Jeff Hammond | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Hammond atDaytona International Speedway in 2020 | |
| Born | Jeffrey L. Hammond (1956-09-09)September 9, 1956 (age 69) |
| Alma mater | East Carolina University |
| Occupation(s) | Television sportscaster NASCAR crew chief |
| Years active | 2001–present (broadcasting) 1982–2000, 2020, 2024 (crew chief) |
| Employer(s) | Fox NASCAR Freedom Racing Enterprises |
| Known for | Two-timeNASCAR Winston Cup Series champion crew chief |
Jeffrey L. Hammond (born September 9, 1956) is an AmericanNASCAR personality and crew chief. Currently, he is a commentator for NASCAR's coverage onFox Sports. He is also referred to asHollywood Hammond by his Fox colleagueDarrell Waltrip. He is an alumnus ofEast Carolina University.
In addition to his work at Fox, Hammond also serves as the general manager and crew chief in theNASCAR Craftsman Truck Series forFreedom Racing Enterprises. He formerly was a co-owner (along with business executive Tom DeLoach) ofRed Horse Racing, a Truck Series racing team which operated from2005 to2017.
While attending high school atNorth Mecklenburg High School inCharlotte, North Carolina, he was named a 1973–74 High School PrepFootball All-American as acornerback.[1] He played college football atEast Carolina University forPat Dye until he suffered a career-ending injury in 1975.[1]
Hammond's NASCAR career began in 1974 as a tire changer forWalter Ballard, but soon moved to thejackman position.[1] He served on the crew for three championship seasons betweenCale Yarborough andDarrell Waltrip.[1] In 1982, Hammond was promoted to thecrew chief position atJunior Johnson Motorsports when Waltrip won his second consecutive championship.[1] He and Waltrip became the top driver-crew chief combination in NASCAR, winning 43 races during the 1980s including the1985 Winston Cup championship.[1] Hammond followed Waltrip toHendrick Motorsports, where they won the1989 Daytona 500.[2]
In 1991, Waltrip and Hammond formedDarrell Waltrip Motorsports, where the combination clicked again, but in mid-1992, Hammond left after a win at Pocono Raceway whenSABCO Racing ownerFelix Sabates named him to work withKenny Wallace for the 1993 season. Hammond teamed up again with Waltrip in 1996, but the two were unable to recapture the magic of the 1980s. In 1998, Hammond joinedRoush Racing as crew chief forChad Little. The combination was an immediate success. Despite failing to qualify for the spring race atAtlanta Motor Speedway, Little finished second at the Texas 500 and had a career high 15th place in the championship standings. Hammond stayed with Roush Racing until the end of the 2000 season; this included a stint where he was crew chief forKurt Busch for the first six races, before leaving after he was hired to work at Fox Sports.
In 2020, Hammond joinedClay Greenfield Motorsports as the No. 68's crew chief.[3]
In 2024, Hammond would join the newly formedFreedom Racing Enterprises as its general manager.[4] He would also serve as crew chief following the departure of Greg Ely after Las Vegas.
Hammond has worked with four NASCAR champions in his career: Cale Yarborough (a mechanic), Darrell Waltrip (a crew chief for two of the three), Terry Labonte (1987 for a few races), and Kurt Busch (2000 in his first races).
In 2001, Hammond and Waltrip were reunited, this time as broadcasters for Fox Sports' coverage of NASCAR. Hammond works forFox Sports 1 as an analyst forNASCAR Race Hub.[1]
Hammond served as an analyst for Fox NASCAR Sunday, the network's prerace show, alongside Chris Myers and Darrell Waltrip from 2001 to 2011. In 2012, he covered stories on pit road as they developed throughout the race for FOX NASCAR, becoming the first former crew chief to serve in that capacity for network television's NASCAR coverage. In addition, Hammond offered his expertise for years as an analyst for FOX Sports 1's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying coverage. He also co-hosted the Budweiser duel at Daytona and the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race several times for FOX Sports 1.
When Fox unveiled a new mobile studio for NASCAR pre-race broadcasts, Darrell Waltrip remarked "There's Hollywood Hammond inside the Hollywood Hotel," and the nickname stuck with the broadcast studio where he andChris Myers broadcast the pre-race shows until 2012 when he was replaced byMichael Waltrip. In 2005, he became an owner of Red Horse Racing's Craftsman Truck program, where they have won fifteen races.
Hammond has also broadcastpro wrestling events forTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling, during the promotion's early period on national television when itsImpact weekly show was broadcast on Fox Sports Net while also doing commentary for variouspay-per-view events. Hammond hosted an interview segment known as the "Six Points of Impact!" He has also wrestled in TNA.
Hammond contributes a regular online column onFoxsports.com where fans can post write-in questions, one of which he will answer in every column.