#32-Bobby Hamilton Jr. hurried home from Saturday night's Nextel Cup race in Phoenix to compete at Music City Motorplex [see image of Hamilton's car there] yesterday afternoon, but made an early exit with a badly-rumpled car and equally-ruffled feathers. Hamilton and Mark Day crashed while jockeying for second place just 10 laps into the debut of the track's new All American Late Model Challenge Series. The front of Hamilton's car was crushed and he said he had no control of his steering when he came down pit road and smacked into Day's parked car. 'This is why Mark Day is where he's at now,' said Hamilton, who is in his first full season in NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series. 'Someday when he's sitting around explaining to his kids why he never got anywhere in racing, he can tell them (stuff) like this is why.' Hamilton had planned to run four of the remaining five Challenge Series races, but after yesterday's incident he said: 'I won't be back. If they can't control their competitors any better than this, I don't want any part of it. I come in here on my day off to race and help the track get a little publicity, and something like this happens.' Hamilton claimed the incident was a carryover from a highly-publicized rift between Day and former Fairgrounds driver Deborah Renshaw. Renshaw quit racing at the track because of the controversy and now drives in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series for Bobby Hamilton Sr. 'Day ran off Deborah because he couldn't beat her,' Hamilton said, 'and now he pulls something like this.' The senior Hamilton, who was watching the race from track-side, said: 'Day just put him in the wall.' Day, a veteran racer from Clarksville [TN], was asked to give his version of the incident but declined comment.(in part from the Tennessean)

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Hamilton, Jr.'s first appearance at the famed Nashville Fairgrounds track (now called Music City Motorplex) in years ended with fist flying and police cars cruising the pits. And the incident could lead to Hamilton, Jr. facing an arrest warrant. The incident that got the fracas started began 10 laps into the All-American Late Model Series Challenge when Hamilton and Mark Day’s cars touched on the back straight, shortly before entering turn three. The incident sent Hamilton’s car into the outside wall, severely damaging the front end. With hampered steering, Hamilton limped his car around the track for more than a lap. His crew later said that he was unable to turn the car into the pits, so he was forced to stay on the track. According to Hamilton, he finally regained enough control to navigate onto pit road, where he made contact with Day's car, which was pitted behind Hamilton's stall. One of Day’s crewmembers, William Scogin, who was checking the left front of Day’s car, was slammed into the pit wall by Day’s car when Hamilton’s car hit it. A brawl immediately ensued, with both crews going after each other. The antics caused a red flag that parked the remaining field on the back straightaway until track officials could gain control of the situation. Scogin, who met with Metro Nashville Police at the track, told MTRN that he was considering swearing out a warrant on Hamilton, Jr. for vehicular assault. Day said that he was surprised by Hamilton’s actions after the incident. Day insisted that the on track incident was a racing accident. Hamilton, who started fourth, was racing Day for second at the time of the crash. Hamilton’s crew later claimed that the damage to Hamilton’s car caused the pit road crash and that Hamilton didn’t intend to hit Day’s car.

(Middle Tennessee Racing News)

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