Bobby Hamilton a four-time winner in the Nextel Cup Series, died Sunday, according to The Tennessean. He was 49.
Hamilton, a native of Nashville, had been battling cancer for nearly a year. He announced in March 2006 that he was undergoing treatment for neck cancer. He immediately turned over his driving duties in the Craftsman Truck Series to his son, Bobby Jr.
Hamilton quit driving in the Cup Series after the 2002 season to focus on his thriving Craftsman Truck Series team. He went on to win the Craftsman Truck Series title in 2004.
Hamilton probably is best known for the unusual way he broke into NASCAR's top series. He served as a stunt driver for the 1990 movie Days of Thunder, performing so well that he was soon hired to run the Cup Series full-time. He went on become Rookie of the Year in 1991.
His big break, however, came in 1995 when Hamilton was hired to drive the No. 43 of Petty Enterprises. He resurrected the ailing team with 10 top-10 finishes in 1995, and in 1996, he won at Phoenix, which helped him finish a career-best ninth in points.
After winning at Rockingham in 1997, Hamilton moved to Morgan-McClure Motorsports for the 1998-2000 seasons. His only win during that time came in 1998 at Martinsville.
Hamilton wrapped up his Cup career with a two-year stint with Andy Petree. He won at Talladega in 2001 in a thrilling race that went green the entire way. The win was Petree's first as a car owner, and Petree celebrated by diving across the hood as Hamilton drove into Victory Lane.
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