"1970 Daytona 500 Winner" Pete Hamilton Dies - March 21, 2017

July 20, 1942 - March 21, 2017

Peter Hamilton

(Photo;"Pete Hamilton with his Petty Enterprises 1970 Plymouth Superbird." by Skeensss)

Born in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.

Pete began racing in the street division in 1962 at Norwood Arena. In 1965, he was the Thompson World Series Twin 50s champion. He won the NASCAR National Sportsman division in 1967.

He started racing in the NASCAR Grand National division in 1968, and was the series Rookie of the Year. In 1969, he competed in NASCAR's Grand American division, a division of smaller pony cars. He won 12 of 26 races that year.

He had 3 wins in 1970 for Petty Enterprises in the #40 Plymouth Superbird with Maurice Petty as his crew-chief. He won the 1970 Daytona 500 and both races at Talladega Superspeedway. He won his fourth race of the season at the July Daytona race driving for Cotton Owens.

In 1971 Hamilton won one of the Twin 125 mile qualifying races for the Daytona 500. He retired from full-time racing later in 1971 because of a neck injury suffered in a Grand American race in 1969. Hamilton later won the 1974 Snowball Derby in his own late model car.

After he retired, he became a successful car builder. He was inducted in the New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame in 1998, its first class.

Hamliton died on March 21, 2017 at the age of 74.

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