As respects are paid to Bobby Hamilton and his family in his hometown near Nashville, Tenn., his life and career are remembered and celebrated. The Bristol Motor Speedway family would like to extend its condolences, thoughts and prayers to the immediate and extended Hamilton Family.

A longtime NASCAR driver in many divisions, Hamilton passed away Sunday after a battle with cancer that symbolized the way that, for anyone who knew Bobby, he attacked everything -- head on.

Bobby competed in 24 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races at Bristol Motor Speedway, the last coming with an 11th-place finish for owner Andy Petree in August of 2002. During that time, he had one top-five and four top-10 finishes. He also ran five NASCAR Busch Series events and three Bristol races in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, in which he won the 2004 championship.

"Bobby Hamilton represented all that is good about NASCAR racing," said BMS President Jeff Byrd. "He was successful on the track but an even better person off the track. He was as competitive as they come but he also knew that it was the fans who built the sport he loved, so he always had time for them. He will certainly be missed by everyone in the Bristol Motor Speedway family."

In a modern era, Bobby symbolized the history of NASCAR, learning his trade on the short tracks of Tennessee and working on his own race cars. In the future, he will be missed.

Rest in peace Bobby Hamilton.