Riverside International Speedway is honouring North American short-track racing legend Junior
Photo by Matthew Murnaghan/NASCAR
Hanley with the Hanley Cup. The perpetual trophy will have the IWK 250 time trial winner’s name etched on it for decades to come.
Riverside made the announcement during opening ceremonies for the IWK 250 over the weekend, with Hanley in attendance. Hanley’s ties with Riverside go back to the grand opening of the facility in 1969. He was a friend of track builder/founder, the late John “Nova” Chisholm and even after he moved from his home province of Nova Scotia to Ontario in the early 70s, he returned to Riverside often.
Hanley was at the very first “250” at Riverside in 1977 and set the fast time in time trials.
Hanley moved to Ontario to pursue a racing career and went on to become one of the most respected and successful short-track racers and car builders in North America. His accomplishments in racing have been formally acknowledged with inductions on both the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Maritime Motorsports Hall of Fame.
His trip to Riverside last weekend for the IWK 250 was his first since the track was rebuilt in 2006. During the Opening Ceremony, Hanley was also honoured as a two-time champion of the “250” along with all of the other IWK 250 champions in attendance. He then climbed behind the wheel of a replica of his familiar #72 race car and paced the field for the IWK 250.