"I go in every morning and let them pour this crap into me, and feel pretty bad about it -- until I see some 17-year-old going through it all, too," says Bobby Hamilton, regarding the first two weeks of cancer treatment. While visiting his son, Bobby Hamilton, Jr., at Martinsville Speedway yesterday, he was also promoting a charity event he will participate in to benefit the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and the Victory Junction Gang Camp. On May 23, 2006, Hamilton will host a four-hour fan festival at NASCAR SpeedPark at Concord Mills.

Hamilton began treatment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for cancer of the neck. He hopes to return for the season’s final truck race in November in Homestead, Florida. In the meantime, Hamilton is turning his truck over to his son, Bobby Hamilton Jr.

When asked how his treatments were going, he said, "The first week was nothing, I just felt different. Like I'd drunk five gallons of mud. But I felt fine. So this week, me being the arrogant guy I am, I decided I'd go to the Kentucky track with my team testing, changing springs and gears, doing my merry thing. But after a while I was about ready to have them call the ambulance. It knocked all the steam out of me. This is pretty bad stuff." Hamilton is down-to-earth real, and tells it like it is -- cancer treatment is a tough track to drive -- even for a champion.

"As of today, I am a cancer survivor," Bobby Hamilton, veteran NASCAR Truck Series driver said. "All you have to do is pray, that's all." Hamilton does not want anyone, including the media, referring to him as a cancer victim. On Friday, at Atlanta Motor Speedway,  Hamilton announced he will discontinue racing after Friday night's John Deere 200 and begin treatment at Vanderbilt University Medical Center for cancer of the neck. He hopes to return for the season’s final truck race in November in Homestead, Florida. In the meantime, Hamilton is turning his truck over to his son, Bobby Hamilton Jr.

Hamilton began his racing career at Nashville Speedway USA, where he won the track championship in 1987. In 1988, Hamilton got the NASCAR racing world's attention after racing in a special 4-car Superstar Showdown in Nashville against Winston Cup drivers Sterling Marlin, Darrell Waltrip, and Bill Elliott. In 2003, after 12 years and four wins in Winston Cup, Hamilton moved to the Craftsman Truck Series. In 2004, Hamilton won the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship. He currently owns Bobby Hamilton Racing.