When Davey Hamilton Jr. makes his return to the 9th annual Pink Lady Classic this weekend, he will be returning home in a myriad of ways.
He will be returning to the state of Idaho, his birthplace. He also will be returning to Meridian Speedway, a track he played at as a youngster while watching his grandfather, Kenny Hamilton, and father, Davey Hamilton Sr., compete at regularly.
“I grew up most of my life as a kid racing in Idaho,” Hamilton explained.
Hamilton now calls Tampa, Fla., home and only makes the trek to Idaho once a year.
“Going back this weekend feels like home from an atmosphere standpoint because all my family is there. But it doesn’t feel like home going back to Meridian Speedway any longer. When my grandfather promoted it as a kid, I spent a lot of time there running around, playing in the tires and stuff like that. Now it’s just different,” Hamilton said.
“I would go there every week with my cousin and stand there and watch my grandpa and dad compete. I remember as a kid the pumpkin races. They used to put out pumpkins in the month of October and flip these boat trailers. It was fun and entertaining as a kid, that’s for sure.”
Hamilton returns home this weekend as one of the hottest pavement sprint car drivers in the nation. He is currently riding a four-race streak that includes three-straight Must See Racing victories and a USAC Silver Crown Series win. He is enjoying a career year and leads the nation with eight total pavement sprint car victories.
He also picked up the Dave Steele 125 victory at Pinellas Park, Fla., in February. He would like nothing more than to add a Pink Lady Classic victory to his list of season accomplishments.
The 26-year-old would like to win the event for several reasons. The event is annually run in honor of the famed Pink Lady 1968 Grant King built pink sprint car that his grandfather has campaigned for nearly 60 years. Hamilton Jr. won the race back in 2016. But the format was different and only paid $3,500 to win.
This year it will pay $27,000 and is a 100-lap affair.
“It’s a different format, but at the end of the day it’s still the Pink Lady Classic. In reality, I’ve won this race before. But it just continues to grow. To win this would be my first huge paying pavement sprint car win,” Hamilton said.
If Hamilton plans on adding another Pink Lady Classic trophy to his collection, he will have his work cut out for him. He is about to face the toughest field of cars he’s seen all season. Already entered are Aaron Willison, Colton Nelson, Tyler Roahrig, Kyle Alberding, Ryan Burdett, Bryan Warf, Cory Lockwood and Casey Tillman, among many others.
“Last year I thought we were very close, but unfortunately, I ended up getting a flat tire. This year it gives us confidence knowing our program as a team is on point. I go into every race trying to get better and wondering how to get better. The competition this weekend is really gonna be tough,” Hamilton said.
“This streak reminds us that we’re on our A-game. But we know it’s not gonna be easy. The West Coast has some solid cars that run there regularly.”
Hamilton will also use this race to promote a race of his own that is scheduled for December. He announced in July details of the “Davey Hamilton Jr’s Open Wheel Showdown” at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dec. 1-2.
The winged asphalt sprint car race will pay $50,000 to win.
Hamilton will leave for Las Vegas directly after the Pink Lady Classic and will stay there until the Showdown.