From the Tennessean

NASCAR veteran Bobby Hamilton continues to undergo chemotherapy treatments for cancer discovered earlier this year, according to a press release from Bobby Hamilton Racing on Wednesday.

The 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and his doctors were optimistic in August after extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the release said, but microscopic cancer cells still remained in the right side of his neck.

Hamilton “is continuing his chemotherapy treatment and has gone through several procedures to keep the cancer at bay,” the release said.

Hamilton, a Nashville native and one of Tennessee’s most successful and popular racers, recently hired NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader to drive for his Mt. Juliet-based truck series team next season.

In the press release, Hamilton said his battle with cancer is a “private matter” and thanked a number of his supporters “from the bottom of my heart.”

“I have great people surrounding me at BHR who really stepped up to the plate to ensure that my company is on the right track for 2007 and beyond,” Hamilton said. “ … I’m still here, despite what people say, and I’m still calling the shots around BHR. Our sponsors have been very understanding and their support is tremendous. We will continue to be a championship caliber team.”

As for his fight with cancer, Hamilton said: “We are going to continue to search for the best available treatment for my form of cancer. I have flown to several places for other opinions. We know there are some of the brightest minds in the world working on a cure for cancer. I didn’t want to be labeled as a victim when I announced it and I sure won’t lie down and be a victim now.”



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