October 4, 2009. The 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Rookie of the Year champion Joey Hanssen has barely had time to celebrate his accomplishments from this past season, but he is already looking ahead to 2010 and pleased to announce that he will return to the series for the 2010 season with Prime Champ continuing as the primary sponsor of the #40 Dodge Avenger that will again be part of a two car team with DJK Racing.
In what was a whirlwind courtship Joey Hanssen came to Canada less than a year ago and met with NASCAR Canadian Tire series perennial front runner DJ Kennington. The two formed a bond quickly and soon after an agreement was reached for Hanssen to pilot the #40 Prime Champ Dodge and Kennington to provide the top quality equipment and also help tutor the young man.
Immediately after turning his first laps in a stock car in the spring of 2009 it was easy to see how quickly Hanssen was adapting to the 2,800 pound stock cars. “The progress we made over the year with the team was fantastic” said Hanssen. “With a background in open wheel cars and Go Karts the approach is attack, attack. But with these cars you have to be patient, save your equipment for the end and then you can go for it” he added. The Prime Champ Dodge driver continued to learn quickly and scored his first of four top-ten finishes during the season in only his fourth event.
Hanssen would score his best finish of the season, an eighth place result at the very challenging 1/3 mile bull ring of Barrie Speedway, and in the final race of the season at Kawartha Speedway his eleventh place finish would clinch the rookie of the year title for the Prime Champ driver. “It’s a great accomplishment to win the rookie of the year title” said the driver. “I have so many people to thank for all the help and support I received this year. I want to thank our main sponsor Prime Champ Mushrooms, Prime Champ Motorsports and Geert Verdellen and Marc Kerkhofs. A big thank you to all the people at DJK Racing that worked with me this year and helping me to learn about the series. Also my fellow competitors who I learned a lot from as well. And I have to thank Jac & Jeanuette Verdellen, Scott, Cammy and Brandon Suk for their support, my family, and friends and of course all the great race fans in Canada and Holland”.
And with 2009 competition now completed the Prime Champ Dodge team and Joey Hanssen are already beginning work for 2010. In addition to the full race schedule for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2010 Hanssen will also compete in other series events. “I want to get as much track time as possible next year” said the enthusiastic driver. “I’m definitely going to run some late model races at Delaware Speedway, or maybe Flamboro Speedway during off weekends for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. “We’ll then see how the season goes to see what other opportunities might be available to us” he stated.
The partnership with Prime Champ, Joey Hanssen and DJ Kennington racing has proven to be a wonderful success and all parties involved are thrilled to be pair together for the 2010 season and want to keep the relationship growing. “I’m really excited about Joey coming back next year” said DJ Kennington. “I’m really proud of the progress he made all season long, he’s a bright young man, and he wants to learn and really listens to advice from everybody on the team. Having Prime Champ returning as the primary sponsor is great for our team, they have been very supportive of our efforts. We’re going to be looking for other sponsors as well to keep expanding and gathering more resources” he added
Joey Hanssen will be recognized with the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series rookie of the year award at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards Banquet in Charlotte, NC on Saturday November 14th.
Photos: Joey Hanssen in the Prime Champ Dodge on track.
In what was a whirlwind courtship Joey Hanssen came to Canada less than a year ago and met with NASCAR Canadian Tire series perennial front runner DJ Kennington. The two formed a bond quickly and soon after an agreement was reached for Hanssen to pilot the #40 Prime Champ Dodge and Kennington to provide the top quality equipment and also help tutor the young man.
Immediately after turning his first laps in a stock car in the spring of 2009 it was easy to see how quickly Hanssen was adapting to the 2,800 pound stock cars. “The progress we made over the year with the team was fantastic” said Hanssen. “With a background in open wheel cars and Go Karts the approach is attack, attack. But with these cars you have to be patient, save your equipment for the end and then you can go for it” he added. The Prime Champ Dodge driver continued to learn quickly and scored his first of four top-ten finishes during the season in only his fourth event.
Hanssen would score his best finish of the season, an eighth place result at the very challenging 1/3 mile bull ring of Barrie Speedway, and in the final race of the season at Kawartha Speedway his eleventh place finish would clinch the rookie of the year title for the Prime Champ driver. “It’s a great accomplishment to win the rookie of the year title” said the driver. “I have so many people to thank for all the help and support I received this year. I want to thank our main sponsor Prime Champ Mushrooms, Prime Champ Motorsports and Geert Verdellen and Marc Kerkhofs. A big thank you to all the people at DJK Racing that worked with me this year and helping me to learn about the series. Also my fellow competitors who I learned a lot from as well. And I have to thank Jac & Jeanuette Verdellen, Scott, Cammy and Brandon Suk for their support, my family, and friends and of course all the great race fans in Canada and Holland”.
And with 2009 competition now completed the Prime Champ Dodge team and Joey Hanssen are already beginning work for 2010. In addition to the full race schedule for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in 2010 Hanssen will also compete in other series events. “I want to get as much track time as possible next year” said the enthusiastic driver. “I’m definitely going to run some late model races at Delaware Speedway, or maybe Flamboro Speedway during off weekends for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. “We’ll then see how the season goes to see what other opportunities might be available to us” he stated.
The partnership with Prime Champ, Joey Hanssen and DJ Kennington racing has proven to be a wonderful success and all parties involved are thrilled to be pair together for the 2010 season and want to keep the relationship growing. “I’m really excited about Joey coming back next year” said DJ Kennington. “I’m really proud of the progress he made all season long, he’s a bright young man, and he wants to learn and really listens to advice from everybody on the team. Having Prime Champ returning as the primary sponsor is great for our team, they have been very supportive of our efforts. We’re going to be looking for other sponsors as well to keep expanding and gathering more resources” he added
Joey Hanssen will be recognized with the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series rookie of the year award at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards Banquet in Charlotte, NC on Saturday November 14th.
Photos: Joey Hanssen in the Prime Champ Dodge on track.
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