NASCAR: Five Great Short Track Drivers Who Never ‘Made It’

Junior Hanley may be the greatest Canadian short track driver of all time. Hailing from Oakville, Ontario, Hanley was a terror in the American Canadian Tour series winning 34 races in just 94 starts. Between 1991 through 1993, Hanley won three ACT championships and won 29 of the 65 races in that period including the 1993 Oxford 250. Hanley also made frequent starts in the ASA series as he won five races.

Many of Hanley’s top accomplishments came in open competition style racing. The Canadian won three of the four series races and took the 1983 World Series of Asphalt Racing title at New Smyrna Speedway. Hanley also won back-to-back in the Copper World Classic in 1990 and 1991. Hanley seemed to only get better with age as he won 18 races in the CRA Super Series late model tour in spite of being nearly 60 years old.

While Junior Hanley never made a start in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, it is almost certain that he would have been successful on that level had he been given the opportunity.

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