Josh Hamner

Racing's Newest Member of the Alabama Gang

Full Name: Joshua Lea Hamner

Birthday: April 26, 1987

Hometown: Chelsea, AL

Residence: Chelsea, AL

Marital Status: Single

They are names like Bobby Allison, Donnie Allison, Davey Allison, Neil Bonnett, Red Farmer and others.  They are who everyone called “The Alabama Gang.”    They were some of the best racecar drivers of their times and they all shared the common bond of being from the same area in Alabama.

However, their generation has passed and the next generation of racers is on its way in.  Will someone ever be able to take over the Alabama Gang moniker?

In fact, the 22-year-old Hamner is welcoming the challenge.  He also knows he's got big shoes to fill.

Hamner has had an interesting rise in the racing world, coming from a racing family - one known more for its contributions to the sport off the track rather than on.

Hamner's father, Jeff, was a great racer in his own right, but got out of the driving aspect of the sport to build a solid family life.  In the meantime, Jeff began his own company, Jeff Hamner Racing Engines.  The engine company eventually was built into one of the biggest and best engine builders and suppliers in the Southeast and is a household name to almost every racer in the South.

Young Josh inherited the racing bug from his father, but he wanted to do it behind the wheel.

At the age of eight, Josh began racing go-karts in Florida at Pensacola Raceway Park while living there for a year.

Over the next couple of years, Josh competed at various racetracks around the Southeast in go-karts.  He raced at Talladega (AL) and won an incredible 15 straight races.   He also competed at tracks such as Water Valley, Beaver Creek and Dumplin Valley.   At each track Josh found himself winning races, many times with just the help of his father Jeff. 

For two years, Josh competed in the Tulsa O'Reilly Shootout and represented the state of Alabama, finishing seventh out of 200 carts in his class.

However, in 2000, Josh took a break from racing… at least behind the wheel.

Over the next couple of years, Josh could always be found at a racetrack, but normally as a crew member.  He toured around the Southeast with a number of friends and fellow drivers, learning as much as he could as a crew member along the way.  Josh traveled with the likes of the late Charlie Bradberry, Scott Carlson and JR Norris just to name a few.  In fact, in 2003, Josh was a part of Bradberry's NASCAR Southeast Series Championship team.

In 2003, Josh found it time to return to the seat.  He jumped behind the wheel of a new Pro Late Model at Birmingham International Speedway.  That year, Hamner broke track record after track record.  He earned two poles, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes that year.

In 2004, Hamner continued his career as a Pro Late Model driver, winning two races at Montgomery (AL), another at Birmingham and eventually the World Classic at BIR. 

So that set the stage for a big move to the Super Late Models in 2005.  And Josh has shown no trepidations in getting into some of the most powerful asphalt stock cars around.  Hamner has raced at USA International Speedway, Montgomery, Five Flags Speedway and Birmingham on a regular basis in the Super Late Model, earning poles and top-fives with regularity.

In April 2005, Josh broke the track record for Super Late Models at Birmingham during the “Show Me The Money 200” before finishing third in the feature event.

He also won the World Crown for Pro Late Models at Birmingham, one of the biggest win of his young career.

In 2006, Josh continued his assault on the Late Model ranks, racing in Super Late Model events, Pro Late Model events and ASA Late Model races.  Josh won the ASA Late Model race at Pensacola's Five Flags Speedway.

To start out the 2007 season, Josh grabbed wins at Five Flags, Mobile International Speedway and Birmingham.  A summer of solid finishes was capped of with an impressive sixth place run in the Snowball Derby. 

2008 was a banner year for Hamner, as he captured the Blizzard Series Championship at Five Flags Speedway after scoring a win and three other top five finishes.

Hamner also ran his first ever Pro Cup Series race at the Bristol Motor Speedway (TN).  After qualifying 40th, Hamner rebounded to finish 15th.

In 2009, Hamner will be running for the Gulf Coast Championship Series, which is a combination of the Blizzard Series at Five Flags Speedway, and the Miller Lite Series at Mobile International Speedway.   

The main goal is to win the Snowball Derby in December, an accomplishment that Hamner thinks about daily.

What does Josh's future hold?  Only time will tell.  But his on track prowess and his ability to adapt and his ability to learn has proven that he is not only one of the most talented racers coming up through the ranks, but he may also be one of the smartest. 

In the future, the racing legends of Alabama, the “Alabama Gang,” might just add the name “Hamner” to that list.