Davey Hamilton Jr. Bio
David Jay Hamilton Jr., known as Davey Hamilton Jr., is an American racing driver from Idaho who competes in Indy NXT for Cusick Motorsports and HMD Motorsports. Born on March 15, 1997, he is a third-generation racer and the son of former Indianapolis 500 competitor Davey Hamilton. Hamilton has built his career across midgets, sprint cars, and Stadium Super Trucks, and he returned to the IndyCar development ladder in 2025 after earlier Indy Lights appearances in 2016 and 2018.
Early Life and Background
Davey Jay Hamilton Jr. was born on March 15, 1997, in Idaho, United States, and grew up in a family with deep roots in American motorsports. He is the son of Davey Hamilton, a veteran racer who competed in the Indianapolis 500, and the grandson of Ken Hamilton. As a third-generation racing driver, he was introduced to the sport at a young age through his family’s long involvement in oval and open-wheel competition.
Hamilton began his racing journey in karting at a local kart track near Star, Idaho, where he developed the early car control and race craft that shaped his career. The karting environment gave him a foundation in close, door-to-door racing before he advanced into the United States Auto Club (USAC) ranks. His Idaho upbringing and family heritage remain central to his identity as a driver.
Path to NASCAR
Hamilton’s path has focused primarily on open-wheel and short-track disciplines, including midgets, sprint cars, and the Stadium Super Trucks, rather than a traditional NASCAR ladder. He entered the USAC Midget series as a teenager and worked his way up through pavement and dirt programs in the Midwest. In 2017, he sampled stock car racing by competing in one NASCAR K&N Pro Series West event, which marked his only documented national NASCAR appearance.
Although he did not pursue a full-time NASCAR career, his 2017 K&N Pro Series West start showed his willingness to cross disciplines and adapt to heavier stock cars. His main developmental focus has remained on open-wheel and pavement sprint car racing, which led him to the Indy Lights program and, later, to a return to the renamed Indy NXT series.
Davey Hamilton Jr. Career
Early Career (2011–2015)
Hamilton made his early marks in the USAC Midgets, finishing eleventh in the Ford Focus Midwestern Pavement division in 2011. He improved to sixth place in that same series in 2012, demonstrating steady growth in his rookie pavement seasons. These early results established him as a developing talent on ovals.
In 2015, Hamilton won the King of the Wing’s Western Sprintcar Series, one of the first major championships of his career. That same year, he began testing an Indy Lights car with McCormack Racing, signaling his intent to move into the Mazda Road to Indy ladder. The Western Sprintcar title helped raise his profile as a versatile sprint car and midget racer.
Indy Lights Debut and Stadium Super Trucks (2016–2018)
Hamilton was initially announced for the full 2016 Indy Lights season with McCormack Racing, but the entry did not materialize until the season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, where he made his series debut. He also won the 2016 King of the Wing championship, reinforcing his status as one of the top pavement sprint car drivers in the country. His 2016 campaign blended sprint car success with his first taste of Indy Lights machinery.
In 2017, Hamilton joined the Stadium Super Trucks, racing the No. 75 for Always Evolving at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. He later won a round at the Beijing National Stadium, although he was disqualified for not taking the joker lane, and he also entered a NASCAR K&N Pro Series West event. On April 30, 2018, after a rookie test at Kentucky Speedway, Team Pelfrey announced he would compete in that year’s Freedom 100 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, expanding his role on the Indy Lights schedule.
Comeback Era (2021–2023)
After a hiatus from racing that began in 2019, Hamilton returned in October 2021 in the USAC Silver Crown Series, winning a sprint car race in only his second start with Kirk Morgan’s Morgan Motorsports team. That strong comeback result earned him a full 2022 season with the team. In 2022, he won six races and captured the Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series championship, earning recognition as the winningest pavement sprint car driver.
His 2022 plans also included a Stadium Super Trucks title bid, but a ramp landing at the Grand Prix of Long Beach reaggravated a T4 spinal fracture from a 2017 sprint car crash, forcing him to drop the SST schedule. In 2023, Hamilton won his first career USAC Silver Crown race at Gateway in St. Louis, Missouri, with Legacy Autosport, and was again named the winningest pavement sprint car driver. He also promoted the inaugural Open Wheel Showdown at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring, a $50,000-to-win winged sprint car event that was the highest paying of its kind at the time.
Cusick Motorsports and HMD Motorsports Era (2025–Present)
On May 14, 2025, it was announced that Hamilton would return to the Indy Lights series, now rebranded as Indy NXT, driving for HMD Motorsports at the four oval events of the season. The program is run in partnership with Cusick Motorsports, which is listed as his current team. The return to the IndyCar development ladder represents a major step in his late-career resurgence.
Hamilton’s 2025 Indy NXT schedule focuses on oval racing, a discipline in which he has built most of his sprint car and USAC experience. His pairing with HMD Motorsports connects him to a proven Indy NXT operation with a history of developing oval talent. Early in the season, the goal has been to translate his sprint car and Silver Crown speed into competitive road-course and oval results at the national development level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Hamilton is best known for his strength on pavement ovals, where his sprint car and Silver Crown background gives him a feel for throttle control and sustained corner speed. His ability to adapt between midgets, sprint cars, Stadium Super Trucks, and Indy Lights machinery reflects a versatile race craft. Working with teams like Morgan Motorsports, Legacy Autosport, and HMD Motorsports has allowed him to pair that adaptability with established engineering setups.
Notable Races and Milestones
Among his signature moments, Hamilton’s Freedom 100 entry at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2018 stands out as a milestone on a historic oval. His 2022 six-win sprint car season and Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series title marked the high point of his pavement career, while his 2023 USAC Silver Crown win at Gateway added a new discipline to his résumé. The 2025 return to Indy NXT at the four oval events continues his long relationship with Indianapolis-area racing.
Davey Hamilton Jr. Career Wins
Davey Hamilton Jr. has built his win list across pavement sprint cars, USAC Silver Crown, and Stadium Super Trucks, with consistent success in regional and national-level open-wheel competition. He has been recognized as the winningest pavement sprint car driver in 2022 and 2023, reflecting the depth of his accomplishments in that discipline.
Indy NXT and Indy Lights Highlights
Hamilton made his Indy Lights debut at the 2016 season finale at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca with McCormack Racing, although the program did not run the full season as originally planned. In 2018, Team Pelfrey added him to the Freedom 100 entry at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, giving him a start on one of the most famous ovals in the world. In 2025, he returned to the series, now called Indy NXT, with HMD Motorsports for the four oval rounds of the season in partnership with Cusick Motorsports.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside of Indy NXT, Hamilton captured the 2015 King of the Wing Western Sprintcar Series title and the 2016 King of the Wing championship, as well as the 2022 Southern Sprintcar Shootout Series championship with six victories. He added a Stadium Super Trucks win at the Beijing National Stadium round in 2017, although he was later disqualified for not taking the joker lane. In 2023, he won a USAC Silver Crown race at Gateway in St. Louis with Legacy Autosport, further expanding his résumé of national-level open-wheel wins.
Davey Hamilton Jr. Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Hamilton comes from one of the recognizable racing families in American open-wheel history. His father, Davey Hamilton, is a well-known competitor who raced in the Indianapolis 500, and his grandfather, Ken Hamilton, continued the family’s deep ties to the sport. As a third-generation driver, Hamilton has often spoken about the influence of his family on his path through karting, midgets, sprint cars, and Indy Lights.
Personal Life
Hamilton has largely kept his personal life private, and limited verified details are available about his current residence, marital status, or children. Public records indicate that in February 2019 he was arrested in Florida on charges of false imprisonment and aggravated assault and was later sentenced to five years of probation. He has since become an ambassador for the Brian Hamilton Foundation, which supports people with criminal records in becoming entrepreneurs, and he briefly explored a music project as part of the duo Elusive in 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Hamilton’s 2025 campaign centers on a return to the IndyCar development ladder, competing in the four oval rounds of the Indy NXT season with HMD Motorsports and Cusick Motorsports. The limited oval-only schedule is designed to leverage his sprint car and USAC Silver Crown experience on the types of tracks where he has built most of his career. Strong practice and qualifying pace on ovals will be key to translating his résumé into top-level results.
Outside of Indy NXT, Hamilton is expected to continue pursuing selected sprint car and USAC events, building on his back-to-back winningest pavement sprint car driver honors in 2022 and 2023. The combination of an Indy NXT program and a selective short-track schedule reflects a balanced approach to rebuilding his national profile. The partnership with HMD Motorsports offers engineering resources and a competitive baseline for the oval rounds.
Looking ahead, Hamilton’s 2025 outlook depends on how quickly he adapts to the Indy NXT car and the demands of a national series after several years focused on regional and short-track racing. A strong showing in the Freedom 100 and other oval rounds could position him for an expanded 2026 program. His career arc, from karting in Idaho to Indy NXT with a third-generation family legacy, continues to define his story in American motorsports.