On the run with Kent Hanley, driver of the Winnebago Itasca Motorhomes Super Comp dragster and Super Stock Chevrolet Cavalier

If anyone had bet me at this time last year that I’d be reflecting on 2002 as a year that included a chance at the NHRA national championship in Super Comp, I would have lost the bet.

My amazing ride began at NHRA’s national event in Englishtown. Motorsports Director Chris Prevatt, from my sponsor, Winnebago Itasca Motorhomes, was going to be there, and considering I’d been in the final three of the last five years, I thought I had a shot to impress him. Instead, I left with a pair of first-round runner-ups; not quite what I’d hoped for, but things looked up after the Lucas Oil Series opener at Maple Grove Raceway. There, I went several rounds in Super Stock and was fortunate enough to win in Super Comp. After heading to U.S. 13 Dragway and Atco Raceway, I gained more valuable points with a runner-up and another win.

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After losing in the second round in Super Comp at the following three events, I headed to the Northeast Division’s last race, at Cecil County Dragway, where I made it to the quarterfinals in Super Comp and the final in Super Stock. Until then I’d focused mostly on the divisional championship than on national points, but with that settled, I was back to Maple Grove in search of some national points.

Rather than finding points, I found an entirely new way to lose when, during staging, a spastic bee flew right past my face and into the driver’s compartment. With all of the safety equipment I wear, there was no way the bee would be able to sting me. Regardless, that isn’t what I want to be thinking about as I’m staging. Not surprisingly, I was distracted enough by the bee to lose in round two. From Maple Grove, I headed to Memphis and Chicago, where I gained more points with a semifinal and second-round showing.

With three more races still to claim for national points, I was less than one round from passing my teammate, Brian Folk, for the national lead. With so much at stake, the crew loaded up and headed to Las Vegas.

After going a few rounds in Las Vegas, I passed Brian, putting myself in the lead. Just as it seemed that things were beginning to come together, I received a heartbreaking phone call from my wife telling me that her father had suffered a massive heart attack and was not going to make it.

I rushed to the airport and got the last seat on a flight home. My wife and I headed to Richmond, Va., to say goodbye to her father.

It is during such tough times that I realize what a tight-knit group racers are when one of us is in need. As luck would have it, Peter Biondo was heading to Vegas and offered to make a run in my car so I would have some numbers to work with if I made it back in time. Tech closed early because of the large car count, and with the funeral for my father-in-law that morning, I didn’t think I’d make it back. Luckily I did, with only a few minutes to spare.

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