Hamilton, Jr. Finishes Strong in Charlotte Race

As the 2008 NASCAR Busch Series heads down the homestretch with only four races remaining, Bobby Hamilton, Jr. and The McDonald’s Ford seem to be finding their groove.  In Friday Night’s Dollar General 300, Hamilton battled a field of loaded with Nextel Cup Drivers to record a strong 16th place finish.  The No. 35 Ford performed well throughout the night and the pit crew turned in another solid effort for Hamilton.

Earlier in the afternoon, Hamilton qualified in the 23rd position, setting himself in the middle of the 43 car pack for the night time race.  From the drop of the green flag, Hamilton drove consistent laps and worked hard to race around the top-ten all night.  A late caution flag shook the field up late in the race, preventing Hamilton from finishing in the top ten.

“We ran well tonight, we are gaining each week on all these Cup team,” Hamilton said. “Every race we learn something new to apply for the future. Our McDonald’s team had another solid weekend here.”

Nextel Cup driver Jeff Burton earned the victory on the 1.5 mile superspeedway.  Following a weekend off, the series will return to action in Memphis, TN.   Nextel Cup driver David Ragan finished in the top-ten and now leads Hamilton by 35 points for the fifth position in the point’ race.  Hamilton aims to regain those points in Memphis as he returns to the site of one of his four wins in 2003 with Team Rensi Motorsports.