KANSAS CITY, KS. – Team Rensi Motorsports is looking for sponsorship for both of their Fords for the 2008 season. President Ronnie Russell said Saturday that the team will not operate next season unless sponsorship is found before the season finale in Homestead.
“Today we don’t have anything. We do have a reasonable commitment from a huge company that we feel good with on Bobby (Hamilton, Jr.)’s car. We feel very good about it but we do not have anything signed,” Russell said.
Prior to the start in Kansas Russell confirmed without hesitation that Hamilton, who is currently sixth in the overall driver standings, will be the driver of the No. 35 barring the sponsorship but as for current driver Richard Johns in the No. 25, that is yet to be determined, based on the funding.
“McDonalds is leaving. FreeCreditReport is leaving. From what we understand with McDonalds is they have always wanted Kasey Kahne. FreeCreditReport, there has been rumblings that they want Greg Biffle. Our sport is being run by about 12 Cup guys, over there and over here. Those 12 guys can’t do all of it. Even when you have 27 Cup guys running, people in the seats don’t come to see 27 Cup guys. They come to see five or six of them. We all know that. All you have to do is look at t-shirt sales,” he explains of the team’s forced financial troubles.
“We get things to where potential sponsors say ‘ We will never see it on TV.’ They won’t show a Busch guy on TV. That affects our sponsorship. We’re 42 points out of fifth place in this series. You would think that you would get something. You never get talked about. It’s like you don’t even exist.”
“I’m trying to work with every angle I can. I’m working with certain celebrities to maybe bring somebody in. If you don’t have a Cup guy you need a celebrity as an owner. You are trying to get in front of people and get talked about.”
What's the best advice you ever received and who was it from?
Bobby Hamilton Jr.: I guess it'd have to be from my dad: just to be myself. It's easier to get people to like you for who you are than to find out later on you aren't that person. It was one of the things he always talked to me about in this line of sports. I'm not your typical really preppy-looking guy. I'm just me. You're going to see me at my restaurant like you see me here. I think that was the biggest thing. It keeps me at peace. If you like me the way I am, you'll like me for a long time, because I'm not going to change, on or off the racetrack.
What was your first car?
Hamilton: It was a Ford Tempo. It was brown, had tan interior. It had like 150,000 miles on it. My uncle was working at a transmission job and he had it down there. They were talking about getting rid of it for $100. I had $100 in my pocket, since I got paid that week. I was down there, washing cars, stuff like that. It was right when I was 16 or 17. That's when I bought my very first car.
Well my man Bobby Hamilton Jr. gave me a little bit more to cheer about on Friday night at Bristol. I was pretty excited when he used a gas mileage strategy to get to 5th place at one point in the race.
A gas mileage strategy at Bristol sounds like an oxymoron. But with the new track configuration that is what he did. That is some pretty smart strategy right there. And in the end it gave him a top 15 finish which isn't bad when there are as many Buschwackers out there as there were on Friday.
Never Give Up! The three words that best describe the effort of McDonald’s NASCAR Busch Series driver Bobby Hamilton, Jr. during Friday Night’s Food City 250 race. After qualifying in the 39th position, Hamilton very easily could have settled in for a long night of racing on the half mile speedway. Instead, he reached down deep and found the ability to pilot his No. 35 Team Rensi Motorsports machine to the front.
“We are happy to start as far back as we did and come home with a 12th place finish,” Hamilton said. “Chris and all the guys on the McDonald’s team gave a strong effort, allowing us to pass so many cars. We needed this run tonight and now we can go to California with some momentum.”
With the 12th place finish, Hamilton remained in sixth place in the season long Busch Series Point’s Championship.
Team McDonald’s NASCAR Busch Series driver Bobby Hamilton, Jr. survived the invasion of 21 Nextel Cup drivers and an ill handling race car to finish 27th at Michigan International Speedway and remain in sixth place in the season long points battle. With the Carfax 250 now in the rear view mirror, Hamilton eagerly awaits Friday night’s trip to the half mile, Bristol Motor Speedway.
“We came here to run better than 27th, so we aren’t happy with the finish,” Hamilton said. “Fortunately we get to race in Bristol next week and that’s a place where we tested at a few weeks ago and found success. We are going to do our best to get the McDonald’s car back up front on Friday Night.”
With two steady road races in a row, McDonald’s NASCAR Busch Series driver Bobby Hamilton, Jr. maintained his sixth place position in the point’s championship race. Saturday’s Zippo 200 was the final road race of the season, a fact that brings a smile to the face of Hamilton. With eleven races remaining on the schedule, Hamilton and the Team Rensi Motorsports group can focus on racing in circles versus the right and left hand turns of road courses.
“Now we can get back to racing oval track racing at Michigan next weekend,” Hamilton said. “We did a good job of keeping our equipment together the last two weeks, now it’s time to get the McDonald’s Ford back inside the top-ten. We are looking forward to the next few weeks and racing our way to fourth or fifth in the point’s race.”
Note: I am missing you guys. My keyboard is not working correctly. I am having to cut and paste the letter "a". That makes it hard to comment and write. Cheers.
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