A hand-written letter from legendary Sprint Car owner Al Hamilton arrived at Fred Rahmer’s house last Friday.
It was addressed to Rahmer’s son, Freddie. The correspondence included kind words, congratulations, and a crisp $100 bill.
Hamilton didn’t lose a bet on a football game. There was no IOU from a previous engagement. This was typical of the Hall of Fame owner. He sent similar letters to both Brandon and Freddie Rahmer after each one of their Victory Lane appearances.
It wasn’t something that was expected. Hamilton, who died Monday at age 91, did it on his own accord, showing that he was not only hard working and determined in every aspect of his successful life, but also generous.
“When my boys won a race, every time he gave them a hand-written letter with $100 bill,” Fred Rahmer said Tuesday. “Freddie got the win at Susky [BAPS Motor Speedway] a few weeks ago, and it came last Friday.
“That meant more to me than anything he ever did for me when I was driving for him. I just thought it was really cool.”
The eldest Rahmer started driving for Hamilton in 1996 and raced the iconic red No. 77 for almost six seasons. The team racked up 143 victories and became one of the most successful combinations in central Pennsylvania history.
But Rahmer wasn’t the only driver who was part of the Hamilton success story. Mitch Smith, Lynn Paxton, Keith Kauffman, Stevie Smith, Lance Dewease, and Greg Hodnett, among others, helped Hamilton rack up 400 wins and 23 championships as an owner.
“I think Al Hamilton and Bob Weikert made central Pennsylvania racing,” Dewease said. “I think they were such driven men and didn’t want to lose. They created what we have now.
“Our area is very hard to win in when the outsiders come in here. They beat us more than we beat them, but there is no other area that beats them as much as we do. You had a lot of other owners back then, but those two got us recognized and put us on the map.”
Hamilton started his racing career behind the wheel of a stock car in the 1950s. Success followed, and in 1960, he won 24 of his 36 starts. Seven years later, the Clearfield, Pa., ace tried his hand in a Sprint Car.
There wasn’t much of a learning curve. Hamilton finished fifth at Selinsgrove in his debut, and it was at that point that he decided to be an owner.
Mus Weyant drove Hamilton’s first race in the ownership role. Bill Bannick and J.D. Leas sat behind the wheel followed, with Rick Schmelyn Sr. and Bobby Gerhart Sr. sharing duties the following year. In 1969, Bobby Adamson drove the car and accounted for 27 victories.
After a host of drivers, including Smokey Snellbaker, Jan Opperman, Kramer Williamson, and Lynn Paxton, to name a few, piloted Hamilton’s car, he took a six-year break from the sport. He returned in 1983 with Paxton as the driver, and the duo won 13 races, including the Williams Grove National Open.
Keith Kauffman was the next standout, and he parked Hamilton’s car in Victory Lane just over 80 times. Stevie Smith followed, and after one season, the Hamilton-Smith combo hit the road with the World of Outlaws.
Smith and Hamilton combined for 44 wins in seven seasons, including 25 while traveling with the Outlaws. In 1992, Smith finished second to Steve Kinser in the point standings.
After short stints by Dave Calaman and Danny Lasoski, Fred Rahmer hopped in the car in 1996. The team posted 143 wins, including 12 victories in a row at Lincoln Speedway during the 1998 campaign.
“He bumped the level of competition up and made everyone else step up to the plate,” Rahmer said. “It wasn’t just Pennsylvania. He had a car with the Outlaws for a long time and fielded great cars for generations.
“It was definitely a shame when we lost him in our sport, and it’s really a shame now, but I have nothing but good memories. Everybody said he was tough to drive for, but he gave you everything you asked for, which ended every excuse you could have.”
Hamilton favored local talent, and that showed again after Rahmer left the team. Dewease followed and responded with 43 wins in three seasons, including a victory against the Outlaws in the prestigious Williams Grove National Open.
After Dewease, Greg Hodnett filled the driver’s seat. The team struggled a bit but still managed to produce 24 victories over two seasons before Hamilton decided to call it a career after finishing the 2006 season.
“I was fortunate to drive for one of the greatest car owners ever,” Dewease said. “Me, Fred, Stevie, we were all fortunate enough to drive for him when we were local talent. He could’ve very easily gone and got talent elsewhere, but he mainly stayed local most of the time.
“He helped all of our careers, and he was an amazing guy. His work ethic was unbelievable … he was still 77 years old and running the equipment, at times, just because he liked to do it.”
Continued Dewease, “If people don’t know how he started and what he got to, they need to see his story. It’s pretty amazing. It’s the American dream.”
Hamilton is the perfect example of what can be accomplished in this country with hard work, effort, and vision. There were no excuses.
The car owner many fans saw wasn’t born into wealth. Hamilton worked around coal mines and started his company, Hamilton Contracting Company, by collecting useable coal from the scrap piles around the trucks that were loaded.
Eventually, Hamilton purchased the mines. He made his business successful and later founded several automobile businesses and a real estate development company.
“Al did some crazy stuff, but he never asked you to do something he wouldn’t do himself,” Rahmer said. “He could run any piece of equipment.
“He was a good guy. Racing aside, he was a success story. He left Clearfield and came down to Lancaster and was more successful. Everyone can make excuses on why you can’t, and guys like him are figuring out ways to get it done.”
Hamilton will forever be known for his wins and championships. The numbers are so large that they can’t be overlooked.
But the people who were close to Hamilton know him for much more. Sure, he was competitive and hated losing, but he was equally compassionate and charitable to people he came in contact with.
“If you know his history, it’s pretty amazing where he started and where he ended up,” Dewease said. “He was competitive and didn’t like to lose, but he was also a very kind and caring man, too. A lot of people probably didn’t get to see that side.
“I was fortunate enough to spend three years with him, and I enjoyed it. Our performance might not have been what he wanted to see, and that is why he made a change. I can’t fault him one bit, and we still got along the day after he fired me. He had a great family, and all and all, they are good people.”
Rahmer remembers all the wins and success on the track, but he also can recall the little things Hamilton did that gained little fanfare. Things like giving everyone on the team $5,000 at the end of the year or sending a special note to one of Rahmer’s sons.
“It’s a terrible thing, and I wish he was still here,” Rahmer said. “The only thing that would be worse is if he was suffering, because if you knew Al, sitting around wasn’t his deal.
“I’m just glad that he didn’t suffer. I drove for enough great people, but he gave us an exceptional ride and put us on the map. He will be missed.”