It's mid June and time for a Hansen Motorsports season-to-date update.
ARCA: We completed our first ARCA race of the season in May. The venue is one we love - a very fast 2 mile oval known as the Michigan International Speedway. While budget remains tight during these economic times, we will run as many ARCA events as possible and test wherever possible. Michigan was our first race and we plan on being in Iowa during July, Chicagoland during August and Kansas later in the season.
Michigan Results: The ARCA race was part of a weekend long racing marathon at the Michigan International Speedway - including a NASCAR Sprint Cup event. Our race was Friday so the team had to leave early in the week. While no on-track activities were permitted on Wednesday, we were able to complete registration and inspection. (We even had time to participate in the "Annual ARCA Parade of Haulers", an event that is quite a hit with the local folks.)
Since this was our first ARCA race of the season, ARCA Officials took a bit longer inspecting our car - including the fuel tank. Fuel tank inspection means the bladder is checked to ensure a current date and any foam has been removed. In addition, the tank's volume is measured to ensure the team can't cheat and put extra fuel in it. Once bladder inspection is complete, it is sealed by ARCA Officials with a tamper proof seal. It all takes time! Next, we were informed that the car's seat belts were not current. We learned that last season's requirement that belts could not Be older than 3 years was changed to 2 years. Everything else went quite smoothly.
On-track practice was scheduled for Thursday ... it rained all day! As this was a Sprint Cup weekend and most events were to be televised the schedule was packed. Somehow ARCA managed to find 50 minutes of practice time on Friday morning.
The quality of the competition in ARCA gets better each year. During practice while in the spotters tower I had occasion to interact with an individual wearing a Miller Lite shirt. It turned out he was a spotter for Kurt Busch who was working with one of the ARCA drivers. There were Penske and Gibbs haulers in the paddock area along with many others.
At the end of practice we were the 17th quickest of 41 cars. We were still about 3/4's of a second slower than the fastest cars, but were confident our car could compete. Our Weagner engine performed flawlessly and the car handled reasonably well. After practice crew chief Dan Peterson noticed the right front spring had broken. This was not good news. Replacing the spring had the possibility of greatly changing the car's handling due to the intricacies of the chassis setup. Thus, when the race began Todd had no idea how his 'modified car' would handle. Michigan is a 200 mph track - so not knowing how handling has been compromised was disconcerting.
Todd started 28th based on series points as qualifying was washed out by the rainy weather. As typical with Todd's style, he quickly started to make his way forward in the pack by passing cars quicky. However, the car's handling caused him to spin out on lap 3. All tires were 'flat spotted' due to the spin and the right front fender was damaged. Todd limped back to the pits and was serviced with 4 new tires and repairs to the fender. When the race restarted he was last and 2 laps down. With focus and effort, Todd worked his way back up. With good pit work and some "Lucky Dog" help, Todd worked his way back to the lead lap. He eventually finished 15th. While not the finish we had hoped for, this was highly respectable given the circumstances early on in the race. Kudos to Todd and the entire crew for their efforts!
ASA Midwest Tour: This is a series we added to this year's schedule. It is not a "walk in the park" by any imagination. This series is without a doubt one of the toughest short track series I have ever been involved with in 40 years of racing. Competitors in this series are definitely the 'fastest of the fast' in a four-state area. We are working hard to get this part of our program on track. Re-entering the world of short track racing after 4 years is not simply a matter of "just showing up". Short track racing is different. The tires are bias ply and react much differently than the radials used in ARCA races. Our best finish so far has been 11th, but we are updating our technical knowledge of short track car set up and are committed to making things better when we enter races in this series. We have mapped out a testing program so that we will get 'on track'. More news about the world of ASA Midwest as the season progresses.
Daytona, the main event for a new racing season is over! The snow in the Midwest is gone! So it must be that time of year for Hansen Motorsports to go racing!
It seems that every year when we begin to prepare for the new racing season it's cold - and everyone (it seems) but the driver needs to wear a heavy coat! When we finish in October everyone seems ready to 'hunker down' but not the Hansen team. Between the numerous spells of cold this past winter, excitement reigns. The Hansen Motorsports team has been prepping and is ready for another exciting year of competition.
As is typical for race teams, the off-season is busy. In addition to preparing race cars and making changes based on another year's results, we plan the 2009 race schedule. We want to run as many ARCA races as possible -- and continue to look for corporate partners to assist. We will also run in more races of the ever-more competitive ASA-Midwest Tour.
The 2008 season was full of ups and downs ... something that happens when you work to a tight budget. In spite of the occasional blown engine, we ended the season (and thus start the new season) with a new engine-building partner and additional insight to car prep and suspension tuning. We intend to turn last year's lemons into 2009 lemonade. We are continuing the search to find new corporate partners and sponsors and for the coming season.
For 2009, we will run some of the major ARCA races in Michigan, Iowa, Chicagoland, and Kansas. Todd particularly likes Michigan and Iowa and those will be our first two races. We will continue to field a 10-member team/crew as a minimum to run ARCA races. We will return with crew members that are more experienced and seasoned... Todd - our driver, our spotter, jack man, front tire carrier, and front tire changer, rear tire carrier and rear tire changer, fueler, vent man, and a scorer.
With the addition of a schedule that will include the ASA Midwest Tour, Hansen Motorsports will be busier and active than ever in the coming year. ASA Midwest is a very competitive series with a majority of races in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. Skip Pollack (Manager of our shop's operations) and Dan Peterson (Car Chief) have been building both a new car and refurbishing an older one for the ASA series. The've done a masterful job. Todd's been equally busy in the off-season. In addition to all his duties in and around the shop and preparing for the 2009 racing season, he continues to provide support for JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) through a variety of appearances. He will also be getting more active in 2009 to support organizations that promote awareness for the need for diabetes research and become more involved in programs that support 'safe driving for youth'. Todd is also active in the active Hansen family business and pursues his outdoor sporting activities. We are happy to also report Scott Hansen and Rob Grave who have been involved in the 2009 prep activities and will be back for the entire season.
All-in-all the season is about to begin and we are excited. It should be a competitive and fun season! Look for ARCA and ASA season schedules on our web site. Be sure to come see us at the race track. Drop us a line when you can - we are always pleased to hear from fans! Wish us luck!
Hansen Motorsports has arrived at the end of a successful 2008 season. We continued the building process in 2008 and several changes were made that will add to the team’s potential for the future. All team members are looking forward to 2009 with a new level of confidence and high expectations.
There’s no question that moving up to ARCA has proven to be a ‘challenging’ task. The level of competition is incredible and gets better each year. Car owners like Jack Roush, Bill Davis, and even Roger Penske are either entering drivers or supporting teams with technical and engineering support. When you compete against this kind of competition you must ‘step up or get out’. Our team is determined to keep on-task and continue to ‘step up’!
The past three years has been a period of fine tuning - and our operation is certain to be even more competitive in ’09. Todd continues to prove he belongs at this level. When the green flag drops ... he is a charger. He has proven to be able to get through traffic and ‘pass cars’. Todd has shown he is capable of starting anywhere in the lineup and with a car that is performing well he is right there at the top.
We also saw our share of instances where “stuff happens”. We chalk them up to the “nuances of racing” … such things the occasional blown engine, an error in the pits, burned plug wires, and accidents. These all have the capability of altering the entire outcome of a racing season.
The attitude of the Hansen team is such that we learn from the negatives and turn them into “positives for ‘09”. We believe we now have our engine program in good hands. We established a relationship with Mad Croc Energy Drink as a sponsor (give it a try, you're sure to love it!) We received some coverage on Speed TV. We raised money for JDRF and are establishing a non-profit entity for the purpose of raising more money for JDRF and raising the awareness for the need for diabetes research. Our charitable efforts will be formalized around the name we coined in 2008 -- "Speed the Cure". Tony Mitchell of Gulfport Mississippi served as crew chief for 2008 and he provided a wealth of knowledge about ARCA racing. Dan Peterson and Skip Pollack worked at fine tuning car set ups and our entire racing operation in Farmington. They are integral to the overall growth and evolution of the team. Scott Brandt and Rob Grave continued their work with the team and were instrumental in helping us compete.
Todd’s role in the community continues to grow. Our efforts to support JDRF is driven largely by the fact Todd successfully manages his diabetes and can use that fact to demonstrate to other young diabetics that the disease does not have to limit life's choices. Being a professional race car driver, a hockey player and a college graduate is an indication that diabetes does not have to stand in the way of life’s successes.
Like many teams, the off-season will find us actively building cars and looking forward to the first green flag of the season. Our key ARCA races will again include Michigan, Iowa, Chicago, and Kansas. Along the way we plan on doing a lot of other racing. We are actively seeking additional sponsors and feel we are close to further success in this area. All in all, things are really looking up. Please view our “Photo Gallery” for a season of images … we made lots of new friends in 2008.
Team Hansen has had more “challenges” this season. Four expired engines and a wreck at the Iowa Speedway has ensured a year of lower than expected results. However, being of a stubborn nature and having a strong desire to succeed, the team traveled to the fast mile and a half track in Joliet Illinois known as Chicagoland.
Expectations were high. Three factors were pointing in the right direction. 1) The car was well prepared 2) The team leased a new engine from a highly regarded engine builder in Wisconsin 3) Todd really enjoys the long, fast tracks.
The team was ready!
As has been the case all year, it rained on practice and qualifying day. With lots of hard work, Chicagoland track personnel were able to dry things out.
During practice it didn't take long for the team to determine that the rear-end gear needed to be changed. Because of the high stress load put on these gears it has been a team policy to rent gears “as needed” so there are always freshly rebuilt gear on each car hitting the track. The crew usually knows the exact gear needed for a particular track. Unfortunately, the team was unable to obtain the exact gear needed and had to settle for a ratio that was a touch too deep. With the new engine, a touch too deep became way too deep and Todd was hitting the chip at the flag stand. For those who are unfamiliar with what "hitting the chip" means, it can be likened to a “rev limiter”. ARCA places a chip in the ignition boxes that limit engine RPM to 8700. When you “hit the chip” you no longer accelerate … and thus you are not fast. Although racing lingo is spoken in English, it's still not always obvious what is meant.
Following practice, and at the very last minute, the team found a replacement gear from another competitor who agreed to rent it to us. Changing a rear-end gear is a significant task and takes quite a bit of time. ARCA has a rule that stipulates “you will present your car for qualifying tech by a specific time. If you are late, you are not allowed to qualify”. The team pulled out for qualifying tech one minute late! The penalty? Disqualification!
Team owner Bill Hansen doesn’t know exactly how it happened, but ARCA was able to garner the team a provisional starting spot. That meant starting last in a field of 41 cars. Troublesome? To the contrary, the team was ecstatic, relieved, and grateful!
It's always fun to watch Todd when he “does his thing” – passing cars. It was a 200 mile race and Todd was able to take his time and gradually worked his way towards the front. He got up as far as 8th position! It meant he had passed 33 cars to reach this top ten spot! But as anyone familiar with racing knows, you have to make the occasional pit stop. The team waited as long as possible for a yellow caution flag. None came and thus Todd was forced to make a green flag pit stop. Fuel and tires. The stop went off without a hitch… in and out. The only problem was that there were only 4 lug nuts on one of the wheels. ARCA officials on the track said: “no go”, and compelled the team to call for another pit stop to replace the missing lug nut. Another green flag pit stop. Then, as soon as Todd was back on the track there was a yellow caution flag, which allowed many of the other competitors to make a yellow flag pit stop. By the time everything was settled Todd was 3 laps down. He finished 18th.
An eighteenth place finish was not what the team wanted but were still happy with the results. The car worked well, the engine ran great, and Todd "was on his game". We will be back. We are actively pursuing additional sponsorship for the 2009 season and have high hopes for success! We think that we have a lot to offer and therefore expect to be successful!
Hansen Motorsports traveled to the Michigan International Speedway for a June 13 race - and as has been the 'theme' this spring, it RAINED. We're beginning to think that if you have drought, schedule an ARCA race! (Apologies to our friends at ARCA Racing!)
The team arrived on June 11th and spent the day getting the new car through technical inspection. (If you recall our previous news update, the team purchased a Sprint Cup car the previous week and diligently worked to prepare for Michigan.) Whenever a new car is entered in a race, technical inspection is more detailed - with inspectors reviewing more than the 'usual items'. Thursday the 12th was a busy day -- with a 2 hour practice session followed by qualifying. The day finished with cars impounded ... meaning teams have no access to them ... until Friday's race.
Friday's scheduled 5PM race was ultimately postponed due to... RAIN. We were fortunate to get rescheduled ... to 8:30AM Saturday the 14th because this was a full NASCAR weekend. Squeezing an extra event in is never an easy task and ARCA officials deserve credit for preventing teams from having to pack up and head for home.
Todd qualified 28th -- not the starting position he or the team wanted. Yet, when the green flag dropped Todd diligently took on the task of passing cars and getting in position to compete for a win, a top 5 or top 10. However, he suddenly started falling behind. The motor sounded "off key". A trip to pit road revealed a spark plug wire rubbed against a header and burned through. With quick thinking in the pit, the team got a new plug wire in place -- and Todd finished the race 'running'. Though he finished several laps back, his lap times toward the end of the race were clocked as some of the best by any car on the track. A silver lining to what appeared to most as a gray cloud. Considering all of the work that had been done on the new car it was remarkable that this was the only problem. The entire team, working on the car night and day for the week leading up to the race was, in the end, very pleased with the new car. Crew Chief Tony Mitchell, Car Chief Daniel Peterson, Shop Manager Skip Pollack and the rest of the team, Rob Grave, Scott Brandt and Scott Hansen are busy preparing the car for the next race.
Driver and team talent aside, all race teams look for a little luck, which has eluded us a bit. One would have hoped a 2 hour practice session and qualifying period would have allowed the plug wire problem to manifest itself. Such was not the case this year at the Michigan International Speedway!
