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!