Josh Hamner Enters 2010 as a Free Agent Driver
Chelsea, Alabama, Driver Parts Ways with Reuse Motorsports Team
After having a highly successful season in the ASA Late Model Challenge ranks in 2009, Josh Hamner and team owners Bobby and Roger Reuse have decided not to return together as a team in 2010. The “Air Company” race team raced in all nine of the ASA Late Model Challenge events and even scored a dominating win at Salem Speedway in Indiana. 2010 expectations were high until the Reuse family decided to pursue other business opportunities in the immediate future - leaving Josh without a ride.
“I have to thank Bobby and Roger Reuse for giving me an opportunity to race for them,” said Hamner. “It was great for them to take me on as a driver and take on the ASA Late Model Challenge Series. We had a good year. We got ourselves a win at Salem. Do to some circumstances, we didn’t visit victory lane quite as often as we wanted to, but we had a lot of fun.”
Josh list himself now as a “Free Agent” hoping that someone might be able to come along and offer up a solid opportunity to run in the ASA Late Models ranks or elsewhere in the Late Model racing world. Preliminary plans for 2010 are to run locally at Montgomery and other Southeast tracks, but Hamner is keeping his options open.
“Racing is a hobby for a lot of people, but it’s my life,” said Hamner. “I am looking to be a driver for someone else if the right opportunity comes along, but going to the racetrack and working with teams and younger drivers is some thing I love to do. If a ride comes along where it’s a set number of races, or a full series with another team, then you can almost guarantee that there would be backing from the family business.”
Josh, of course, is tied in with Hamner Racing Engines, which is run by his father Jeff Hamner, who had a highly successful season in 2009. With championships in the Gulf Coast Series, Blizzard Series and event the Snowball Derby it shows that the Hamner name is synonymies with winning. Josh himself was the 2008 Blizzard Series champion at Five Flags Speedway (FL).
The split between the two parties was on good terms. In fact, Bobby Reuse still plans on helping Hamner out at the track when he can in 2010.
“We are going to stay in touch and offer support to him with our truck and trailer among other things,” said Bobby Reuse. “I myself even plan on going to a few races with him and maybe will spot for him. We are just not going to be fielding a race team this season and I am not going to be the car owner. Josh is such a motivated person. He is 100 percent dedicated to racing. He is focused and dedicated to the sport and wants it to be his life worse then anyone I have ever known.”
Hamneris now entertaining ideas and option for the 2010 racing season after finishing third in the final ASA Late Model Challenge Series point standings. Hamner will attend the banquet this weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.
For more information on Josh Hamner, contact Matt Kentfield at (704) 788-2134 x 2. or visit his website at joshhamner.com
