Davey Hamilton Jr Bio
David Jay Hamilton Jr., known as Davey Hamilton Jr., is an American racing driver born on March 15, 1997, in Idaho. He currently competes in Indy NXT, driving for Cusick Motorsports and HMD Motorsports. A third-generation racer, he is the son of former Indianapolis 500 competitor Davey Hamilton and the grandson of racer Ken Hamilton. Over the course of his career, Hamilton has built a reputation in midgets, sprint cars, the Stadium Super Trucks, and the Indy Lights ladder.
Early Life and Background
Hamilton was born and raised in Idaho, where he grew up surrounded by motorsports. As a third-generation racing driver, he was introduced to the sport at a young age through his father and grandfather, both of whom raced at high levels. He began his competitive career in karting at his local kart track near Star, Idaho, where he developed the fundamentals that would shape his future on track.
His early progression through the open-wheel ladder included the USAC Midgets, where he finished eleventh in the Ford Focus Midwestern Pavement division in 2011. He improved to sixth in the same series in 2012, showing steady development as a young driver. By 2015, Hamilton was winning regional sprint car titles, demonstrating that the family racing pedigree was matched by genuine talent behind the wheel.
Path to NASCAR
Although Hamilton’s career has been built primarily in open-wheel racing, he made a brief appearance in stock car competition. In 2017, he drove in one NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race, marking his only known start in a NASCAR national ladder series. The event was a short detour from his main open-wheel path, but it added variety to his early resume and exposed him to the heavier, more brutish style of stock car racing.
Davey Hamilton Jr Career
Early Career (2011–2015)
Hamilton’s earliest documented results came in the USAC Midgets, beginning with an eleventh-place finish in the Ford Focus Midwestern Pavement division in 2011. He climbed to sixth in the same series the following year, building a foundation in pavement open-wheel racing. In 2015, he won the King of the Wing Western Sprintcar Series, signaling his arrival as a serious contender in regional sprint car competition.
That same year, he began testing an Indy Lights car with McCormack Racing, taking a significant step toward the national open-wheel ladder. The testing program was aimed at preparing him for a full 2016 Indy Lights campaign, although his series debut was eventually delayed until the season finale. Even before his Lights debut, Hamilton had already established himself as one of the most promising pavement sprint car talents in the country.
Indy Lights / Indy NXT Breakthrough (2016–2025)
Hamilton made his Indy Lights debut in 2016 at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with McCormack Racing, after a planned full-season entry did not materialize earlier in the year. He returned to the series in 2018, when Team Pelfrey announced that he would compete in that year’s Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following a rookie test at Kentucky Speedway. The team also indicated plans to add more appearances in 2018 and 2019, although his career was soon put on hold.
After a multi-year absence from full-time competition, Hamilton returned to Indy NXT in 2025. On May 14, 2025, it was announced that he would drive for HMD Motorsports at the four oval events of the season, racing in partnership with Cusick Motorsports. His return to the IndyCar development ladder marked a notable comeback for a driver whose career had been interrupted by both injury and legal setbacks.
Stadium Super Trucks Era (2017–2022)
Hamilton joined the Stadium Super Trucks in 2017, racing the No. 75 for Always Evolving at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He showed immediate pace, winning a round at the Beijing National Stadium, though the result was overturned after he failed to take the joker lane. He returned to the series in 2022, planning a full SST campaign, but a ramp landing at the Grand Prix of Long Beach reaggravated a T4 spinal fracture he had suffered in a 2017 sprint car crash, forcing him to drop the SST schedule.
USAC Silver Crown and Sprint Cars (2021–2023)
Hamilton returned to racing in October 2021 in the USAC Silver Crown Series, winning in his second sprint car race with Kirk Morgan’s Morgan Motorsports team. That result earned him a full season with the team in 2022, when he won six races and captured the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series championship. In 2023, he won his first career USAC Silver Crown race at Gateway in St. Louis, Missouri, driving for Legacy Autosport, adding another major open-wheel trophy to his collection.
Cusick Motorsports and HMD Motorsports Era (2025–Present)
Hamilton’s 2025 return to Indy NXT brought him back to national open-wheel competition with HMD Motorsports, running the four oval rounds of the season in partnership with Cusick Motorsports. His oval-only schedule reflected both his comfort on high-speed ovals and the physical demands of returning to the IndyCar development series. The partnership offered him a platform to rebuild his reputation at the highest level of the American open-wheel ladder.
Notable Races and Milestones
Hamilton’s career has featured several signature moments, including his King of the Wing championship wins in 2016 and 2022, his Stadium Super Trucks victory in Beijing, and his 2023 USAC Silver Crown win at Gateway. In 2023, he promoted the inaugural Open Wheel Showdown at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a $50,000-to-win winged sprint car race that was the highest-paying event of its kind at the time.
Davey Hamilton Jr Career Wins
Hamilton has compiled victories across multiple disciplines, including the King of the Wing Western Sprintcar Series in 2015 and the King of the Wing Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series championships in 2016 and 2022. He has also recorded wins in sprint cars, the Stadium Super Trucks, and the USAC Silver Crown Series, establishing himself as one of the most versatile pavement racers of his generation. His accolades include being named the Winningest Pavement Sprint Car Driver in both 2022 and 2023.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his championship-winning seasons, Hamilton has scored regional sprint car victories and a USAC Silver Crown win at Gateway. His Stadium Super Trucks results in 2017 and 2022, including the overturned Beijing win, highlighted his raw speed, even as injuries and mechanical setbacks interrupted his momentum. Together, these results form a well-rounded resume spanning pavement ovals, road courses, and off-road stadium events.
Davey Hamilton Jr Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hamilton comes from a multi-generational racing family. His father, Davey Hamilton, is a well-known former Indianapolis 500 competitor, and his grandfather, Ken Hamilton, also raced. This deep family connection to the sport gave him early access to equipment, tracks, and mentorship, helping shape his path from karting in Star, Idaho, to national open-wheel competition.
Personal Life
Outside of racing, Hamilton has been open about personal challenges, including a 2019 arrest in Florida that led to a five-year probation sentence and a temporary halt to his driving career. During his time away from the track, he started a series of businesses and became an ambassador for the Brian Hamilton Foundation, which supports entrepreneurs with criminal records. In 2023, he explored a career in music as part of the DJ duo Elusive, and in 2024, he publicly expressed his support for the LGBTQ community on social media.
2025 Season Performance
Hamilton’s 2025 campaign centers on a four-race oval schedule in Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports and Cusick Motorsports, marking his return to the IndyCar development ladder after a multi-year absence. The limited slate allows him to focus on the high-speed oval discipline in which he has built much of his sprint car reputation. His partnership with two experienced teams also provides a strong technical foundation as he works to rebuild momentum at the national level.
Throughout the season, Hamilton has continued to balance his oval Indy NXT program with his broader open-wheel schedule, including USAC and sprint car events. The combination of national and regional racing keeps him race-sharp while his Indy NXT program builds toward longer-term opportunities. His comeback story remains one of the more compelling narratives in American open-wheel racing in 2025.