Pete Hamilton (born July 20, 1942 in Newton, Massachusetts) is a retired American NASCAR racer. He won four times in his career (including the 1970 Daytona 500), 3 times driving for Petty Enterprises. His father was a Ph.D. from Harvard University.
Racing career
Hamilton began racing in the street division in 1962 at Norwood Arena.<ref name=NEAR>Biography at the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame, Retrieved October 3, 2007</ref> In 1965 he was the Thompson World Series Twin 50s champion. He won the 1967 NASCAR National Sportsman division in 1967.<ref name=NEAR />
After that season he moved south to race in NASCAR. He started racing in the NASCAR Grand National (now Sprint Cup) division in 1968, and was the series Rookie of the Year.<ref name=NEAR /> In 1969 he competed in NASCAR's Grand American division, a division of smaller pony cars.<ref name=NEAR /> He won 12 of 26 races that year and won the series championship.<ref name=NEAR />
He had 3 wins in 1970 for Petty Enterprises in the #40 Superbird. He won the 1970 Daytona 500 and both races at Talladega Superspeedway.<ref name=NEAR /> He won his fourth race of the season at the July Daytona race in Cotton Owens' car.<ref name=NEAR /> Hamilton won his Twin 125 mile qualifying race for the 1971 Daytona 500.<ref name=NEAR /> He retired from full-time racing in 1971 because of a neck injury suffered in a Grand American race in 1969.<ref name=NEAR />
Hamilton won the 1974 Snowball Derby in his late model racecar.
Car builder
After he retired, he became a successful car builder. <ref name=NEAR />
Career award
He was inducted in the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in 1998, its first class.<ref name=NEAR />
References
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