SPARTA, KY. - NASCAR Busch Series driver Bobby Hamilton, Jr., gave “Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo” grand marshal and Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory a pace car tour of the race line at Kentucky Speedway during a preview news conference for the June 16 event.
Hamilton, Jr., is racing in the NASCAR Busch Series for the first time since 2004 this season and is reunited with Team Rensi Motorsports, which helped him earn four wins, including a “Meijer 300 Presented by Oreo” title, 13 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes en route to a career-best fourth-place showing in the final 2003 series standings. The 29-year-old driver resident of White House, Tenn., finished 24th in the 2006 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event at the track, but is taking a confident approach to his sixth career start at a facility where he’s led 195 of the 691 NASCAR Busch Series laps he’s completed through four races.
“We’ve won here, so you kind of stick your chest out a little bit, and my team has always run good here,” he said. “It gives you that little extra confidence but it changes. Sometimes you’ll see a guy dominate a track two or three times and then, all the sudden, he can’t fall out of a tree there. “You’ve got to have good pit stops, miss all the wrecks, your car has to be good, your driver can’t make a mistake and you have to capitalize on everyone else’s mistakes. It’s a whole big mixture thrown into a bucket. If you can make all that work, you’ve got a shot at winning this race.”
O.K. guys, now the pressure is on. So how do I respond? Not like I did in Little League when after getting a litle mid-season pub my average plummeted, I hope. Not with a big head either hopefully.
Admittedly, my head is swimming after being listed as one of the top 10 new bloggers to watch by Duddits. O.K. I know his name isn't Duddits, but I recently watched about half of Dreamcatcher on a cheap DVD I bought at Wal-Mart. I guess I got what I paid for when it crapped out half way through the flick. Anyway, remember Duddits? I liked Duddits.
And I accuse edclinch of getting off topic.
Let me lasso the moon here.
O.K.
Got it.
Anyway, I didn't come here to talk about that, I came to talk about the draft.
Nope.
Get the moon again.
Ah, yes.
After my being mentioned by Duddits, my hits went up on my site. That felt great, I must admit. Surprisingly, to me, several of you took an interest in my blog on Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Busch practice at Daytona today.
So, in case your interested, I found a cache of material on line about him today in the form of an interview on BGNRacing.com. Feel free to read ahead if you like, but I think I can get a week of blogging out of it as long as anyone is interested in reading it. All you need to do is make sure you comment if you read it, so I know whether or not to continue. I mean, I like blogging whether or not I get a lot of hits, but it sure is more fun to get the hits. I gare-on-tee.
If you want to follow Busch racing (which is more down to earth like Winston Cup racing used to be for better or worse and that is certainly debatable but not my intent here, however, go for it if you wish) then you might enjoy wading in the fray here with me with Bobby Jr. before the season gets started in about three weeks.
You'll find Bobby Jr. is a down to earth guy with a say what you really think mentality that has served him and his dad very well. And if your ever at his down home on the square cafe in Springfield Tennessee, you might even recognize him as the million dollar race car driver/waiter pouring you a cup of coffee. Now that's down to earth. Come along if you dare.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.
Bobby Hamilton Jr. believes he is right where he belongs. Two weeks after his father and 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton Sr. passed away from head and neck cancer, Hamilton Jr. was behind the wheel of the No. 35 Team Rensi Motorsports Ford during Busch Series testing at Daytona International Speedway. "I'm glad to be back," Hamilton Jr. said. "I walked into the garage and told my wife (Stephanie), this is where I'm supposed to be.
Pretty much my whole career has been in the Busch Series. With everything we've been dealing with I was glad to get to the race track where I don't have to answer phone and do everything else. "It's silly to say you are at work and relaxing at the same time. There was no easier moment than putting up that window net. I was like, now I can go do my deal."
Hamilton Jr. also believes he is with the right team in the NASCAR Busch Series. Between 2002-04, the Team Rensi-Hamilton Jr. partnership produced five victories, four poles and two top-10 finishes in the championship standings. Towards the end of the 2004 season, Hamilton Jr. made the move to the NEXTEL Cup Series with PPI Motorsports and the No. 32 Tide Ford.
But Hamilton Jr. never found any success with PPI Motorsports. In 2006, he filled in for his ailing father in the No. 18 Bobby Hamilton Racing Dodge for most of the season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
"We had our best success together," Hamilton Jr. said of Team Rensi. "Of course after we separated, neither one of us have had success. We've tried to go back and rekindled that I guess."
Hamilton Jr. believes that he and Team Rensi can produce successful results again. "Whether it's going to be a home run from the green flag at Daytona, it's like anything else, it's a building process," Hamilton Jr. said. "We will build it. I think after having the drought of success that I had the last two years, nothing burns more than to run good and take home trophies."
Regarding today's practice, "overall, we just made single-car runs just to make sure that no fenders and stuff like that was rubbing so that we could be ready for the drafting practice after lunch because the good guys are here - the 21 car and 2 and others. We want to make sure that we get that drafting in to make sure we can see what our car is going to do. Nothing towards the guys that are going to be here tomorrow, but the best cars are here today.
Most Interesting Blog, June 16, 2008 and six other occasions. Lisa awarded him Best "breaking news" blogger March 31, 2008. Blog of The Day, Christmas Day, 2007. edhardiman wrote, "Falco's tribute to Rocket Richard reminds us all the stars of today stand on the shoulders of giants..." October 23, 2007. Three Golden Swirrly p00p Awards (Hockey, NASCAR and Use of Graphics), FlyingPig, July 18, 2007. 2007 Memorial Day Weekend Trifecta sponsored by williamwilman . Featured on WFORacingFans April, 2007. "Stylin'" award, Dusty, February 07. "One of ten new bloggers to watch" Dudski, January 2007.
