WINCHESTER, Ind. – Bobby Hamilton Jr.’s bid for his first full season in a stock car since 2008 took an abrupt and sudden halt entering the ARCA Racing Series event at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.
Hamilton was scheduled for a full season driving the No. 97 Dodge Charger for Carter-2-Motorsports, but 10 races through the ARCA season, the partnership has suddenly ended.
A Carter-2 spokesperson told CATCHFENCE.com that Hamilton will not return to the team and they are seeking other drivers to fill the void. Erik Caudell practiced the car at Winchester in a rain-shortened session, but he isn’t expect to run all 200 laps Sunday.
A source close to the situation added that Hamilton and the team could not come to terms on the remainder of their agreement, which eventually led to their separation with the 37-year-old whom is ninth in the championship standings.
Halfway through the season, the Nashville, Tennessee native posted a season-best eighth place at Toledo Speedway in May after starting 13th. The team also recently acquired the new Ilmor 396 spec engine, which contributed to the recent surge in the team’s on-track performance.
A Lira Motorsports spokesperson also said that Hamilton contacted their organization to put together a third entry for his Winchester debut, but the team could not prepare a car in time. Lira Motorsports scored their first career ARCA victory last Saturday night at Chicagoland Speedway with NASCAR XFINITY Series driver Ryan Reed at the helm. The Mooresville, North Carolina-based team will field an entry for drivers David Levine and Michael Lira on Sunday afternoon.
Carter-2 brought two cars to Winchester this weekend. Morris, Illinois native Alex Clubb is making his ARCA debut in the team’s No. 40 car, but did not post a lap in practice. Clubb also would not specify how many laps he would run Sunday.
Hamilton could not be reached for comment.
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