'07 - '08 Season
Team Sportech Ends Snocross Season on a High Note
Team Sportech wrapped-up the ’07-’08 snocross racing season in style with two great showings at Quadna Mountain Park in Hill City and Spirit Mountain in Duluth, MN.
March 29-30, 2008, Hill City, MN
The final points race of the season was held at Quadna Mountain Park; the track was awesome, the weather was great and the competition was stiff.
Andrew Carlson (#151) had another outstanding weekend, with nearly perfect qualifying rounds on Saturday and Sunday. In his 12 qualifying heats, Andrew had an incredible run of 11 wins and one second place finish! This was, without question, the best riding of the season for the #151 one as he absolutely dominated the competition in all of his classes. In the finals, Andrew continued to ride well but experienced some starting line “challenges” as they packed the sleds 10-wide on the starting line. He ended up with one win, two seconds and a third in his four finals, which is still very impressive.
Taylor Carlson (#251) continued her domination in the women’s stock class by going undefeated through qualifying and winning the final in a commanding fashion. Taylor ended up second in the pro women’s class, finishing right on the snowflap of the winner. Taylor’s goal for the season was to be competitive with the top pro drivers by the end of the season; mission accomplished! She’s excited to jump into the pro women’s division next season and mix it up with the fastest ladies on the snow!
Chris Carlson (#348) went undefeated through the qualifying rounds, but got passed on the last lap of the Plus 40 final by a very speedy, very cagey John Hanson who literally got HUGE air—for an old guy—and passed Carlson in time to take the win. Negotiations between Carlson and Hanson were initiated immediately after the race to discuss placing limitations on just how much air these over-40 drivers should rightfully be getting!
April 5-6, 2008, Duluth, MN
The season started in Duluth, MN last November, and 14 race weekends later, the season ended in Duluth as well with the WPSA Minnesota/Wisconsin Border Battle at Spirit Mountain Ski Resort.
The season points championships were over, and this was a race where the best riders in each class from Minnesota and Wisconsin circuit were paired up to see who was king of the hill in Duluth.
When the dust settled, Team Sportech ended the season on an incredibly high note. The team entered eight classes, and walked away with six first place finishes, one second and a third!
| Rider |
Class |
Qualifying Position |
Final |
| Andrew |
Junior 14-15 |
#1 |
First |
| Andrew |
Junior 16-17 |
#1 |
First |
| Andrew |
Sport Super Combined |
#1 |
Third |
| Andrew |
Sport Stock Combined
|
#2 |
First |
| Taylor |
Women's Sport |
#1 |
First |
| Taylor |
Pro Women's
|
#2 |
Second |
| Chris |
Plus 40 |
#1 |
First |
| Chris |
Plus 30 |
#1 |
First |
The year-end banquet was held Saturday evening at the Spirit Mountain Lodge and the team accepted three year-end points championship trophies, Taylor in Women’s Sport, Andrew in Junior 14-15 and Chris in Plus 40. Taylor also was second in Pro Women’s, and Andrew was second in Sport Superstock, second in Junior 16-17 and third in Sport Stock Combined.
Team Sportech would like to thank all of our sponsors and supporters for helping us to make this an outstanding season! Plans are already being made for next season—the first race in Duluth is just seven months away!
Four Classes Entered, Four Big Wins at Lake Geneva!
March 14-15, 2008, Lake Geneva, WI
Team Sportech Racing traveled to Lake Geneva, WI for the final national snocross event on the WPSA Snowmobile tour. Taylor and Andrew Carlson competed in the WPSA affiliate championships on Friday, where they qualified to run against the top competitors from the regional circuits in Wisconsin and Michigan. This is the highlight of the season for the team as it gives the riders an opportunity to line-up against the best riders in the country.
Taylor Carlson (#251) competed in the women’s stock class, and she wasted no time in establishing that she was a contender for the championship. When the dust settled, she emerged on the top of the podium, taking a convincing win in the final to claim the affiliate title for 2008. Andrew vowed not to be outdone by his big sister, and he set out to do the same…and he did! Andrew captured the sport super stock affiliate championship as well! Both riders stepped their riding up to the next level, and their Arctic Cats performed flawlessly on the track. The Geneva course is famous for its huge uphill starting line, and the Sportech crew had the clutching spot-on and both riders pulled HUGE holeshots all day long.
On Saturday at Lake Geneva, Taylor competed in the national Women’s Sport class. The class featured 18 women riders from all over the country, and the competition was the strongest that Taylor had face all season long. Again, Ms. Taylor rose to the occasion, sweeping ALL THREE heats and the final to capture her second top podium spot of the weekend! Taylor had a perfect weekend, going undefeated through all of her qualifying and through both finals.
Andrew Carlson (#151) competed in the Sport Stock class, choosing to jump up from the junior classes where he normally competes at the national level. Again the competition was stiff as some of the best sport riders in the country had gathered at Geneva. Andrew went 1-1-1 through his qualifying rounds, and entered the final as the number one qualifier. In the final, he pulled out to a quick lead and appeared to be well on his way to victory. Then, with just two laps remaining, he got crossed-up on a table-top jump and he came off the sled. As he ran to the sled and re-fire the engine, the second place sled flew by him. He remounted his sled, and the chase was on. This was undoubtedly some of the best riding we’ve seen from Andrew all season long. He caught up to the leader on the last lap, and in the final turn of the race, Andrew made a beautiful inside pass to capture the win.
Team Carlson went four-for-four for the weekend at Lake Geneva!
One of the keys for the team this weekend—and for this whole season—has been the outstanding mechanical support from the Sportech Crew, headed up by chief mechanic Bob “Hoss” Riege and team manager Jake Johnson. The team has literally not had a single serious mechanical failure all season, and this is undoubtedly the result of the hours and hours of meticulous mechanical preparation the crew puts in each week before the team hits the track. The team is only as strong on the track as the crew is in the shop, and clearly the strength of the crew is off the charts!
The team is excited to carry this momentum into the final regional event of the season on March 29th and 30th at Quadna Mountain Park.
Taylor Carlson Scores Big Win at Brainerd National Snocross!
March 8-9, 2008, Brainerd, MN
Taylor Carlson (#251) has had some bad luck in WPSA National Snocross events in the past. She’s just never seemed to put it all together when competing at this prestigious level.
Her luck changed drastically over this past weekend!
Taylor competed in the women’s sport class at Brainerd, the very same venue where she ended her season last year with a serious knee injury. Going into the event, she was a bit apprehensive, considering her past performance at the nationals and her experience in Brainerd last year. However, when the green flag dropped, Taylor quickly put the past behind her—and the other women in her class as well—as she simply tore-up the track en route to her first ever national snocross win. Taylor made the very best of a mid-pack holeshot in the final by systematically picking off one sled after another until she was in the front. From there, it was essentially all over. In less than three laps she built a half-track lead over the next sled, and she cruised to a very sweet, very rewarding victory.
The fiery competitiveness that Taylor shows on the track is quite contrary to the lifestyle this 16-year old high school junior leads off the track. Taylor is a great student, an accomplished musician and an active participant in her church youth group where she’s active with her youth worship team. Taylor’s father Chris Carlson summed it up by saying “I couldn’t be more proud of Taylor. She’s dedicated to excellence in all that she does, whether it’s school, church, power-shopping with her friends or snocross racing,” he said. She’s all girl off the track, and a fierce competitor on the track…What more could a motor-head father ask for?”
Andrew Carlson (#151) jumped up into the sport class at this national event from the junior classes where he typically runs. The competition was incredibly stiff, but Andrew held his own and enjoyed the experience. An early crash in practice on Saturday really rattled Andrew, in addition to leaving him very stiff and sore. Andrew had some mid-pack finishes, with a couple seconds and a third, but was unable to qualify for either of his sport super stock finals. He’s determined to regain the incredible momentum that he’s had all season long this weekend as the team travels to yet another national event in Lake Geneva, WI.
Team Sportech Travels to Quadna Mountain Resort
March 1-2, 2008, Hill City, MN
Quadna Mountain Park was the host of round nine of the WPSA MN State Snocross Championship Series. It was the biggest, and most challenging, track of the season, the weather was outstanding and the team had another good showing.
Taylor Carlson (#251) competed well in both the women’s sport and women’s pro-am classes. In the sport class, Taylor has been leading the points all season long, and with just a couple qualifying events left, each point becomes incredibly important. Taylor ran consistently all weekend long with strong holeshots and steady riding. She ended up entering the sport final as the number two qualifier. In the final, she pulled away from the crowd as they climbed the hill into turn #1, and she never looked back. On the last lap she had accumulated close to a 10 second lead over her closest competitor, and she coasted in for a huge win. This big win puts Taylor in a very strong position to win the women’s sport class season points championship.
Andrew Carlson (#151) had a strong weekend as well, despite some tough luck with holeshots. In the junior 14-15 class, Andrew dominated the competition by sweeping his heats and winning the final. This win wrapped-up his season points championship for this class. Andrew ended up finishing fourth in the 16-17 class, third in sport superstock and fourth in sport stock combined. All season long Andrew has competed in four classes, something which is nearly unheard of in snocross racing—he’s literally running from class to class all day long. On this huge Quadna mountain track, his endurance was tested to the max!
Chris Carlson (#348) had a challenging weekend in the old-fart, plus 40 class. He struggled with the “extreme nature” of the jumps on the track, commenting that the Good Lord did not create his large-framed body to get big air! He ended up mixing it up with his good friend John Hanson, who really had the track dialed-in over the weekend. John ended up taking the final win as Chris had a front shock failure half way into the final—further proving that this big feller shouldn’t be getting the big, big air required on this track!
Big Wins At the Third Annual Sportech Elk River Snocross
February 17-18 , 2008, Elk River, MN
Team Sportech stayed home last weekend—hosting and competing in the third annual Sportech Elk River Snocross. Warm temperatures and sunny skies, coupled with a huge snocross track brought big crowds and excellent racer participation.
Taylor Carlson (#251) had a few challenges in the qualifying rounds, including a spectacular crash on Saturday which brought a collective gasp from the crowds. Taylor got tangled up with another competitor while going up the face of a jump and both riders were thrown off their sleds and into the air. Both riders were OK, despite some mid-air aerobatics which were scary, to say the least. Taylor recovered nicely with a couple solid qualifying runs and ended finishing very strong in both of her finals. She took second place in both women’s sport and women’s pro.
Andrew Carlson (#151) had an outstanding weekend of racing, much to the approval of his hometown friends who were in attendance to cheer him on. Andrew’s weekend was highlighted with an impressive run of nine straight wins in his qualifying rounds—something which is very difficult to accomplish in the unpredictable sport of snocross. Andrew had great holeshots all weekend long and showed some of his best riding of the season. Andrew ended up with two huge wins in the junior 14-15 and junior 16-17 finals, and a very respectable second in sport stock combined class.
Chris Carlson (#348) had a strong showing as well in the plus 40 class. He went 1-1-1 through qualifying and completed the sweep with a win in the final.
Andrew Carlson Wins Big At Canterbury National Snocross!
January 12-13, 2008, Shakopee, MN
Team Sportech traveled to Shakopee, MN and Canterbury Downs, one of the very best snocross racing venues on the WPSA circuit to compete in Round Two of the WPSA National Snocross Tour. Huge crowds filled the facility and the track was one of the largest and best prepared ever.
Taylor Carlson (#251) competed in the Women’s Stock Class, and faced stiff competition from riders from all over the US and Canada. Taylor had some unfortunate luck in qualifying with poor holeshots, tangle-ups and a couple small crashes. Her hopes were high going into the final, but unfortunately her bad luck continued. Mid-way through the final she was making a move through the pack and had worked her way up to third place. As she was making the pass on the second place rider, she got sideways, lost control and crashed, ending her shot at a podium finish.
Andrew Carlson (#151) competed in the junior 14-15 and junior 16-17 classes, and as expected, the level of competition in these classes at this national level was impressive. Andrew qualified well through both classes and was confident going into the final rounds. In the 14-15 final, he went into the first corner in third, and within a short time he was in second and challenging for the lead. He soon slipped by the leader and proceeded to build a huge lead on the pack. Then, on the giant back stretch triple jump, an 85-foot monster jump which challenged riders all weekend, Andrew lost control of his sled in the air and came off on the landing. The huge crowd gasped! Andrew’s lead was so big he could have literally coasted through the last two laps to win. His chances for a win most certainly appeared to be gone, but took off running for his still upright sled, re-mounted, fired it up and re-entered the race in second place, about 4 seconds behind the new leader. The next couple laps were some of the best racing of the entire weekend. Andrew immediately started making up ground on the leader, and it was obvious that the race was going to come down to who successfully completed the big triple jump on the back straight—the very jump that threw Andrew off his sled on the previous lap. As the two riders crossed the table top finish line and saw the white flag signifying one more lap, there was still about two seconds separating the two sleds. The announcer got the crowd charged up by stating that Andrew’s last lap time was over two seconds faster than the leader. It was clear this was going to come down to the very end. As they approached the monster triple, the leader checked-up and chose to double the tricky jump, and Andrew pinned the throttle and cleared the jump perfectly, which launched him into side-by-side positioning with the leader. He stuck the nose of his sled in front of the leader in the final set of corners and came across the line in first, in what turned out to be an awesome race. Andrew took the top podium spot in front of a huge Canterbury crowd, and was awarded his trophy by his old Pal Bruce Schumacher from Parts Unlimited.
In the 16-17 final Andrew had to battle back from a poor start. He made his way through the pack in record time, but simply ran out of time. He still managed a third place podium spot, which put closure to a very exciting weekend of racing.
The team races at Canterbury again this weekend, this time competing in the WPSA MN State Championship Series.
Team Sportech Takes To the Track Quadna Mountain Park
January 5-6, 2008, Hill City, MN
Round six of the WPSA MN State Snocross Series took place at Quadna Mountain Park in Hill City, formerly known as Park-X. The weather was great, and the track was one of the largest regional snocross tracks ever built. For those of you who have never been to Quadna, it’s probably one of the best venues in the country for watching snocross racing. Formerly a ski hill, there is a chalet which sits at the base of the hill and the track is built directly in front of it. Fans and pit crews can watch all the action from inside the chalet, or on the side of the hills which overlook the track. There literally isn’t a bad seat in the house.
Taylor Carlson (#251) Taylor just plain kicked butt this weekend! She looked fast and consistent both Saturday and Sunday, and she seemed determined redeem herself after her unfortunate last-lap crash at Brainerd. In the Women’s Sport class she earned the number one qualifier honor with heat runs of 1-1-2. In the final, she pulled one of her classic “monster” holeshots and then proceeded to walk away with the race, building her lead to over 10 seconds on the second place sled by the last lap. In the Women’s Pro class, Taylor earned her best finish to date by taking a very impressive second place in the final.
Andrew Carlson (#151) Andrew had an outstanding weekend in all four of his classes, earning the number one qualifying honor in EACH CLASS. This is a difficult accomplishment in one class, but to do it in four classes in unheard of. At one point in the weekend, Andrew had five consecutive heat wins. To say that his sleds were running well and that Andrew had his “A” game would be an understatement! Here’s a quick breakdown of his classes:
| Class |
Qualifying heat finishes |
Final finish |
| Junior 14-15 |
1st - 1st - 1st |
2nd |
| Junior 16-17 |
1st - 1st - 2nd |
1st |
| Sport Superstock |
2nd - 1st - 1st |
5th |
| Sport Stock Combined |
1st - 2nd - 1st |
2nd |
Chris Carlson (#348) followed suit by gaining the number one qualifier honors as well in the Plus 40 class, going undefeated through three rounds of qualifying. In the final, he battled with John Gavel, a fiercely competitive racer from Canada. When the dust settled, the “Crazy Canadian” took the checkered flag by “going big” on a couple massive jumps. When asked after the race why Chris didn’t go even bigger to take the win, Chris simply responded, “Because I’m too old and I have to work tomorrow.”
Points Standings After Six Rounds
Rider |
Class |
Position |
| Taylor |
Women's Sportech |
1st |
| Taylor |
Wonen's Pro-am |
2nd |
| Andrew |
14-15 |
1st |
| Andrew |
16-17 |
3rd |
| Andrew |
Sport Combined |
2nd (-1pt) |
| Andrew |
Superstock |
2nd (-1pt) |
| Chris |
Plus 40 |
1st |
Sportech Racing Brings In The New Year With A Bang!
December 29-30, 2007, Brainerd, MN
Team Sportech traveled to Brainerd and the legendary Brained International Raceway to compete in round five of the WPSA MN State Snocross Series.
Taylor Carlson (#251) Taylor had some very impressive qualifying runs on both Saturday and Sunday, going into the final as the number two qualifier with two firsts and a fourth. In the final she pulled away from the pack from the starting line and increased her lead with each lap. The track was very rough, with holes over six feet deep on the back stretch, and Taylor did a great job of staying on the gas and out of trouble, until the last lap! With literally 100 feet to go to the finish line and with a lead of over half a lap, Taylor got crossed up on a bump and came off her sled! She was able to roll her sled back over and fire it up and still crossed the line in fourth place. Taylor isn’t sure exactly what happened, but she’s quite sure it won’t happen again!
Andrew Carlson (#151) Andrew had his first multiple win weekend by taking the top honors in both the Junior 14-15 class and the hotly contested Sport Superstock class. Andrew attributes his success on the track to the solid mechanical support from his pit crew, headed up by master wrench Hoss Riege, and to the Sportech practice snocross track where he and Taylor are able to practice during the week after school each afternoon. Here’s a quick breakdown of Andrew’s results:
| Class |
Qualifying heat finishes |
Final finish |
| Junior 14-15 |
1st - 1st - 2nd |
1st |
| Junior 16-17 |
3rd - 1st - 1st |
12th* |
| Sport Superstock |
4th - 4th - 2nd |
1st |
| Sport Stock Combined |
5th - 4th - 1st |
3rd |
* DQ'd on last lap while in 3rd place on controversial yellow flag incident.
Chris Carlson (#348) had a nearly perfect weekend in the Plus 40 class with heat runs of 1-1-1 and a win in the final.
Santa Brings Holiday Cheer—And Good Fortune On The Track For Team Sportech
December 15th-16th, 2007, Fertile, MN
Ho, Ho, Ho, Holy Cow! Team Sportech continued their winning ways at round three of the WPSA MN State Regional Snocross Series in Fertile, MN last weekend. After four straight weekends of racing, the team feels very blessed with their results. We have had no major mechanical issues, no serious crashes or injuries and going into the Christmas break, all three drivers are leading the points race in their primary classes!
Perhaps the best performance of the weekend came from Ms. Taylor Carlson on her blistering fast #251 Arctic Cat. Taylor flat out put a “whoopin” on the competition this weekend, with strong qualifying and a final run that made it clear who was the fastest driver on the track last weekend. In round three of her qualifying rounds, Taylor had an unfortunate tangle in turn one during the holeshot, which put her in last place as the dust cleared. She proceeded to literally drive right through the pack, with some very clean, very smooth riding. As the white flag signaled one lap to go, Taylor had just one sled left to pass, and with a well planned inside move, she put her Cat in front and went on to take the win. In the final, it was all Taylor, as she pulled a strong holeshot and literally left the pack in the dust. At the checkered flag, she was nearly a full half lap ahead of the next competitor. Taylor attributes her newly found speed to great equipment and being able to practice each night after school on the Sportech practice track.
Andrew had a great weekend as well, with very strong qualifying in all four of his classes. In the hotly contested Junior classes, he rode very consistently and came away with a big win in the Junior 14-15 class and a third in the Junior 16-17. The #151 was undefeated for the weekend in the 14-15 class, going 1-1-1 through qualifying and taking the win in the final as well. Andrew is also the first to admit that he is seeing great value in the practice facility. He has been working on specific skill areas when practicing, such as corner speed and developing better rhythm through the rough, “whooped” areas. It’s clear that this practice is translating into better speed on the track. And, needless to say, the conditioning benefit of running nearly 100 laps on the practice track each afternoon is tremendous. Here’s a quick breakdown of Andrew’s results for the weekend:
| Class |
Qualifying heat finishes |
Final finish |
| Junior 14-15 |
1st - 1st - 1st* |
1st |
| Junior 16-17 |
3rd - 1st - 2nd |
3rd |
| Sport Superstock |
2nd - 2nd - 1st* |
6th** |
| Sport Stock Combined |
2nd - 5th - 2nd |
3rd |
* Number one qualifier
** Crash
And speaking of peak, physical conditioning, Team Sportech Captain and Chief Old Fart Chris Carlson, who chooses NOT to run 100 laps every afternoon, had a good weekend as well in Fertile. He qualified well and ended up battling through the final with a competitor. But, at the finish line he came up a bit short and had to settle for second place. He attributes his success on the track to the “high-end” Christmas treats that he’s been consuming around the office at Sportech through the holiday season.
All of us at Sportech Racing would like to with you and your families a very Merry Christmas. We are reminded each week as we travel to the race tracks that we are incredibly blessed to be able to participate in this great sport, and we are very thankful for all of the support we receive from our wonderful sponsors.
Three Big Wins For Team Sportech At Quadna Mountain Park
December 8-9, 2007, Hill City, MN
Round two of the WPSA MN State Championship Series was held last weekend at Quadna Mountain Park, formerly known as Park-X. Temperatures at the race track both mornings were between -20 and -27 degrees Fahrenheit, which certainly creates some new challenges for the riders and the mechanics.
Taylor Carlson (#251) struggled through her qualifying rounds in Sport Women, going 2-2-4 through the first three heats. She was determined to “get things together” for the final, and some last minute clutching changes were made to her sled to ensure an improved holeshot. In the final, Taylor grabbed a great holeshot and never looked back, running the entire race unchallenged with clean goggles and the next closest competitor nearly a half-lap behind her! This was Taylor’s second regional win in two weeks. She also rode well in the Pro Women’s class and is showing improvement each week. She’s close enough to the front runners to see them on the track, and her goal is to be in there mixing it up with them by the end of the season.
Andrew Carlson (#151) had another strong weekend, running four classes and a total of 16 heats in two days of racing. The finals in his classes get stacked-up nearly back to back, so in some cases he doesn’t even get a chance to wipe the snow dust off his face from the previous race! Andrew says it’s brutal; his dad says it’s a character-building experience. Either way, there’s no question that the added time on the track is helping Andrew to get faster.
Andrew qualified well in three of four classes, with the number one qualifier position in the Junior 14-15 class. He went on to win the final in this class with a dazzling last lap pass to put him in the lead. It was a hard fought win that was one of the best races on the track all weekend. Here’s a breakdown of his results in all classes:
| Class |
Qualifying heat finishes |
Final finish |
| Junior 14-15 |
2nd - 1st - 1st |
1st |
| Junior 16-17 |
3rd - 1st - 4th |
4th |
| Sport Superstock |
4th - 1st - 1st |
3rd |
| Sport Stock Combined |
2nd - 6th - 4th |
7th* |
*back row start, crash.
Chris Carlson (#348) had a very strong showing all weekend long in the “old guy” class, Plus 40. His qualifying runs were 2-1-1, and in the final he pulled the holeshot and took the win virtually unchallenged. When asked what the secret was to his impressive holeshots, the elder Carlson rubbed in belly and simply said “traction!” Racers all over the track were then seen running to the concession stand for traction-building protein snacks!
It was another successful weekend for Team Sportech Racing. There have been very few mechanical issues so far, and the crashes that have occurred have been very minor. We head to Fertile, MN for round three this weekend, and then the team will get a much needed weekend off over the Christmas Holiday.
Team Sportech Opens the Regional Series With 4 Podiums!
December 1-2, 2007, Hill City, MN
Team Sportech Racing opened the 2007-2008 WPSA MN State Championship series at Park-X in Hill City, MN. Cold temperatures made for ideal snow making conditions leading up to the race, and the track at Park-X was in excellent condition.
Taylor Carlson will be competing in both the women’s sport class as well as the women’s pro class at the regional events this year. Taylor’s goal in entering the pro class is to get some valuable track time and learn a few tricks on the track from the fastest women on snow. Taylor actually competed quite well with the pro riders, and she is confident that riding at this level against riders of this caliber will only make her faster. She finished fourth out of four riders and was able to keep the riders in front of her in her sights. She’s looking forward to stepping up the pace in this class and contending with the top riders by the end of the season.
In women’s sport, Taylor ran very consistently through the qualifying rounds and ended up as the number two qualifier with two seconds and a first in the heats. In the final, Taylor pulled a strong holeshot right off the line and never looked back, capturing the top podium spot. Taylor’s knee injury from last season has healed up beautifully, and her off-season training is really paying off for her on the track. The final was a five lap race on one of the longest tracks of the season, and Taylor was able to stretch her lead toward the end of the race. Taylor has adjusted very well to the new Arctic Cat 600 Sno Pro and is really enjoying the added power.
Andrew Carlson will be competing in four classes this year at the regional level. He will be running junior 14-15, junior 16-17, sport super stock and sport stock combined, a class which allows both 440cc and 600cc machines. Andrew qualified for all four of his finals, and was the number one qualifier in the sport super stock class. Andrew battled for the lead in three of the four finals, and ended up settling for a second in both of the junior classes. Overall, he rode very well all weekend and is very excited to contend for the points title in all four of his classes.
Class |
Qualifying heat finishes |
Final finish |
Junior 14-15 |
2nd - 2nd - 2nd |
2nd |
Junior 16-17 |
2nd - 3rd - 1st |
2nd |
Sport Superstock |
2nd - 2nd - 1st |
8th (crash) |
Sport Stock Combined |
2nd - 5th - 2nd |
9th (crash) |
The senior Carlson will be competing in the plus 40 class this year, but he is quick to announce that should any pains, strains or other age related injuries affect him, he will be stepping down to focus on a full-time role as a pit crew member for Taylor and Andrew! Chris was the number two qualifier in plus 40, with qualifying runs consisting of a 1st, a 2nd and a 3rd. In the final he pulled a very strong holeshot on his new 600 cc Cat and never looked back, taking the checkered flag and the win.
It was a very successful weekend for the team, and there is no doubt that our practice track at Sportech is really helping the team prepare. The track allows the riders to get some valuable practice time on a real snocross track during the week, which pays great dividends for the riders by improving their timing, stamina and riding skills. Another huge benefit of the track is the testing that the team is able to conduct on the race sleds. The mechanics have been very busy working on suspension, carburetion and clutching calibration to ensure that the sleds are ready for competition. The snow guns have been running for two weeks and the practice track is actually in excellent condition for this early in the season. This is a HUGE benefit which should pay great dividends in the long run.
Team Sportech Charges the Hill at the Duluth National Snocross!
November 23-25, 2007, Duluth, MN
Team Sportech Racing kicked off the ’07-’08 racing season at the Amsoil National Snocross event in Duluth. This was one of the very best snocross tracks ever built, and it was considered by many to be one of the most demanding as well. Mother Nature blessed the track building crew at Spirit Mountain Resort in Duluth with two nights of cold temperatures leading up to the event, and the snow guns were making piles of beautiful white snow at a record pace.
The Duluth National event is typically one of the biggest snocross races of the season, and it has always served as the official kick-off of the season. This was the 16th year of this prestigious event, and based upon driver feedback, crowd response and the quality of the track, this year will surely go down in the books as one of the best years ever.
Taylor Carlson (#251) competed in the Women’s Stock Class, and faced stiff competition from riders from all over the US and Canada. She qualified well through the heat races, earning a front row spot in the final. Taylor’s holeshot was uncharacteristically poor, putting her toward the rear of the pack with a ton of ground to make up in just five laps. Patiently, Taylor worked her way up through the sleds and ended up with a very respectable 4th place finish. This was Taylor’s first race on her brand new Arctic Cat 600 Sno Pro, and she adjusted well to the new chassis. She was also very impressed with the power and is looking forward to pulling some “monster” holeshots in the coming weeks.
Andrew Carlson (#151) competed in the junior 14-15 and junior 16-17 classes, and as expected, the level of competition at these classes at this national level was impressive. This class features many of the “young guns” who are trying to establish themselves as the rider to beat as they move up the ranks in snocross racing. Andrew qualified very well—and quite consistently—through both classes, with second place finishes in all four of his qualifying rounds. In the 14-15 final, Andrew came out of the first corner mid-pack and immediately began working through the sleds to the front. He caught up to the leader with one lap to go and it was obvious that the last lap was going to be one of those nail-biters, guaranteed to turn the few remaining hairs on Andrew’s fathers head grey. And a nail-biter it was! Down the legendary back stretch which crawls up the big hill at Spirit Mountain, Andrew was literally side-by-side with the leader. As they approached the final corner at the top of the hill, the leader shut the door on Andrew which gave him just one more shot at capturing the lead. On the down-hill sprint to the finish line, Andrew caught some massive air off the Parts Unlimited “Power Plunge,” a famous down-hill jump which has thrilled crowds—and terrified racers—for many years. He landed just feet behind the leader and they proceeded to drag race to the finish line, with Andrew coming up literally inches short of capturing the win. The lap timers confirmed that just .255 seconds separated the two riders!
The team is excited to carry this early momentum into the first regional event of the season this weekend at Park-X in Hill City, MN.
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