by Lois Pollard-Grant

Russ Hancock, head tech man at Western Speedway, died on December 9, 2002, after being diagnosed with lymphoma last September. He was 53.

Russ leaves behind, his wife of 30 years, Sandi, and their three sons, Adam, Bryce and Jordan. He is also survived by his mother, Edith Munro, and sister, Pauline Fox.

Around the track, Russ is remembered as the hardheaded tech man who spoke his mind.

Drivers and car owners alike soon learned that you didn't argue with Hancock who never budged an inch to see that the cars conformed to the rules - and because of his thinking, he was doing auto racing a big favor.

There was another side to Russ that many people didn't see.

"He was the love of my life," Sandi said, "and what you saw on the outside, was not what he was on the inside - He was a very kind and soft man on the inside."

Sandi recalls when a young neighbor boy used to hang around the shop when Russ was working on his cars. One day the little boy came over and asked Russ to work on his car. The boy's "car" was a pedal car. So Russ went to work, going so far as to putting it up on jack stands - and built little roll bars over it.

"The boy was thrilled."

Russ, who worked as fabricator for Nicholson Manufacturing Fabrications, loved auto racing and had long involvements in stockcar and drag racing - teching, and building and working on the cars.

He built the car that Kirk Peacey drove to a stockcar championship in 2000.

"When I bought the car," Peacey said, "Russ kind of came along with it."

"He was an un-politically correct kind of guy, but he meant well - he was very opinionated but he stood by his guns."

"He helped me out a lot - every time I needed something, he was there. People had their opinions about him, but it's funny how at his funeral everyone remembered him."

Peacey will drive in 2003, the new stockcar that Russ started to build last year.

Perhaps knowing Russ better than most is drag racer, Bill Nesbitt.

"Russ and I go back a long way," Bill said. "When we were 17 and 18 we used to hang out at the old A&W, (where Russ met his future wife) and at the White Spot - and we used to drag up and down Douglas Street."

Bill recalls when Russ bought a '68 Camaro in 1992.

"He took me out to his garage and showed me the car he had just bought. Then Russ said - guess what? You're driving it."

That was when the friends hooked up to go racing for the next four years. They raced at Mission every two weeks as well as at tracks in the States, and because they were often top finishers, they went on to the Division 6 championships.

"He was probably one of the better friends you could have," Bill said. "Even after we sold the car, we kept in touch. Russ called it straight up - you either liked him or you didn't."

Russ did a lot of chassis and suspension work on the 1976 Nova that Bill runs today in the Super Pro class at Western Speedway.

"It was a standing joke - Russ called my car the 'roach coach' - The bugger."

Russ and his youngest son Jordan had a dream together of building a drag strip car for Jordan to drive.

Before Russ died he had been working with Jordan to build a 1967 Camaro.

"Unfortunately," Sandi said, "He never got to see his dream."

But dreams have a way of coming true, if only in part. Bill who is now helping Jordan with the car said, "We are definitely going to make it out this year."

"This was Russ' last wish, and the last thing he said to me before he died that night - make sure you look after Jordan, and make sure he gets to the track."

"I really miss him a lot."