Preparations for Sno*Drift went well and the team came ready to fight for the SP class lead from stage one. Recce and the practice stage had shown that this was going to be a very slippery Sno*Drift. A thaw the week before the race had left the stages like an ice rink and snow banks very hard or in most instances nonexistent.
The race began and is was evident from the first few stages that Travis was out for a win. After day one Travis had stretched out dominating 6 minute and 50 second lead winning every stage for SP.
The second day brought a new challenge: Overall positions. The T. Hanson team started the day in 6th place and set out on a goal to be in the top 5 by the end. This was a tall challenge with nothing but top open class rally cars to chase. Success was again achieved when open class competitor Andrew Comprie-Picard and Subaru Factory driver Dave Mirra struggled with the icy conditions. "I wanted to keep a strong pace on the second day, but still conserve our lead by not leaving the road. That was pretty hard to do in those polished ice conditions," driver Travis Hanson explains.
At the finish the T. Hanson team had won the Super Production class by over 10 minutes
and placed in the top 5 overall. This is the best finish to date for Travis and his father Terry. "We are already preparing the car for the next race. I hope we can use this great momentum to do well at 100 Acre Wood!" explained Terry.
Look for Travis and Terry at their next race, The 100 Acre Wood February 26-27th in Salem, MO. Check out http://www.100aw.org/ and http://www.rally-america.com/ for rally information and updates.
Special thanks goes out to the Crew (John, Hanh, and Sunny) for their tireless work to keep the car in perfect conditions through the whole race. With out their hard work the team would not have the confidence to succeed. Also thanks goes out to the organizers for continually putting on the best rally in the toughest conditions. Thanks is also well deserved for all of the worker and volunteers that stand out in the cold to make this rally run so smooth and clean.
