he knew to go ahead and do this and this.  That was just because we had that communication.

There's no doubt with as smart as Chris is and as good as he gets the cars to drive already that I can't just go in there and fill his brain with me - my #### terms.  That's me, and when he learns that hopefully it will be the same.  Right now as it is, you have to throw this place away because it's all about what you can get away with in tech, or motor. It's not about chassis.  I'm ready to go to California and real race tracks.  Not to throw rocks at this place, but just fast places where you can hang on and make speed and he can help me hang on and make speed."

4 Comments | Add a comment   categories: NASCAR, Busch Series, Team Rensi, Bobby Hamilton Jr., Daytona, Sterling Marlin, Bill Weber, No. 25 Marines Ford, Ed Rensi, Ronnie Russell, Rob Winchester, Chris Wright, Nextel Cup, Harold Holly, California Speedway, Team McDonalds Racing
 
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1steelerfan1
Jan 26, 2007
8:06 PM
If Bobby was to pull up at the drive-thru in his car, do you think they would hear him over the speaker?

14Falcons
Jan 26, 2007
8:46 PM
In Tennessee or in an area generally bounded by the Ohio River on the north, the Atlantic Ocean on the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south and the Mississippi River to the west? Yes. Anywhere else? No.

nphotogr
Jan 27, 2007
2:50 PM
I liked the report on Hamilton Jr. He really is the southern down to earth kind of kid that could make a slash in the cup if he can get money and sponsorship with deep pockets. So far that has eluded him..

Many of the 90 day wonders with the big time teams now in cup has not showed me much.

Last edited by nphotogr on January 27th at 2:53 PM.

14Falcons
Jan 27, 2007
3:12 PM
I am hopeful that with the deal Rensi has with Yates, that he might drive his way back into Nextel Cup but in a Yates car.

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14Falcons
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