By Ben Deatherage
MYTON, Utah (Dec. 5, 2025) — The Uintah Basin has always been a place shaped by work, resourcefulness, and people who build their own opportunities. Among those who left a lasting mark on the region’s racing community, few names carry more weight or affection than Ken Hansen — a father, inventor, promoter, and friend who helped bring IMCA racing westward and connected drivers across eight states.
Hansen passed away on November 18, 2025, at age sixty-five after complications from a stroke. His loss is felt across the Basin and beyond, in the tracks he helped guide, the racers he supported, and the family he poured his life into.
Early Years and a Move West
Hansen grew up in Powell, Wyoming, exposed to racing without ever taking up the wheel himself.
Ken later moved to Utah during the oil boom, drawn by opportunity and the chance to build something of his own. He founded Jet Lift Systems, inventing parts for oil and gas wells that are still used today. His creativity and engineering mind gave him a reputation for reliability, innovation, and hard work.
Racing wasn’t always part of the plan. It found him later — unexpectedly.
“I think it was around 2003 when we went to our first NASCAR race,” Chase said. “That got him started.”
Not long after, Ken brought his sons along on a work trip to Price, Utah. A hotel without a swimming pool left Chase and his brother disappointed, until Ken discovered a nearby dirt track, Desert Thunder Raceway. They went looking for something to do and found the stands, the engines, and the thrill of short-track racing.
“That got us all hooked,” Chase said. “We never looked back.”
Building a Racing Community
Ken didn’t become a driver, but he quickly found another way in. He sponsored cars, promoted events, and volunteered at tracks across Utah and the surrounding region. At Diamond Mountain Speedway in Vernal, he helped run the books, kept operations steady, and became a trusted figure in the pit area. He also helped launch the Castle County Clash in 2006 — an event that continues today — and later helped organize the Iron Man Challenge Series in Nevada in 2011 and 2012.
His most enduring contribution was the creation of the Wild West Modified Tour. The idea first took shape in 2006.
“He was promoting the Castle County Clash and started talking to a group of guys like Ricky Alvarado, Robert Gallegos, and Justen Yeager,” Chase said. “There was a meeting in Grand Junction, Colorado, at Hanson International that December, and dad put something together.”
The Wild West Modified Tour ran from 2007 to 2014 and returned in 2019 after a five-year hiatus. During its span, the series held more than one hundred races across Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and California. More than three hundred drivers made starts in the tour, turning Ken’s regional vision into a true Western racing institution.
Ken’s fairness in the sport became part of his legacy.
“My dad wasn’t afraid to DQ me, and he did it a couple of times,” Chase said with a smile. “It showed people there was no favoritism.” In heated moments at the racetrack, Ken had a gift for calming tensions. “If someone got upset, he’d say, ‘Hey, you had a bad night. Just regroup.’ That’s the kind of person he was.”
He loved traveling to Rock Springs for races at Sweetwater Speedway, made regular trips to Cortez in Colorado, and never missed a stop in Wendover when traveling to Nevada tracks.
“He loved that place,” Chase said. “It was always part of the trip.”
Chase Hansen — Ken’s son — won the Friesen Performance IMCA Modified feature at Sweetwater Speedway on June 18, 2021, during his 120th consecutive Wild West Tour appearance. The tour operated from 2007 through its final in 2021. (Photo by Tyler Mann)
A Life of Work, Humor, and Family
Much of Ken’s character was reflected in the obituary written by his family. Born June 20, 1960, in Powell, Wyoming, he was raised by his mother, Beverly, whom he deeply respected. He married Michele “Shelly” Uresk on April 29, 1990, in Las Vegas, and together they built a family rooted in love and laughter. Ken was known for pushing buttons just to get a rise, yet helping friends anytime they needed it. He loved farming, animals, barbecues, and gatherings with friends.
He enjoyed visiting Dinosaur, Colorado; Wendover; and Las Vegas. Even during his time in the rehab center, his humor never faded, and he became a favorite among the staff.
He is survived by his wife, Shelly, his children Lori, Lisa, Tyler, Chase, and Dustin, along with ten grandchildren, numerous siblings, nieces, and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, a brother-in-law, and a nephew. His wishes were to be cremated, with a memorial service to be held at a later date.
A Legacy in the Pits and in the Stands
Ken’s fingerprints are all over Western dirt-track racing. He brought IMCA sanctioning to Utah. He created opportunities for drivers from across the region. He stitched together a touring series when nobody else believed one could succeed. And he raised two sons who carried his passion from the grandstands to victory lane.
Chase Hansen earned track championships at Desert Thunder Raceway in 2007, Fairgrounds Speedway in 2008, Diamond Mountain Speedway in 2012, 2015, 2016, and 2017, and the Sweet Diamond Challenge Series in 2018. His brother Dustin added a title of his own at Diamond Mountain Speedway in 2018.
Every race, every trophy, every champion reflected Ken’s dedication not only to his family but to the sport he helped build.
Wild West Tour competitor John Stephenson (left) and Ken Hansen (right) share a moment beside the trailer. Stephenson’s son, Tyler, now serves as the tech inspector at Desert Thunder Raceway. (Photo by Shelly Hansen)
Remembering a Builder
Ken Hansen left behind a legacy measured not in wins, but in people — racers he encouraged, events he created, tracks he supported, and a community he helped hold together. His impact stretches across state lines, across years, and across countless friendships forged under dusty grandstands and desert sunsets.
His son captured it best.
“He helped everyone he could,” Chase said. “He took care of people. That’s what I’ll always remember.”