Sad news from the truck series: Hamilton: I have cancer Former Truck Series champ out of truck after Friday's race at AMS HAMPTON, Ga. -- Bobby Hamilton has never been one to wear his emotions on his sleeve, but even he had a hard time holding back tears when he announced on Friday that he has been diagnosed with neck cancer. But Hamilton retained the tears -- and his humor. "It's called head-and-neck cancer. I don't have anything wrong with my head, but [Ken] Schrader said a lot of people would doubt that," said Hamilton. Hamilton, 48, will begin radiation and chemotherapy treatment on Monday at Vanderbilt Medical Center in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn. He had a tumor removed from his neck on Feb. 8, and said Friday his blood count is normal. "I have always been sort of a survivor," said Hamilton, who emerged from a difficult Nashville upbringing to become a four-time winner in NASCAR's top division. "I was on the street when I was 13, 14 years old, ending up doing what I did and got a chance to race with the best racecar drivers in the world." Hamilton considered racing while undergoing treatment, but when he starting studying the side effects, he changed his mind. He will instead focus on treatment and promoting cancer awareness. "I want to use what little bit of celebrity status I have left and try to promote the awareness of this disease," Hamilton said. "Out of respect for everyone I race against, I didn't think it was fair for my competitors to even think there was a problem." His son, Bobby Hamilton Jr., will drive the No. 18 Dodge for the remainder of the season, but the elder Hamilton said that he is aiming to return to racing by November. He will continue to attend races as a truck owner. "I am going to have to be in bad shape not to be there," said Hamilton. "I feel out of place if I am not around it. It is going to have to be about death for me not to be there, and I don't foresee that happening."
Bill Lester stole the show from pole-winner Kasey Kahne on Friday at Atlanta Motor Speedway, earning a spot in the Golden Corral 500 to become the the first black driver to qualify for a race in NASCAR's top series in nearly 20 years. On Friday night, Todd Bodine held off the challenges of Mark Martin and Johnny Benson to win the Craftsmen Truck Series John Deere 200. - Spydertrader
Formula One News This morning, Giancarlo Fisichella qualified on the Pole for Sunday's Race - The Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix. American Scott Speed rolls off the grid 17th. - Spydertrader
Amazingly, Hamilton plans to beat Cancer, and then, return to racing trucks sometime during the November time frame. One hell' uva guy there. - Spydertrader
Am I the only one who found Lester's qualifying on Friday a bit suspicious? Here is a middle-aged guy who has had a lackluster performance in the truck series without a single win. Then in his first ever nextel cup qualifying attempt, he posts the best speed out of all drivers who needed to qualify to make the field, right when all the cameras are watching. I love nascar, but the organization is notorious for favoring certain cars in key events. The most blatant example would be when Earnhardt Jr won the first Daytona race after his father's death. His car was so fast that day, it could pass other cars without a single drafting partner, and this was a restrictor plate race. Watch a replay of the last few laps for a good chuckle. Anyways, I wouldn't be surprised at all if nascar gave Lester's car a bit of extra juice on qualifying day. Personally, I would love to see more minorities in the sport to break up the current cracker-fest, but this example smells.
How did this car do in qualifying at Fontana and Vegas, two similar tracks? Lester is pretty experienced, so it is not inconceivable that he qualified the car legitimately, but it is also far from inconceivable that inspectors didn't exactly give his car the same once over they give the 48.
Neither the #23 car, nor Bill Lester, attempted to qualify this year at either Las Vegas or Fontana. However, I cannot say where the chassis (number 62 according to reports) may have been used for other qualifying attempts (Michael Waltrip (55), Dave Blaney (22)). Sterling Marlin did qualify the #23 Waste Management Chevrolet at Daytona, but a restrictor plate chassis obviously differs greatly from a chassis for a 1.5 mile oval. No doubt, Bill Lester's Qualifying Run raised more than a few eyebrows. Since Lester hasn't exactly lit the track on fire down in the Craftsmen Truck Series, his effort remains all that more astonishing when one considers Bill Lester out qualified such high profile drivers as Matt Kenseth, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Surely, such an effort stands as a source of pride. However, to quote the often maligned movie Days of Thunder, "Let's see how he does with [42] other cars on the track." I'd like to see the guy do well. - Spydertrader