NASCAR driver Pete Hamilton of Duluth, who won the 1970 Daytona 500 driving for Petty Enterprises, died this week.
Hamilton, 74, passed away Wednesday.
Hamilton, a native of Maine who moved to the Buford-Norcross area and built winning cars after his driving days, won four times during a career that spanned six seasons, including twice at Talladega.
He started 64 races in what is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. He won the series’ Rookie of the Year title in 1968.
NASCAR released a statement on Hamilton’s passing:
“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to the friends and family of Pete Hamilton. Hamilton’s career may seem relatively brief at first glance, but a careful study of the gentleman racer makes it abundantly clear that Hamilton achieved excellence during his extraordinary tenure in NASCAR. Hamilton captured the NASCAR National Sportsman championship in 1967, the premier series Rookie of the Year Award in 1968 and an abundance of victories throughout a variety of NASCAR-sanctioned series. But, of course, he will be remembered most fondly for his stirring victory in the 1970 Daytona 500 while driving for the iconic Petty Enterprises race team. And for that, his legend will live forever.”
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