BUSCH: Bobby's wife Stephanie Hamilton debuts at Riverview Speedway

Wife of NASCAR Busch Series driver, Bobby Hamilton, Jr. makes racing debut this weekend.

Mooresville, NC (October 2, 2002) - Stephanie Hamilton, wife of NASCAR Busch Series driver, Bobby Hamilton, Jr. who drives the No. 25 Team Marines Ford Taurus, will make her racing debut on Saturday, October 5, 2002 at Riverview Speedway in Carthage, TN in the Junior Late Model Division event.

Just like her husband, Hamilton will sport the No. 25 as well as carry the colors of the United States Marine Corps. In fact, Hamilton's No. 25 Team Marines Dodge Avenger is an exact replica, but on a smaller scale, to the No. 25 Team Marines Ford Taurus her husband drives for Team Rensi Motorsports.

Hamilton's racing debut has quickly become a family affair.

"The whole family has gotten pretty excited over it. Bobby will be the crew chief and "Big Bobby" (Bobby Hamilton, Sr., driver of the No. 55 Square D Chevrolet in the NASCAR Winston Cup Series), if he can make it, will be kind of like the assistant crew chief. However, I have a feeling he'll end up as "the" crew chief because I may have to fire my husband," she laughs. "I don't know if I can take him calling the shots."

Hamilton, who has been in some way associated with racing for a large part of her life, has always thought it would be a thrill to climb in a race car and see what she could do.

"I have always wanted to race," said Hamilton. "I have been around it my whole life but always as a spectator. I decided it was time to give it a shot. I told Bobby what I wanted to do and he was 100% supportive. So we went out and bought a car a few weeks ago. Bobby and a couple of the guys that work on his Late Model team, including my brother, have been working on it in their spare time to get it ready for this weekend. It really all came about pretty quickly."

Hamilton, Jr. is tickled by his wife's enthusiasm.

"This will be a different experience for me," said Hamilton, Jr. "Suddenly I am going to be on the other side watching like she is every week. I'm excited for her. People keep asking me if I am nervous about my wife climbing into a race car and they have a hard time believing that I am really not. I mean, have you SEEN my wife on top of the pit box yelling every week? Believe me, if I mess up during a race and lose a position or two, I hear about it afterwards. And I listen to her. I take that advice and trust what she says. With her enthusiasm and drive to succeed, it wouldn't surprise me a bit if she went out there and won this thing on her first try."

-tr-