'05 - '06 Season
TEAM SPORTECH TRAVELS TO PARK-X FOR THE SEASON FINALE!
HILL CITY, MN (March 25-26, 2006)
The final event of the WPSA MN State Championship Series was held last weekend at Park-X, and it featured some of the best regional racing of the season. Racers were treated to a huge track, which was completely different than the last time we raced at Park-X. The weather was warm and sunny, the crowds were impressive—and the mud in the parking lot was KNEE DEEP in many spots! This small detail was overlooked by most and the focus was on the awesome racing taking place on the track.
Going into the race, Team Sportech had two season points championships on the line. Taylor Carlson was leading the Women’s Sport class and Chris Carlson was leading the Plus 40 class. Both drivers held narrow leads, and it was going to take some great riding to bring home the titles.
Taylor Carlson set her mind early in the weekend that she was going to do what it takes to win, and that’s exactly what she did. She pulled huge holeshots up the face of the ski hill all weekend long, and dominated the qualifying rounds. She entered the final as the top qualifier, pulled another monster holeshot and never looked back, taking the final win and the season’s points championship with style! Taylor was thrilled with her victory and is already looking forward to defending her title next season.
Andrew Carlson had perhaps the best weekend of racing that he has had all season long. The “bad luck blues” were nowhere to be seen as he blew through his qualifying rounds without a hitch. In the Saturday final, he went ski-to-ski with two other competitors for the entire race, finishing a very respectable second. And on Sunday, he was perfect for the day, with a sweep of all qualifying races and the final, which featured some of the best driving Andrew has shown all season. The final was capped off for Andrew when he had a virtual drag race to the finish line tabletop jump, down the steep face of the hill. The hill was a 300 yard stretch consisting of one mogul after another, many of which were over six feet high. The sight of these two junior racers flying over the moguls and down this hill was nothing short of amazing! It’s also a sure sign that as these racers advance to the bigger, more powerful 440 liquid cooled sleds next year, we will all be treated to some fantastic racing. Andrew finished the season on a high note with the victory in the final, giving him a second place finish in the points championship in the Junior 10-13 Sunday class.
Chris Carlson defended his narrow lead in the Plus 40 class by holding off his challengers and finishing second in the final. Chris isn’t moving too fast around the office this week—he had an impressive crash on Saturday in qualifying that reminded him of his age, and the irresponsible nature of an old, large man racing in a young, small man’s sport.
This is the second year in a row that Chris has captured a points championship. He also rode well in the Plus 30 class, finishing second in the final and second in the Plus 30 overall season points race.
Jake Johnson capped off his season with some sharp driving in the competitive sport classes. A last round “off” kept Jake out of the finals, but he showed steady improvement all season long, and did a great job of balancing the duties of driver and team manager. The equipment was prepped and ready for each race and the trailer was always ready to roll. Jake is dedicated to excellence in all that he does, and we were truly blessed to have him “running the show” for us this season.
Team Sportech Racing would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our wonderful sponsors. Without you, we would not be able to do what we do. We are already making plans for next year, and we intend to step up our involvement in the sport of snocross in a significant manner. We will be in touch with you in the off season to discuss our plans for next year. Until then, thank you for your tremendous support this season.
A GRAND EVENT AT LAKE GENEVA
LAKE GENEVA, WI (March 17-18, 2006)
The WPSA Affilate Championships were held at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, WI March 17-18. This event essentially brings the top three drivers from each class in the WPSA Regional circuits together to compete head-to-head in a championship race.
Taylor Carlson raced well through the qualifying rounds in the Women’s Stock Class and quickly established herself and the driver to beat. She entered the final as the top qualifier and battled through an exciting final to finish in second place. Just 14 years old, Taylor was the youngest participant in her class.
The Junior 10-13 Class was perhaps the most competitive class in the affiliate championship, and the hype leading up to the event was intense as predictions flowed in from multiple directions about which region had the fastest junior drivers. Andrew Carlson went undefeated through his qualifying rounds and entered the final as the top qualifier. He battled with his friend and arch rival Logan Christian, another Minnesota Regional racer, through the final and ended up finishing second. Andrew also competed in the WPSA National event which was being run at the same time at Lake Geneva. In this class, he competed against 33 other drivers, qualified on top again and finished third in the final.
Chris Carlson competed in the Plus 30 class and had some very stiff competition. The bar was definitely raised in the Plus 30 class for the weekend! Chris ended up taking the final podium spot in third.
WPSA did an outstanding job putting this race together. The track was awesome and the crowds were impressive each day. Team Sportech had a great weekend and felt very fortunate to walk away with podium finishes in each class with competition at this level.
TEAM SPORTECH COMPETES IN WPSA STATE EVENTS IN ST. JAMES AND HUTCHINSON, MN
ST. JAMES, MN (February 11-12, 2006)
Team Sportech traveled to St. James, MN to take part in round six of the WPSA MN State Championship Series.
Andrew Carlson’s struggles in the finals continued, as he qualified at the top of his class both Saturday and Sunday, only to have disappointing finals both days brought on by untimely crashes. In Sunday’s final Andrew had a commanding lead half way through when he cased a routine double. He made a nice save and regained the lead, only to be taken out of the race when another racer collided with his sled.
Taylor Carlson decided that this was the weekend for her to step up to the plate and begin doing the big jumps on the track. She ran nearly flawlessly through the qualifying rounds, improving her jumping with each heat race. In the final she decided to really go big, and in the process she grossly over-jumped a double, coming up just short of a triple jump that only a few pros had conquered all weekend! The impact threw her into the handlebars, ending her hopes of a final victory. At the time of the crash, Taylor had a huge lead on the rest of the field.
Jake Johnson ran consistently all weekend long in the hotly contested sport classes, narrowly missing a podium spot in the Sport 600 class final. Jake has shown improvement each week, with his average heat finish improving drastically from the beginning of the year.
Chris Carlson lost his shot at a third consecutive plus 40 final win when a competitor slid by him on the last lap, leaving him in second place. He also finished second in the plus 30 final.
HUTCHINSON, MN (February 18-19, 2006)
Wind chills in the minus 30 range greeted Team Sportech this past Saturday morning in Hutchinson, but after adding an extra layer of clothing and making some last minute jetting changes, the team was ready for competition.
Taylor Carlson continued her newly found passion for jumping by leaping through the qualifying rounds with ease. She ran consistently all weekend in the Women’s stock class, and ended up with a respectable third place podium finish in the final. Going into the final round of the series, Taylor is leading the point’s race in the Women’s stock class.
Andrew Carlson experienced more of the same over the weekend—strong qualifying rounds with bad luck and disappointment in the finals. On Saturday Andrew was battling through the crowd after an uncharacteristically poor holeshot. He was up to third place when one of the other junior 10-13 riders basically smashed into the rear end of Andrew’s sled, sending him off his sled and ending his run to the front. On Sunday his holeshot problems continued and he was forced to work his way through the tenacious and often unpredictable 10-13 year old riders. In the short five lap final he was able to make it back up to a disappointing fourth place. The second half of this season has been a real character-building experience for Andrew, surely leading to a greater appreciation of the good days at the track which are ahead. Andrew is currently in fourth place in the points in the Saturday class and third place in the Sunday class. His bad luck in the second half of the season has taken away his chances for a season points championship.
Jake Johnson battled through the sport classes again, earning a front row spot in the Sport Stock final. When the dust cleared, Jake ended up with a respectable finish in eighth place.
Resident old guy Chris Carlson captured the plus 40 final and padded his points lead in the class by a few notches as he heads into the final round of competition. The plus 40 final, which typically features very little “bumping and grinding” in the corners, was especially feisty this weekend, including a last corner, last lap bump on Carlson by one of his friendly competitors that nearly threw the large man off his sled. Carlson was quoted after the race as saying he attributes his ability to stay on the sled through this collision to his non-traditional snocross build. “When you are 250 pounds racing against a bunch of little fellows who weigh as much as one of my legs, I need every advantage I can get,” said Carlson.
Team Sportech travels to Park-X for the eighth and final round of the MN State Series on March 25th and 26th.
TAYLOR CARLSON SHOWS WOMEN WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT…
BRAINERD, MN (January 28 & 29, 2006)
Team Sportech traveled north to the great Brainerd International Speedway, home of the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. Recent warm weather made for a highly technical single line track. This was a big change when the circuit is used to racing on National level snocross tracks.
Taylor Carlson was on a mission to let her competition know who the boss is. She ran very strong all weekend and finished 1st place in her Women’s final with a tremendous pass. Stay tuned for her continual domination.
Jake Johnson gathered momentum Saturday and went undefeated in the highly competetitive Sport stock class. These results allowed him to run in the Dash for Cash with the top Sport point’s leaders. In the Sport Stock final, Jake was involved in a major turn one pile-up. This poor start caused him to get a dismal 8th place.
Andrew Carlson was a little off beat this weekend. He had his share of spills and crashes. In the final, Andrew was dead last in turn one. After the first lap, he proceeded to pick off one racer after another and picked up a respectable third place finish.
Chris Carlson ran flawless in the plus 40 class all weekend long, taking a first in the final. In the plus 30 class he ended up third overall.
TEAM SPORTECH PUTS ON A SHOW IN FRONT OF THE HOME CROWD
ELK RIVER, MN (January 21-22, 2006)
Team Sportech played host recently on their home turf as the WPSA MN State Championship Series traveled to Elk River, MN for the first Sportech Elk River Snocross.
Jake Johnson rode like a new man all weekend long, pulling monster holeshots and winning his first heat races of the season. Jake qualified for a front row spot in his Sport Stock final and ended up on the podium with a respectable fourth place finish. Jake sent a clear message to his competitors that there’s a new sheriff behind the controls of the #344 Arctic Cat! Stay tuned!
Taylor Carlson went undefeated in the women’s stock class qualifying rounds both Saturday and Sunday with some impressive riding. She ran into some issues in turn one of the final, but battled through the crowd to finish second overall. When asked if she “turned up the heat” just a bit for the home town crowd, she replied, “Just a bit.” Of course her father’s response was for her to pretend that her friends are in the stands at every race.
Andrew Carlson was nearly perfect in qualifying all weekend long. On Saturday a turn one pile-up ended his hopes of victory, but on Sunday he redeemed himself by going undefeated through the three qualifying rounds and winning the final in dramatic fashion. Andrew was mid-pack after the first lap and he proceeded to pick off one racer after another to get to the front.
Chris Carlson ran well in the plus 40 class all weekend long, taking a first in the final. In the plus 30 class he ended up second overall.
The inaugural Sportech Elk River Snocross was a huge success overall. There were over 450 driver entries and the crowd was one of the largest ever gathered for a regional WPSA event. The community of Elk River really showed their support for the event. Great weather and an awesome track made for an exciting weekend for spectators and racers alike.
ANDREW CARLSON CAPTURES JUNIOR 10-13 CLASS AT CANTERBURY
SHAKOPEE, MN (January 14-15, 2006)
In front of a record crowd of screaming snowmobile enthusiasts estimated at over 12,000, Andrew Carlson put the hammer down and captured top honors in the Junior 10-13 class at Canterbury Downs last weekend.
Andrew took a first and a second in his qualifying rounds, and then pulled away from the crowd for a decisive win in the final. The track was very challenging, and in the final the top junior riders were doing the big doubles—and some of the triples—that the pros were jumping, sending a clear message that the crop of junior racers coming up in the ranks will be sure to provide race fans with plenty of excitement in the years to come.
One of the keys to Andrew’s success this season has been his strong holeshots, a critical component in snocross racing. “My Arctic Cat 440 pulls hard off the line every time, and I think it’s a huge advantage for me to get great starts,” reported Andrew. “I also think it’s kind of cool that I’m getting these holeshots while racing a 440cc machine against competitors on other brands who are running 550cc machines. It says a lot about just how strong this Arctic Cat is.”
Andrew and the rest of Team Sportech Racing will be competing on their “home turf” this weekend at the Sportech Elk River Snocross held at the Sherburne County Fairgrounds. We would like to invite all of our great sponsors to join us in Elk River for this event. Please let us know if you can make it and we will be sure to arrange for complimentary tickets.
BAD LUCK BUG BITES SPORTECH AT CANTERBURY
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SHAKOPEE, MN (January 7-8, 2006)
The easiest way to summarize Sportech Racing’s weekend at Canterbury Downs this past weekend would be to use the old, and tragically over-used, racing cliché “that’s racin’.” Crashes and broken parts made for a very frustrating weekend for the team.
On a positive note, it was a great weekend for racing at Canterbury with sunshine, mild temperatures and an impressive turn-out from both spectators and racers. With over 650 driver entries, it was one of the largest regional snocross events ever held.
Taylor Carlson walked away from the weekend with the least amount of damage and frustration. She raced hard through qualifying and recovered from a nasty “nose plant” crash in her first round to finish third in the Women’s Stock final. Taylor gets faster each week and has done a great job of transitioning to the highly competitive Women’s class.
Andrew Carlson had nearly perfect qualifying rounds on Saturday, only to be taken out of the final on the first lap when he was hit by another sled and his steering mechanism was disabled. Sunday’s qualifying went well again for the first two rounds, and then in the third round he crashed on a last-lap pass attempt to capture the leader. He came up a bit short on a triple jump, resulting in a crash and a last place finish. This put him in the back row of the final, a spot Andrew has not experienced in a long time! He showed great determination, battling through the crowds from the back to capture fifth place, the final podium spot.
Chris Carlson was top qualifier in both the plus 40 and plus 30 classes, and he will readily admit that this really means nothing if you can’t make it through a finals without problems! In the plus 40 final he got caught in a classic “squeeze play” in turn one and was catapulted into a spectacular end-over-end crash—and last place in the final. His sled received some serious damage, but thanks to some quick pit repairs by team manager Jake Johnson, Chris was able to limp back on the track for the plus 30 final. Despite some serious front end damage, he slid into fifth place.
Jake Johnson ran a consistent 4-5 place all weekend in the highly competitive sport classes. The lack of good holeshots caused him to narrowly miss the finals.
The sleds will be cleaned-up, all broken parts will be replaced and racer’s bodies and attitudes will be fully recovered for the next regional WPSA event, the Sportech Elk River Snocross held on our “home turf” here in Elk River, January 21-22 2006.
We would like to personally invite all of our sponsors to this event. After racing on Saturday afternoon there will be a VIP reception in a heated trackside tent. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served, and all Sportech Racing sponsors and sponsored racers will be invited. We will also have complimentary VIP passes available for sponsors, so please contact Chris Carlson if you intend to attend the event.
Thanks again for all of your support.
TEAM SPORTECH BRINGS IN THE NEW YEAR AT PARK-X
HILL CITY, MN (December 31, 2005 - January 1, 2005)
Sportech Racing returned to Park-X in Hill City, MN for round two of the WPSA MN State Series December 31, 2005 and January 1, 2006. Mild temperatures and big crowds made for an exciting weekend of racing, and the track at Park-X was absolutely huge. Massive fly-way jumps and some of the roughest conditions imaginable set the tone for the weekend.
Andrew Carlson continued his winning ways by qualifying in the number one position on Saturday. He battled through the final with two competitors and ended up taking second place. On Sunday he again qualified strong and looked to be the favorite in the final, but a first corner pile-up ended his chance for a victory. He was able to get back on the track and went from dead-last to sixth place with some high-flying acrobatics, undoubtedly fueled by his disappointment.
Taylor Carlson had similar results in her racing, with great qualifying runs in the Women’s stock class on both Saturday and Sunday, but a disappointing crash in the dreaded first corner spoiled her chances of a win as well. Like her brother, Taylor fired through the pack, passing sleds two at a time to make it all the way up to fourth place.
Jake Johnson battled all weekend long in the ultra-competitive Sport classes and had some very encouraging heat races. Although he did not make the finals, he showed improvement, he kept his sled and body in one piece, and he is ready to do battle again this weekend.
Chris Carlson ran strong all weekend with the “old guys” in the plus 30 and plus 40 classes. He was the number one qualifier in plus 40 and ended up second in the final, and in the plus 30 class he finished third in the final.
TEAM SPORTECH DELIVERS A LITTLE PRE-HOLIDAY HO-HO-HO WHOOPIN’ AT PARK-X
HILL CITY, MN (December 10-11, 2005)
With snow flakes twinkling to the ground, Christmas music in the air and some serious butt-whippin’ taking place on the track, the only thing missing at last weekends non-points WPSA MN State event at Park-X was Santa himself!
Andrew Carlson had a near perfect weekend in the Junior 10-13 class on his wicked-fast Arctic Cat 440 Sno Pro fan. He went 5 for 6 in his qualifying heats, with five victories and one third place finish, the result of a first corner pile-up. He won the finals on both Saturday and Sunday to finish off an awesome weekend. The 10-13 final on Sunday featured some of the best racing of the weekend. Andrew made a thrilling pass on the famous Snicklefritz downhill, including an impressive “big air” leap off the intimidating Air force Flyway jump mid-way down the hill to capture the win.
Taylor Carlson had some impressive heat runs in the women’s and novice classes, and ended up taking second place in the women’s final. Taylor was the only female rider in the novice class and showed great promise as she battled it out with the “boys.”
Team captain and official “old guy” racer Chris Carlson got some last minute clutching help from our friends and sponsors over at Speedwerx, and his holeshots were vastly improved all weekend. He took top honors in the plus 40 class and managed a second place with the “youngsters” in the plus 30 class.
The weekend was a great success, with no injuries, no broken sleds and five podium finishes.
Sportech Racing will return to Park-X on December 31st and January 1st for the second round of the WPSA MN State Championship Series.
On behalf of everyone at Sportech, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
TEAM SPORTECH STARTS SEASON AT PARK-X
HILL CITY, MN (December 3-4, 2005)
Sportech racing officially opened up the WPSA MN State Series at Park-X in Hill City this past weekend. The racer and fan turnout was impressive, despite frigid early-season temperatures.
Andrew Carlson went undefeated for the weekend in all of his Junior 10-13 class heat races, but struggled a bit in the finals. This class features a final on both Saturday and Sunday, which gives the junior riders some more valuable seat time. Andrew finished second on Saturday, and third on Sunday.
Taylor Carlson competed for the first time on a 440 liquid cooled sled in the women’s class. She rode very well through qualifying, securing herself a solid front-row spot in the final. Taylor got tangled up with a couple other sleds off the line, but was able to battle back from the rear to make the last trophy spot in 5th place. Taylor was pleased with her performance and is confident that she will be a consistent front runner this season in the highly competitive women’s class.
Jake “Endo” Johnson took a very nasty digger in practice late Friday afternoon, and neither he nor his sled fully recovered all weekend. Held together with duct tape and zip ties, his sled looked like some kind of a monster! Jake was running at about 50% capacity all weekend, with the crash fresh in his mind, but still managed to run well in a couple heat races. He is recuperating well and will be ready for the next points race at the end of the month.
Chris Carlson competed in the Plus 30 and Plus 40 classes and ran well through the qualifying rounds, finishing as the top qualifier in Plus 40 and near the top in Plus 30. He struggled with holeshots all weekend and was forced to play “catch-up,” a problem which haunted him in the finals. He finished in second in the Plus 40 and third in Plus 30.
Team Sportech will be competing at Park-X again this weekend in a non-points race.
ANDREW CARLSON SETS BLAZING PACE AT DULUTH NATIONAL
DULUTH, MN (November 26th, 2005)
Sportech Racing’s motto going into the ‘06 snocross race season was: “You never have to recover from a great beginning.” Andrew Carlson launched the season in style with a second place podium finish in the hotly contested Junior 10-13 class at the WPSA Duluth National last weekend.
Andrew drove his #151 Arctic Cat through the qualifying rounds with 1st and 2nd place finishes, placing him near the top of the heap in qualifying. He exploded off the line in the final to pull a clean holeshot, his third consecutive holeshot of the weekend. He led the race for over two laps, and then battled with two other riders for the remaining three laps. After regaining the lead and swapping spots with the other two sleds several times, he ended up crossing the finish line in second place, just missing the top spot.
The race was held under the lights Saturday evening, and was certainly one of the most exciting finals of the weekend. The top three finishers were brought to the center of the track after the final and were interviewed in front of a crowd of thousands of excited snowmobiling enthusiasts. When asked about what it was like riding on the super-rough Duluth National track, the 12-year-old commented, “It was a little rough, but not too bad.” He then took the time to thank all his sponsors.
Andrew and the rest of Sportech Racing will be at Park-X in Hill City, MN December 3rd and 4th for the opening round of the WPSA Minnesota State Snocross Championship Series
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