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As he began to race more and win, other competitors took notice and Jr. began to build cars for them. His first shop was a small garage behind a swimming pool business in Oakville Ontario. Within a few years he had bought a building on Wallace Rd in Oakville and in 1977 started Hanley Racing Enterprises. It quickly became the shop of choice for many prominent racers of the day.
The Budweiser triple crown was added in 1991 and 1992 seasons. Three races were picked at different tracks in each year and if you won all three it came with a $50,000 bonus each year.
Jr. won it in 1991 with Budweiser’s competitor, Molson, on the car.
In 1992 Jr had won the first two races of the Triple Crown so Budweiser brought in Ken Schrader for the third race at Cayuga Speedway to try and deny him a second Triple Crown win.
Jr. won it again with Ken Schrader finishing second and collected another $50,000 bonus.
After a number of years trying, Jr. won the prestigious Oxford 250 in Oxford Maine in 1993. He was on the pole for this race in 1979, 82 and 94.
As the ACT late model series started to wind down Jr. continued to race locally but even that was changing. By 1997 he temporarily relocated and began to drive in the ASA series for Ray Skillman of Indianapolis Indiana. He had some good solid finishes but not the success he had hoped for.
In 2000 he teamed up with Larry Zent in Fort Wayne Indiana to begin the last chapter of his racing career in the CRA Super Series (it became the Sunoco Series) and the Iceman Series in the upper mid-western states.
Jr. was back on his game and began to regularly win. In 2001 he set a Super Series record for most consecutive wins with six. His winning ways continued in 2001 with an Iceman Series Championship.
Although he didn’t win a Sunoco Championship, he finished second in 2002 only 2 points behind the winner, Joel Kauffman.
Jr.’s Last CRA win came in 2004 at the Sunoco Super Series Nation’s Rent 400 in Anderson Indiana.
He also sat on the pole for this race.
Jr also won numerous open specials during this time and throughout his career.
In 2004, the last year of his racing career, he won for the last time as a driver at Speedweek.
Over the four decades he raced at Speedweek Jr. won a total of 50 races
Jr. was close to 60 years old by then, competing with the top drivers at that time, and still winning! Wherever Jr. went his natural driving talent and fierce desire to win evident in every race he competed in. That’s why he was so successful on the tracks whether it be here in Canada or the US.
After the 2004 season Jr. returned home and set up a small shop and began, doing what he does best, building, repairing and making parts for race cars. To this day he can be seen on weekends or practice days at various tracks in Southern Ontario helping a veteran driver or up and coming racers.
There are many people at these tracks that owe Jr. a huge debt of gratitude for all he has done for them.
Jr. was inducted into the Canadian Motorsports hall of Fame – 2000
The Maritime Hall of Fame – 2011
The Checker Flag Hall of Fame – 2112
Flamboro Speedway Hall of Fame
Yesterday’s Speedways Hall of Fame 2020
Three-time Bulova/Wheelspin Driver of The Year
The following shows how much respect he has with racers and race fans south of the border.
In 2010 Speed51.com released the 51 Best of The Decade List 2000 – 2009 of drivers. Jr wasn’t on that list because he ended his career in 2004.
Fans started e-mailing and posting on the site wanting to know why Jr wasn’t on the list.
Because of the fan’s reaction Speed51 decided to add Jr to the list as an honourary member.
Speed51’s response;
“Thanks to fan input, we’re going to add one honorary member to the list – Jr. Hanley”
There is no disputing that Jr. Hanley is one of the best short track drivers of all time. He’d easily place in the top five, or at worst the top ten, of anyone’s dream list. His victories in his homeland of Canada or his invasions of the United States were legendary. When it came to Late Model race cars, he owned New Smyrna Speedway during Florida Speedweek just as much as Richie Evans did with Modified cars. No matter what letters made up the alphabet soup – ASA, ACT, CRA, etc. “Hanley won everywhere. At least it seemed that way”
“Jr. Hanley ended his career in style – and short track fans don’t forget that”
“So, Hanley gets the fan vote and becomes the unofficial 52nd member of the Speed51.com Greatest Drivers of the Decade of the 00s.”
What a fitting way to cap off a spectacular career!
Courtesy of Bob Sumak
