And even though Hamilton is very much wide-awake, she is never more at peace and at rest than on a race car track. She would live there if she could. Hamilton is looking for sponsorship so that she can be a part of the National Hot Rod Association on a weekly basis.
“It’s a lot of fun. I grew up on drag racing,” says Hamilton, whose father, Skip, used to drag race. That’s how her addiction to tricked-out rides, loud engines and greasy pits developed. “I enjoyed it and loved it ever since I was little. I love the fast cars, the noise. It’s an adrenaline rush.”
Hamilton is trying to take her game to the national level — when she secures more sponsorship. Now she needs sponsors’ names stenciled on the side of her car like the game of drag racing is etched in her heart.
“Ever since I was 7, I’ve wanted to race cars,” Hamilton says.
But, there was that gender thing and initially her father didn’t think little Toy would be interested. “He would prep the boys. But I enjoyed watching. I’ve always been very hands-on. I enjoyed the technical part of it,” she says.
Her technical skills at a young age helped her earn an engineering degree at Prairie A&M University, and go on to work for Intel in Portland, Ore. “But I told my mother one day I would get my own car,” Hamilton prophesized.
To Hamilton, drag racing is the ultimate racing sport. At less than a mile, the race is extremely quick and the gratification is immediate. Plus, the sport is fan friendly.
“Drag racing is a very open sport, to the point where you can just walk up and meet the drivers on the local circuit and on the national circuit,” she testifies. “Whereas [in] other sports — basketball and football — people are guarded and you can’t get close to them. Here, you can go up to the pit and watch them break the car down, put the car up and take pictures with the drivers. It’s a lot of fun.” –terry shropshire
Check out Hamilton
at www.toysracingteam.com.
