By The Associated Press

Go ahead, call it the retirement series. That description doesn’t bother reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion Bobby Hamilton.

Hamilton’s plan when he purchased a race truck nine years ago was to build a team for which son Bobby Hamilton Jr. could be the driver. At the time, the elder Hamilton was a regular in NASCAR’s top stock car series and in the midst of the most successful stretch of his career.

But, when he found himself without a ride in the Cup series two years ago, Hamilton wasn’t ready to call it quits. Like so many other former Cup drivers, he jumped behind the wheel of a truck – one owned by his growing racing team.

“I ran this deal three years out of my pocket. It was a lot easier when I was making a lot of money driving that Cup car to finance this thing,” he said. “It’s become a business, and what I do for a living. So I’m not about running it out of my pocket as a hobby anymore.”

With elder statesmen such as Hamilton, Ted Musgrave, Mike Skinner, Jack Sprague, Ron Hornaday and Dennis Setzer already driving trucks – and finishing high in the standings – and Jimmy Spencer and Ricky Craven among new full-timers in 2005, it’s no wonder some refer to it as the retirement series.

“It makes no difference. We all love what we do,” Hamilton said. “It’s just that simple. We just love to race.”

At 47, Hamilton last year become the oldest truck champion when he won four races, matching the number of wins he had in 337 Cup races during 14 years. There were also 12 top-five finishes in the 25-race season.

Hamilton begins defense of his title in Friday night’s season opener at Daytona International Speedway.

Besides the No. 4 Dodge the owner drives, Bobby Hamilton Racing has Chase Montgomery in the No. 18 truck, with Casey Atwood driving the first three races in the No. 04 before rookie Timothy Peters takes over. Not to mention Deborah Renshaw in a driver development program entry.

The balancing act of driver and owner has been pretty easy.

“I can flip a switch pretty good when I go home and sign bills and look over parts and things like that. It’s a business,” Hamilton said. “But when I strap that helmet on, I am having a blast right now because I am competitive, no matter what series it is.

“Still, Kevin Harvick comes in, Tony Stewart comes in, and Ken Schrader and all these guys come in and they have to outrun one guy now. It makes me feel good.”

The initial reason for Hamilton’s truck purchase never developed.

Bobby Jr. ran only two truck races for his father. He then moved to the Busch Series, where he won five times, and is going into his second Nextel Cup season driving for Cal Wells.

“He’s moved on, and that’s good,” the elder Hamilton said. “I’m hoping down the road someday, two or three years down the road, we may cross paths again. If we don’t, I’m still building this organization to own my own Cup deal … hopefully a year or so after I quit driving trucks where I can focus on being an owner.”

The elder Hamilton’s best Cup stretch was three seasons with Petty Enterprises (1995-97), when he had two wins and 13 of his 20 career top-five finishes. It was during that period that he bought his first truck with a friend, and began making plans for one or two races.

After his final Cup season with Andy Petree in 2002, Hamilton said there were other opportunities to drive in the top series – but none that he felt provided realistic chances to win races.

“I finally just washed my hands with it and said I’m not going to ride around and draw a paycheck,” he said. “I’m going to go somewhere, because when you got into racing at 16 years old, you done it because it felt good to win.”

And still does more than three decades later in a truck.