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Tiina is not the only racer in the family, though. Her daughter, Kiersten, was also very active in drag racing and successful for several years. Unfortunately, Kiersten had an accident at the 2010 “Battle of the Bay,” where she hit a snowbank and tangled up sleds with fellow racer Todd Serra. Todd was fine, but Kiersten broke both an ankle and a hand. This took a few operations to heal, and eventually she had to have several bones in her ankle fused. This did not put a total end to the family involvement though, as her husband Jeremy Hannen builds and wrenches a race sled for King Pin Racing out of Saskatchewan, and this is now Tiina’s ride on the winter ice drags.
Tiina’s goal for her current winter program is to win at the ISR World Series in Oconto Falls, Wis. She has high praise for the Sno Jokers Club, as the organization always does a great job of making sure the track is prepped to perfection. In three appearances at this race, she has always made finals, but so far has had to settle for runner-up positions.
Asphalt racing keeps Tiina busy in the summer, as she runs the NHRA Eastern Circuit. The NHRA program has a special class for Pro Stock 1000 that features all-out side-by-side heads-up racing. They offer five races on the circuit, plus a chance to run at Nationals in Epping, N.H., which Tiina has won the last two years in a row. Then it’s on to the big race and show at Martin in September.
Tiina is a sponsor’s dream because she insists on giving credit to everyone that has contributed to her winning performances. Her infectious enthusiasm has helped to advance interest for the sport, and fans of all ages are drawn to her, from young kids to old drag racing gurus.
History of women in sled racing
There is a long tradition of great female drag racers in NHRA. Women like Shirley Muldowny in Top Fuel, Erica Enders in Pro Stock, the Force sisters (Ashley, Courtney and Brittany) in Funny Cars, and Pro Stock motorcycle racer Angelle Sampey. There are also plenty of winning women in snowmobile drag racing Open Mod classes, including Robin Soat’s high point title in the 1980s, Ellen Staniforth’s 650 win at Minocqua, and Debbie Schmidt’s high point title in Okoboji.
It’s fun to see women lining up alongside the guys and not being intimidated off the line. They often have faster reaction times! Only the best can top off a good start though, and you need aggressive controlled riding all the way across the finish line. Tiina commands the sled flawlessly. According to Tiina, she is not planning to retire any time soon, so we look forward to seeing her winning ways for many more seasons, both on the asphalt and on the ice.