Charlotte: Bobby Hamilton preview

Hamilton ready for Charlotte after several weeks off

My Favorite Place to Win

"I want to win at Lowe's Motor Speedway. That track just has something about it that makes it prestigious. To me it's like how everyone wants to win Daytona, I want to win here. To take our Square D Dodge to victory lane the first time the trucks have raced in Charlotte would be a huge boost for our team. After this huge break we've had, I'm ready to start off the steady part of the season with a bang." Realistically Speaking

"I've told people that I want to finish in the top five all season and I realistically think we can do it. I realize there are going to be times that something tears up or we miss a setup and it will be hard for us to get a top five. But honestly I think our team has the capability to finish strong every race we enter. I'll really go out on a limb and say I think we are capable of winning a lot more this year. That is how much faith I have in Newt (Moore) and this Square D Dodge. We went into the season with our goals right in front us. And when we set those goals, each person wanted them as bad as the other did. So we are committed to working harder to get this championship.

From Pit Box to Over the Wall

Until further notice Crew Chief Newt Moore will take over the position of Rear Tire Changer for the Square D Racing Team. Previously Moore served as a tire changer when he worked for Filmar Racing and driver Kenny Wallace. The seasoned veteran will now jump back over the wall until a new hire can start in June. "We've been practicing for several weeks now and are staying pretty consistent," Moore said. "I'm excited to do it and thanked Bobby for the opportunity to try out. If we can do stops like we have been at the shop, we'll be fine. I've enjoyed getting back into it again. This is the fun part for me." Notes:

*Hamilton is the current point leader over driver Rick Crawford by 39 points.

*The Square D driver is the only competitor in the Craftsman Truck Series circuit to have led a lap in each of the first four races.

* He is also the only driver who has finished in the top five in all four of the Craftsman Truck Series races.

* While testing on May 5th and 6th Hamilton turned the fastest lap on the 1.5-mile oval with a time of 31.18 seconds.

Multi-Task Experience Needed: "I won't just go out there and hire anybody who walks into my shop even if we are running low on people. There are so many teams who hire a person who can only do one thing in the shop. They say, 'Well I do shocks, or I do tires.' And I say well if you can't do shocks full time and fill in on setting the truck up, be willing to help clean out the hauler, run to the parts store for something or sweep the shop if that is what is best for the team, then I don't need to hire you. At BHR we hire people who can fill in for others. That way if something happens and one person has to move around a little bit it doesn't knock the whole system off."

Among the Elite: This weekend's Inaugural Hardee's 200 at Lowe's Motor Speedway is going to bring racers out of the wood works to participate in the 134-lap race. Hamilton will be competing against several Winston Cup regulars for the night's event that starts after The Winston qualifying. Ken Schrader, Ted Musgrave, Kevin Harvick, Jimmy Spencer, Jason Leffler and Hamilton have all competed full-time in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series at one time in their career, but will take to the track for the first time in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series history at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

-bhr-