Hamilton teams with country star Messina

JOLIET, Ill. -- It is often impossible to gain a true understanding of a particular occupation unless you've actually tried it.

Just ask NASCAR Winston Cup driver Bobby Hamilton and country music star Jo Dee Messina, who have formed a one-race partnership to promote the Inside Traxx CD, a 14-track NASCAR-themed album.

While shooting the music video for Messina's newest hit, "Dare to Dream," Hamilton received a crash course in creating a four-minute television spot.

"The big thing is you'd never know what all goes into filming those videos -- all the special effects and take after take after take," Hamilton said. "I've never been so damn tired in all my life. You see a video that's a minute and a half and don't think much of it until you know it takes all day long to make.

"They said 'We need you at Nashville Superspeedway from 8 'til 11,' but we were there until 3 in the morning."

Messina, a multi-platinum recording artist, voiced similar sentiments regarding Hamilton's job.

"It's a terrifying thing," said Messina, who manned a racecar in the video shoot. "When we watch as outsiders, we see stuff like that and say hey, so and so wrecked.

"But that's terrifying. It's hot in those cars, too. I gathered a new respect for the sport in the video. If you haven't gone down to the track or been in the cars, you should do it."

Though Hamilton was impressed with the dynamics of making a video, he's no rookie to film making. Hamilton drove a car, equipped with a camera, at Phoenix International Raceway to provide footage for the movie Days of Thunder. And word is he's a natural entertainer, too.

"I enjoy singing," he laughed. "My stepfather was a drummer of the (Grand Ole) Opry for years. I'm one of those guys who loves music. I'm the guy who you see going down the road with the windows up, beating on the steering wheel with his lips moving."