Travis Hanson secured his third Super Production (SP) class victory of the season at the Washington based Olympus Rally, and in doing so retained the lead of both the overall and SP class standings.
The Hanson duo of son Travis and father Terry set about delivering a solid performance to bolster their standing in the SP Championship by leading the class throughout the event. The Hansons managed to stay ahead of their closest rival, Subaru Rally Team USA’s Dave Mirra, for the majority of the rally to keep a one point Championship overall lead.
However, the victory was bitter sweet as the rallying community regretfully lost a valued member at the event. Driver Matthew Marker lost his life in an accident during the first day of racing. Rally America took the step to cancel the rally there after as a mark of respect.
Speaking of the tragedy, Travis said "We did what we came to do points wise, but it's hard to celebrate when you lose a good friend in the process." He continues, "motorsport is dangerous, and we know that something like this can happen, our thoughts and prayers go out to the Marker family and friends."
The next event of the Rally America National Championship is the Oregon Trail Rally from May 13th to 15th. The team heads to Portland to race what some have called the trickiest roads on the calendar.
Portland, Oregon plays host to the upcoming event, which includes a "Superspecial" stage at Portland International Raceway, where fans can get up-close and personal with the teams competing.
"PIR is a fun part of this rally that I always look forward to" says Travis. “The Super Production class is our focus this weekend and we will be driving with the championship in mind. We are excited to announce Dick Hannah Subaru as an additional sponsor” says Hanson. Travis will join David Higgins and Pat Richard at Dick Hannah Subaru on Thursday May 12 @6:00pm to display their cars and meet fans! For more information visit: www.dickhannahsubaru.com/
The team wants to thank theirs sponsors Dick Hannah Subaru, OSLV, Team O’Neil, Exedy, Olson's Auto Body, Broken Motorsports and Big Boulder Park for their much needed help and support.
Photo Credit: Aaron Kathman/WorldRallySport
