Hanson takes the checkers
| Race Results |
Andy celebrates his governors cup win
with friends and family in victory lane
with friends and family in victory lane
July Spectacular-Mike Butz and crew
Don't Slip!
Andy wins for the first time this year
Andy and his dad celebrate with friends
Photos by Doug Jenkins(click for larger image)
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
2007 Results-
November 4th - Music City Motorplex - 5th
In his first ever CRA Sanctioned race at the Music City Motorplex, Andy
managed to work his way from the twentieth starting position into the top five!
The team decided to save two rear tires for the end of the race hoping for a
fast car at the end. Around lap 225 Andy pulled into the pits to put two new
rear tires on and started the next green flag session in twelve position.
Carefully picking his way through lapped traffic he began his run to the front.
As the race went green, many cars fell off the pace while his did not. After a
caution the race restarted with sixteen laps to go, Andy was in sixth. Having to
once again work passed the lapped cars on the inside, he was running out of
time. With just laps left he caught and passed fifth place for a 'team-earned'
top five.
Andy was more than happy when he climbed out of the car on the front
straightaway after the race, "I'm really proud of everyone who helps so much on
the car, I wouldn't be able to do this without them or our great sponsors, Long
Haul Trucking, King of the Road, and Bristows Kawasaki and Polaris. It was
tough being patient, especially when we waited so long to pit, but it turned out
to be a good call and I'm thrilled to finish fifth here at the Music City Motorplex."
October 14th - Winchester Speedway - 10th
The 36th annual Winchester 400 is the biggest race Andy has ever
participated in yet he managed it fairly well. Starting 16th out of 40 cars in the
main event isn't too bad. With plenty of laps to run Andy and the team figured
they had time to work their way forward. The number one thing on their minds
was to finish the race. At the drop of the green flag all 40 cars began to sail
around the fastest half mile in the world. After brushing the wall once and
settling back into traffic Andy maintained his position in the top 20. A caution
waved for an incident on the track and the team had their first ever pit stop
together. Afterward Andy started his march through the field. The longer the
race went green, the quicker he went forward.
"The car was tight at the beginning of a run but about 15 laps in it started
to come around."
Halfway through the race he found himself in the 6th position and a top five
looked possible until a wreck in turns one and two blocked the track. Andy
went to the high lane but the hole closed up. He made it through but hit the
wall with the right front pretty hard.
Every yellow from that point on the team made as many pit stops as
possible to work on the car. Everything from body work to fixing the front toe
settings. However the car was not quite the same after that and Andy was
working his best just to make laps.
At the end of the race he still managed to finish tenth despite a bent shock
and lower control arm.
September 22nd - O'Reilly Raceway Park - 32nd
In his first ever start at ORP Andy and the Long Haul Trucking team
performed greatly. Qualifying in the top five with a time under the track record
was a great way to start the weekend.
"I'm really happy with the time we ran in qualifying. Andy said, "I think the
car had more in it but I didn't want to push too hard in three and four because I
couldn't quite see the track with the sun setting."
With the invert drawn Andy was slotted to start the 100 lap race in the
second position. At the start of the race he took the lead and spread it out to
about seven car lengths! Two restarts in and Andy was still leading.
"The car was working great all night. I have to thank Mike Butz and
everybody involved with the car. I couldn't have raced here without them."
However on lap 35 of the main event time stood still for Andy and his crew
when the belt to the oil pump failed and the car lost control. He managed to
keep the car in the grass but needed a push to the pits where the odds of a top
five finish and likely a win would quickly disappear.
May 28th- Golden Sands Speedway - 2nd
It was Andy's first trial at the Golden Sands Speedway but it looked as
though he'd been there before. The Wisconsin Challenge Series is highly
competitive and Andy knew it wouldn't be easy to jump right in. With just his
dad, girlfriend, brother and himself, he managed to qualify a seventh. With the
invert for the starting line-up the Long Haul Trucking, Auto Repair Service,
Cheverolet was slotted to start outside third row.
"I had never seen the track before but it is definitely one of my favorites
now," says Andy. "I hoped for a top five and we worked extremely hard for it."
He quickly moved his way forward and ran third for most of the race. When
he moved into second and a late yellow was brought out, things started to get
interesting.
"The car was loose all around but I tried all that I could. I adjusted my brakes
to the front and made a late entry for a straighter shot of the corner but our car
was just better on the long run. With that late caution there just wasn't enough
time. I made a move and was inside the leader at the line; we just needed one
more lap."
In just Andy's first start in the WCS and at the Golden Sands Speedway he
managed to finish an impressive second.
May 26th- I-94 Raceway - WIN!
Going back to I-94 Raceway was the best way to spend the week away from
the ASA Series. Andy was confident going to the track; he is the defending
ASA Super Late Model Track Champion. Setting fast time Andy in qualifying
was a great way to start off the night.
"The car wasn't as good as it could have been earlier in practice, but we
made some changes that happened to pay off," Andy said.
They sure did pay off as Hanson started 13th in the 40 lap event. The race
went green flag the whole way and he made the most of it. Patiently moving his
way forward, he found himself in the top five, and took the lead with seven to
go. Andy stretched his lead out to several car lengths to take the checkers and
his first win of the season.
May 19th- Iowa Speedway - 3rd
With bright sun shine, clear skies, and a third place starting position, Andy
knew it was going to be a good race. On a restart on lap two he drove under
the leader into turn one to take the lead out of turn two! This is the first time
Andy has led a race in the ASA Late Model Challenge Series. However after
leading 47 laps he was passed and stayed in second for most of the race.
"The car was perfect for most of the race and I was fine with running second.
I figured i could save my tires and make a run for the lead later in the race. I
thought it was going to work when we started running the leader down but the
car picked up a vibration."
With ten laps to go he fell to third and drove to the checkers with another top
five.
May 12th- Hawkeye Downs - 9th
Andy had a busy race this week in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Starting deep in the
field he knew it would be tough to work forward. Quickly but carefully he
worked toward the front to find himself in the top ten at the halfway break. In
the second half he moved to the seventh position and it looked as though he
would have another top five finish however as he slowed down for an incident
ahead of him another car got into him. He fell to eleventh but managed to
make it to ninth before the checkers waved.
April 14th- Toledo Speedway - 8th
Finishing eighth in Toledo has showed Andy just how crucial every lap is in the
scheme of the race. On just the second lap while running the high line Andy
lost control of the number 08 Long Haul Trucking Cheverolet Monte Carlo in
turns three and four. He managed to keep it off the wall and pull forward to the
rear of the field. Several laps into the next green flag run the car tightened up
and Andy started his march to the front. Running faster laps than the leaders
he passed car after car to find himself in the top ten just shy of halfway. When
the second half started Andy knew it would be tough to stay towards the front
with the condition his left side tires were.
"I had to drive the car pretty hard to work my way to the front. I would have
liked to save the tires for the end but unfortunately I put myself in quite the hole
with the spin putting me to the twenty seventh position."
Nonetheless he managed to work his way into seventh before dropping to
eighth in the final laps. "It's not something I'm proud of but I am excited for the
next race. Mike and the guys work hard to give me a car capable of winning.
We had just that at Toledo but I'm confident it won't be the last one we have."
March 31st- Music City Motorplex - 11th
Andy and the team went down to Nashville full of anticipation and excitement
waiting for the weekend to kick off. It was Andy's first trial at the Music City
Motorplex and he adapted to the track quickly. He surprised a few people with
a fourth place qualifying effort which made him more confident going into the
race. "The car handled great in qualifying. It's always easier going into a race
knowing that you have a car capable of winning." Andy explained. He started
fifth in the Music City Spring Clash 200 but didn't have quite the run he was
hoping for. Throughout the course of the race the car tightened up though it
would come about in the long runs. Unfortunately there was a total of eleven
yellow flags throughout the race. "Mike and the guys do a great job with the
car, it was perfect in practice and qualifying. It's just one of those things that
you have to deal with." Despite handling issues Andy once again managed to
stay out of trouble and bring the car home in one piece.
March 3rd-San Antonio Speedway - 5th
It was a great weekend from the start. Andy had never seen San Antonio
Speedway but ran well none the less. In practice Friday night he was fastest in
one of the sessions. Saturday he qualified 6th with an early draw and with the
inversion started 4th. Andy went into the race with confidence and hoped to
come away with a top five and thats exactly what he did. He kept his nose
clean and found himself in the 3rd position before the halfway break. When
the second half started Andy had to battle a tight condition on entry which
allowed a couple cars to get by him. He ran 5th for the remainder of the race,
just wanting to take the car home in one piece. In his first start at San Antonio
Speedway, his 3rd in the Challenge Series, Andy brought home his first top five
in ASALM Competition!
In his first ever CRA Sanctioned race at the Music City Motorplex, Andy
managed to work his way from the twentieth starting position into the top five!
The team decided to save two rear tires for the end of the race hoping for a
fast car at the end. Around lap 225 Andy pulled into the pits to put two new
rear tires on and started the next green flag session in twelve position.
Carefully picking his way through lapped traffic he began his run to the front.
As the race went green, many cars fell off the pace while his did not. After a
caution the race restarted with sixteen laps to go, Andy was in sixth. Having to
once again work passed the lapped cars on the inside, he was running out of
time. With just laps left he caught and passed fifth place for a 'team-earned'
top five.
Andy was more than happy when he climbed out of the car on the front
straightaway after the race, "I'm really proud of everyone who helps so much on
the car, I wouldn't be able to do this without them or our great sponsors, Long
Haul Trucking, King of the Road, and Bristows Kawasaki and Polaris. It was
tough being patient, especially when we waited so long to pit, but it turned out
to be a good call and I'm thrilled to finish fifth here at the Music City Motorplex."
October 14th - Winchester Speedway - 10th
The 36th annual Winchester 400 is the biggest race Andy has ever
participated in yet he managed it fairly well. Starting 16th out of 40 cars in the
main event isn't too bad. With plenty of laps to run Andy and the team figured
they had time to work their way forward. The number one thing on their minds
was to finish the race. At the drop of the green flag all 40 cars began to sail
around the fastest half mile in the world. After brushing the wall once and
settling back into traffic Andy maintained his position in the top 20. A caution
waved for an incident on the track and the team had their first ever pit stop
together. Afterward Andy started his march through the field. The longer the
race went green, the quicker he went forward.
"The car was tight at the beginning of a run but about 15 laps in it started
to come around."
Halfway through the race he found himself in the 6th position and a top five
looked possible until a wreck in turns one and two blocked the track. Andy
went to the high lane but the hole closed up. He made it through but hit the
wall with the right front pretty hard.
Every yellow from that point on the team made as many pit stops as
possible to work on the car. Everything from body work to fixing the front toe
settings. However the car was not quite the same after that and Andy was
working his best just to make laps.
At the end of the race he still managed to finish tenth despite a bent shock
and lower control arm.
September 22nd - O'Reilly Raceway Park - 32nd
In his first ever start at ORP Andy and the Long Haul Trucking team
performed greatly. Qualifying in the top five with a time under the track record
was a great way to start the weekend.
"I'm really happy with the time we ran in qualifying. Andy said, "I think the
car had more in it but I didn't want to push too hard in three and four because I
couldn't quite see the track with the sun setting."
With the invert drawn Andy was slotted to start the 100 lap race in the
second position. At the start of the race he took the lead and spread it out to
about seven car lengths! Two restarts in and Andy was still leading.
"The car was working great all night. I have to thank Mike Butz and
everybody involved with the car. I couldn't have raced here without them."
However on lap 35 of the main event time stood still for Andy and his crew
when the belt to the oil pump failed and the car lost control. He managed to
keep the car in the grass but needed a push to the pits where the odds of a top
five finish and likely a win would quickly disappear.
May 28th- Golden Sands Speedway - 2nd
It was Andy's first trial at the Golden Sands Speedway but it looked as
though he'd been there before. The Wisconsin Challenge Series is highly
competitive and Andy knew it wouldn't be easy to jump right in. With just his
dad, girlfriend, brother and himself, he managed to qualify a seventh. With the
invert for the starting line-up the Long Haul Trucking, Auto Repair Service,
Cheverolet was slotted to start outside third row.
"I had never seen the track before but it is definitely one of my favorites
now," says Andy. "I hoped for a top five and we worked extremely hard for it."
He quickly moved his way forward and ran third for most of the race. When
he moved into second and a late yellow was brought out, things started to get
interesting.
"The car was loose all around but I tried all that I could. I adjusted my brakes
to the front and made a late entry for a straighter shot of the corner but our car
was just better on the long run. With that late caution there just wasn't enough
time. I made a move and was inside the leader at the line; we just needed one
more lap."
In just Andy's first start in the WCS and at the Golden Sands Speedway he
managed to finish an impressive second.
May 26th- I-94 Raceway - WIN!
Going back to I-94 Raceway was the best way to spend the week away from
the ASA Series. Andy was confident going to the track; he is the defending
ASA Super Late Model Track Champion. Setting fast time Andy in qualifying
was a great way to start off the night.
"The car wasn't as good as it could have been earlier in practice, but we
made some changes that happened to pay off," Andy said.
They sure did pay off as Hanson started 13th in the 40 lap event. The race
went green flag the whole way and he made the most of it. Patiently moving his
way forward, he found himself in the top five, and took the lead with seven to
go. Andy stretched his lead out to several car lengths to take the checkers and
his first win of the season.
May 19th- Iowa Speedway - 3rd
With bright sun shine, clear skies, and a third place starting position, Andy
knew it was going to be a good race. On a restart on lap two he drove under
the leader into turn one to take the lead out of turn two! This is the first time
Andy has led a race in the ASA Late Model Challenge Series. However after
leading 47 laps he was passed and stayed in second for most of the race.
"The car was perfect for most of the race and I was fine with running second.
I figured i could save my tires and make a run for the lead later in the race. I
thought it was going to work when we started running the leader down but the
car picked up a vibration."
With ten laps to go he fell to third and drove to the checkers with another top
five.
May 12th- Hawkeye Downs - 9th
Andy had a busy race this week in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Starting deep in the
field he knew it would be tough to work forward. Quickly but carefully he
worked toward the front to find himself in the top ten at the halfway break. In
the second half he moved to the seventh position and it looked as though he
would have another top five finish however as he slowed down for an incident
ahead of him another car got into him. He fell to eleventh but managed to
make it to ninth before the checkers waved.
April 14th- Toledo Speedway - 8th
Finishing eighth in Toledo has showed Andy just how crucial every lap is in the
scheme of the race. On just the second lap while running the high line Andy
lost control of the number 08 Long Haul Trucking Cheverolet Monte Carlo in
turns three and four. He managed to keep it off the wall and pull forward to the
rear of the field. Several laps into the next green flag run the car tightened up
and Andy started his march to the front. Running faster laps than the leaders
he passed car after car to find himself in the top ten just shy of halfway. When
the second half started Andy knew it would be tough to stay towards the front
with the condition his left side tires were.
"I had to drive the car pretty hard to work my way to the front. I would have
liked to save the tires for the end but unfortunately I put myself in quite the hole
with the spin putting me to the twenty seventh position."
Nonetheless he managed to work his way into seventh before dropping to
eighth in the final laps. "It's not something I'm proud of but I am excited for the
next race. Mike and the guys work hard to give me a car capable of winning.
We had just that at Toledo but I'm confident it won't be the last one we have."
March 31st- Music City Motorplex - 11th
Andy and the team went down to Nashville full of anticipation and excitement
waiting for the weekend to kick off. It was Andy's first trial at the Music City
Motorplex and he adapted to the track quickly. He surprised a few people with
a fourth place qualifying effort which made him more confident going into the
race. "The car handled great in qualifying. It's always easier going into a race
knowing that you have a car capable of winning." Andy explained. He started
fifth in the Music City Spring Clash 200 but didn't have quite the run he was
hoping for. Throughout the course of the race the car tightened up though it
would come about in the long runs. Unfortunately there was a total of eleven
yellow flags throughout the race. "Mike and the guys do a great job with the
car, it was perfect in practice and qualifying. It's just one of those things that
you have to deal with." Despite handling issues Andy once again managed to
stay out of trouble and bring the car home in one piece.
March 3rd-San Antonio Speedway - 5th
It was a great weekend from the start. Andy had never seen San Antonio
Speedway but ran well none the less. In practice Friday night he was fastest in
one of the sessions. Saturday he qualified 6th with an early draw and with the
inversion started 4th. Andy went into the race with confidence and hoped to
come away with a top five and thats exactly what he did. He kept his nose
clean and found himself in the 3rd position before the halfway break. When
the second half started Andy had to battle a tight condition on entry which
allowed a couple cars to get by him. He ran 5th for the remainder of the race,
just wanting to take the car home in one piece. In his first start at San Antonio
Speedway, his 3rd in the Challenge Series, Andy brought home his first top five
in ASALM Competition!
