|
Carlson Hopes To Change His Luck At Fest
By: Kevin Ramsell
Monday, September 18, 2006(West Salem, WI) – Recently, Steve Carlson was
running third in a Wisconsin Challenge Series event at Madison International
Speedway when the white flag flew. When he came off of turn four, he saw
that the leader was upside down and the second place runner was also
involved. Carlson came to victory lane, sat on the driver side door and
shook his head. All he could say was, “Wow!”
The West Salem, WI driver and nine-time ARTGO/NASCAR Autozone Elite Division
Midwest Series champion will tell you that a lot of times that luck has been a
factor in his racing career.
But, with La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway in his backyard, one would think that
he would have a more successful record at the speedway. “Well, it’s
my home track and I should know how to make my car fast there and usually I
tend to screw it up and end up slow,” Carlson recently stated. “I
usually have better luck at other tracks than my home track.”
Carlson finally did break his bad luck streak when he claimed his only
Oktoberfest Race Weekend championship in 2000 when he took home a record
amount of $6,925. “I have been racing that deal since 1975. I
won it one time and I finished second or third, I can’t count how many time
that has happened. I sure would like to win it again if I could.”
Carlson recalled.
When asked about the first thing that comes to his mind about Oktoberfest he
gives a simple answer, “A lot of racing,” Carlson stated. Carlson is
expected to compete in the Wisconsin Late Models, La Crosse Late Models, and
the NASCAR Autozone Elite Division Midwest Series point standings.
Carlson so far has a good streak going. Besides winning last Friday
night at MIS, he also captured the season finale feature event at La Crosse
Fairgrounds on September 2nd. He ended the season finishing sixth in the
point standings. He also sits third in the NASCAR Autozone Elite
Division Midwest Series standings.
Steve’s son, Mike Carlson, completed his rookie season in the Kwik Trip Late
Model division by finishing 10th in the standings. “Mike drives well,
he finishes well and he keeps his nose clean,” Carlson stated when asked
about his son’s progress.
If it is ever said that a racetrack owes a favor to a driver, it can be easily
said that La Crosse owes one to Carlson. It was on July 9, 2005 when
Carlson was involved in what was probably the worse wreck ever when he hit the
wall head on and flipping in front of a packed crowd. At that time
Carlson stated that it was his HANS device that saved him from any severe
injury.
“Anybody who races without a HANS device is crazy,” Carlson strongly
stated. “I would never turn a lap again without one. I had a bad
wreck and walked away unhurt and I had been in lesser wrecks and had my bell
rung and my neck stretched out. That is my feeling on that.”
Will Carlson’s luck change for the better at this year’s Oktoberfest Race
Weekend? We will all know the answer as the 37th Annual Oktoberfest Race
Weekend event will take place on October 5-8. Fest is the best place for
“Racing’s Family Reunion.”
|
|
|
