McDonald’s NASCAR Busch Series driver, Bobby Hamilton, Jr. climbed to seventh place in the NASCAR Busch Series Point’s Championship following Saturday’s 200 mile race in New Hampshire. With the Cup drivers taking advantage of their two hour practice session on Saturday morning, Hamilton and the remainder of the Busch Series regulars were faced with a tough task of competing with the Cup drivers entered in Saturday’s race.
“We didn’t run as well as I would have liked today,” Hamilton said. “Next week we head to Daytona and our focus will be on the front as we want to continue to gain positions in the point’s race.”
Kevin Harvick captured the checkered flag, holding off Carl Edwards on the final lap. Next week, the Busch Series will compete at Daytona International Speedway on Friday night; check your local listings. for broadcast time in your area.
Saturday's NASCAR Busch Series race, is the Penske 300 at Nashville Superspeedway. Bobby Hamilton, Jr., driver of the No. 35 McDonald's Ford for Team Rensi Motorsports is back in the NASCAR Busch series this season after a two-year absence, and he comes in ranked tenth in points this week. He's a Nashville native and has seven NASCAR Busch Series starts in what he calls his hometown track, has three Top 5 finishes and never started lower than 11th at Nashville Superspeedway. Keep an eye on this Jr. this weekend.
Bobby ran into Ed Rensi at Red Lobster and they got to talking, in Daytona, in 2006. "Ed just come bebopping by and we just happened to catch up. We started talking and he asked me, if I was still interested in driving his car. I told him, any time you've got a seat, I'm there. It kind of went from there."
"Then him and my wife ran into each other at Bristol, and she was over begging him to see if we can come back over there because they were talking about having a third car if they could find a sponsor. It just all happened to work out. He says, do you really want to come back? I told him, yeah, if there's a seat, I'm there, there's no question."
"As I said, we had a couple of different opportunities with another Cup car and a couple other Trucks, and when that seat became available, it was like there was no question. It's one of those where I just felt real comfortable, I knew everybody that was there, I knew management, I knew owners. Everything that makes you feel at ease when you walk in the shop, I already knew. Ed really helped a lot."
Bobby Hamilton Jr. hasn't driven a Busch Series car in two years and some have questioned his comfort level after the absence. Bobby responded, "As I said when we first started, there's no phones to answer, and I'm going to tell you guys that I've had a rough time, and it's not all about my dad (Bobby Hamilton Sr.).
As a young married person Bobby is going through some rights of passage that can be hairy for all of us. Bobby explains, "We've been trying to close on a house, and we finally get into it and then all of a sudden I run down here. We had to be out of our house by Friday and I had to go to the shop and get back down here. We just threw everything in a pile to get out. Then (there's) trying to get moved in and to take care of the stuff with my dad and trying to just get situated again and come down here. I swear it was the biggest relief to put the window net up and it was like being on a beach somewhere by yourself because it was just my thoughts and my race car and I was ready to get back to work.
Bobby is very fortunate to have a beautiful young wife named Stephanie that is from a racing family and is able to give him the support he needs. As Bobby explains it,"We took two days to come here. It was just me and my wife to get away from all of the hoopla and relax. It's funny that you come to work to relax, but I love this stuff. I've got Legend cars at home, Late Models, and I'm trying to fill every day that I've got running just to keep me busy.
We love this stuff. And like I said, there's nothing more relaxing than to put that window net up and there's nobody in there talking to you. It's just you and your spotter and your crew chief, and, to me, that's peace, that's ease."
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.
"But all this must be suffered by those who profess the stern order of chivalry" 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.
