Bobby Hamilton Racing is no more. The team, run by Hamilton’s widow, closed up shop last week.<\/p>\n
I guess the reason was lack of sponsorship. Without Hamilton running the operation, I’d suspect that sponsors weren’t exactly breaking the doors down.<\/p>\n
One also has to wonder about the management. You had to know something was up with the organization when Bobby Hamilton, Jr. washed his hands of the operation.<\/p>\n
I remember when the Truck Series came to Nashville Speedway USA for the first time in 1996. It was when they still had “half times” during the races, where they would stop the race in the middle so teams could do unhurried pit stops. It also meant that teams didn’t have to spend a ton of money on pit crews.<\/p>\n
Bobby Hamilton was there with a truck for that first NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at the Fairgrounds. He wasn’t driving it; he left that up to his Nashville Late Model driver Casey Atwood. His pit crew consisted of himself and maybe two other people. They didn’t have a pit box, just a small tool box. Unfortunately, Atwood got caught up on a wreck early and exited after 5 laps. But still, it was pretty incredible being there at the beginning of what would become Bobby Hamilton Racing.<\/p>\n
Bobby Hamilton was always helping local racers. He pretty much gave Casey Atwood his start at Nashville. He even loaned a car to Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in a Late Model race one year at Nashville. Earnhardt’s car was destroyed in a fire during practice, and Hamilton let him use one of Atwood’s backup cars.<\/p>\n
It’s a shame that his race team couldn’t be saved, but I guess it’s better this way than trying to run a team that’s nothing but an also-ran.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bobby Hamilton Racing is no more. The team, run by Hamilton’s widow, closed up shop last week. I guess the reason was lack of sponsorship. Without Hamilton running the operation, I’d suspect that sponsors weren’t exactly breaking the doors down. One also has to wonder about the management. You had to know something was up … <\/p>\n