A year ago today, we lost Bobby Hamilton. The show goes on but it's never been the same without Bobby Hamilton.  A champion on and off the track.  A friend that is missed this and everyday.  As a small tribute to his life and dedication to racing, we offer this story, penned nearly a year ago by John Close.   - Steve Keller, Editor 

Racers accept death on the speedway. It's mortality off the racetrack they have trouble dealing with. Such is the case today as the motorsports community struggles with the passing of Bobby Hamilton, Sr. Hamilton, 49, died Sunday around 3 p.m. at his home in Nashville, TN losing a year-long battle with cancer.

An accomplished driver who got his start at the Nashville (TN) Fairgrounds Speedway, Hamilton broke onto the NASCAR Winston Cup scene when he drove one of the camera cars for the movie 'Days of Thunder.' Piloting the No. 51 Exxon Chevy fielded by Rick Hendrick for Paramount Pictures, Hamilton qualified fifth for the for the 1989 Autowerks 500 at Phoenix (AZ) International Raceway. His car, several hundred pounds heavier than those of his competitors because of the additional camera equipment, provided many of the shots that eventually were edited into the runaway success movie that introduced the sport to millions of people.

Hamilton's Cup career started in earnest a year later when he qualified Gary Bechtel's Diamond Ridge Racing No. 68 Pontiac eighth at Charlotte for the Coca-Cola 600 eventually finishing 39th after crashing out of the event on Lap 102.