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He not only made his car stick to the track like maple syrup on a pancake, he powered through the turn at more than 100 mph, then held off the competition to win season-opening race at the Fairgrounds Speedway before a crowd estimated at 2,300.
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Greg Oliver, flag man for ten years at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, waves the checkered flag to end a thunderstox on opening night Saturday.
PETER THOMSON photo
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Guess what? It wasn’t Steve Carlson, the defending track and Whelen All-American Series national short-track champion. It was his 20-year-old son, Mike, who showed race fans there is another Carlson to contend with this year.
“Before the race, I was so nervous. It’s the first night of the season and you want to get off to a good start,” said Mike Carlson of his first career Late Model victory. “Boy, he (J. Herbst) really gave me a good run for my money. He’s a good driver who has done well out here. It takes a good car, and some talent, to get by him.”
Once Mike Carlson got by Herbst and took the lead on Lap 19, his worries were far from over. His father was gaining steam right behind him, and moved into second place on Lap 20. With five laps remaining, would the national champ teach the son a lesson or two?
Not this time.
“I started in the sixth row and Mike started in the fifth, right ahead of me. He left me right away,” Steve Carlson said. “I was able to catch up when he was battling side-by-side with Herbst. Then he left me again. I tell you what, that takes a lot of confidence to be in second, then go to the top (groove) like he did. The motto at this track has been go high and die.”
Herbst wound up finishing in third place, while Sparta’s Shawn Pfaff had a strong run when he grabbed fourth place. Kevin Nuttleman, a 10-time track champion who enters the season with 99 career Late Model wins, rounded out the top five.
This night, however, belonged to the Carlsons. On his mother Carrie’s birthday, Mike joked before the races started that they would give her a present. One of the two, he said jokingly, would win. A betting man would have put their money on Steve, who won eight feature races a year ago. That wasn’t the case, however, and Mike was glad to be No. 1 in a one-two Carlson finish.
“I got a little squirrely coming out of (turn) 4 and had to settle down,” Mike Carlson said of his only mistake in the feature race. “I feel confident in this car. If I put it up high (groove) and it doesn’t stick, it hurts (to hit the wall). I don’t get too excited, but I am excited. Running against my dad, the national champion, if I didn’t do everything right he was going to get me. Oh yeah, I knew he was coming.“
Not this time. Not on the season opener. Not on a night where Carlson, in his rebuilt No. 50 car, the same car he flipped on the front stretch last year and hung upside down in as it caught fire, was simply too smooth and too fast.
“He had the fastest car last year. I hope I do this year,” Mike Carlson said.
SPORTSMAN: Jerimy Wagner was able to survive a big wreck in the North Country Contractors Sportsman Division feature race, then power his way to victory in the 15-lap feature race. Wagner, of Melrose, held off Troy Maier and Jimmy Gilster. Gilster salvaged what could have been a disasterous start as he had engine problems during practice. He was able to tear the motor down, fix it, and get back out and race.
Randy Humfeld finished fourth, while Nick Clements was fifth.
THUNDERSTOX: Jason Stark grabbed the checkered flag in the United Auto Supply Thunderstox feature race, beating Jason Bolster across the line. Andy Moore took third, while Matt Cleveland was fourth. The second of the Moore brothers, Adam Moore, rounded out the top five.
Jeff Brown can be reached at (608) 791-8403, or at jbrown@lacrossetribune.com
4/19 WEEK 1: LA CROSSE FAIRGROUNDS SPEEDWAY
NASCAR KWIK TRIP LATE MODEL
S&S Distributing / Budweiser 25 Feature (18 Cars) — 1, Mike Carlson, West Salem; 2, Steve Carlson, West Salem; 3, J. Herbst, West Salem; 4, Shawn Pfaff, Sparta; 5, Kevin Nuttleman, Bangor; 6, Paul Proksch, Stoddard; 7, Todd Korish, Holmen; 8, Brent Kirchner, La Crosse; 9, Tony Bagstad, Cashton; 10, Emily Sue Steck, Holmen; 11, Todd Oliver, Bangor; 12, Jeff Baker, Holmen; 13, Tom Thill, West Salem; 14, Matthew Henderson, Coon Valley; 15, Bill Niles, Holmen; 16, John Towner, Trempealeau; 17, Tony Leis, Middle Ridge; 18, Randy Steinhoff, Cashton.
Qualifying — 1, Steve Carlson, 19.872 secs, 98.807 MPH; 2, Kenvin Nuttleman, 19.976 secs, 98.293 MPH; 3, Mike Carlson, 20.007 secs, 98.141 MPH; 4, Todd Korish, 20.016 secs, 98.097 MPH; 5, Paul Proksch, 20.099 secs, 97.691 MPH.
Odd Bud Dash — 1, Brent Kirchner; 2, Mike Carlson; 3, J. Herbst; 4, Steve Carlson; 5, Bill Niles.
Even Bud Dash — 1, Matthew Henderson; 2, Todd Korish; 3, Kevin Nuttleman; 4, Jeff Baker; 5, Todd Oliver.
NORTH COUNTRY CONTRACTORS SPORTSMEN
S&S Distributing / Budweiser 15 Feature (24 Cars) — 1, Jerimy Wagner, Melrose; 2, Troy Maier, La Crosse; 3, Jimmy Gilster, West Salem; 4, Randy Humfeld, Chaseburg; 5, Nick Clements, Onalaska; 6, John Olson; 7, Jake Arneson, Melrose; 8, Branden Berg, North Bend; 9, Matt Inglett, La Crosse; 10, Greg Scheck, West Salem; 11, Rob Mason, Caledonia, Minn.; 12, Todd Lockington, Mindoro; 13, Mark Challet, Bangor; 14, Randy Steinhoff, Cashton; 15, Rob Curran, Rockland; 16, Joe Rinartz, LaCrosse; 17, Larry Bolster Jr., Sparta; 18, Ken Lewis, Black River Falls; 19, Keaton Hilby, Bangor; 20, Jeff Winterfield, Westby; 21, Randy Hass, La Crosse; 22, Rick Schermerhorn, Coon Valley; 23, Jes Tenner, Melrose; 24, Aaron Hass, La Crosse.
B-Feature — 1, Keaton Hilby; 2, Greg Scheck; 3, Ken Lewis; 4, Randy Hass, La Crosse; 5, Justin Berg, Bangor.
Qualifying — 1, John Olson, 21.964 secs, 89.396 MPH; 2, Randy Humfeld, 21.981 secs, 89.327 MPH; 3, Jes Tenner, 22.101 secs, 88.842 MPH; 4, Branden Berg, 22.148 secs, 88.654 MPH; 5, Aaron Hass, 22.152 secs, 88.638 MPH.
Qualifying Heat 1 — 1, Jimmy Gilster; 2, Jake Arneson; 3, Rick Johnson Jr., West Salem; 4, Ken Lewis, Black River Falls; 5, Keaton Hilby, Bangor.
Qualifying Heat 2 — 1, Mark Challet; 2, Matt Inglett; 3, Greg Scheck, West Salem; 4, Jerrod Loging, West Salem; 5, Randy Hass, La Crosse.
Odd Bud Dash — 1, Joe Rinartz; 2, Troy Maier; 3, Aaron Hass; 4, Jerimy Wagner; 5, Larry Bolster Jr.
Even Bud Dash — 1, Randy Humfeld; 2, Todd Lockington; 3, Rob Curran; 4, Randy Steinhoff; 5, Rob Mason.
UNITED AUTO SUPPLY THUNDERSTOX
S&S Distributing / Budweiser 15 Feature (24 cars) — 1, Jason Stark; 2, Jason Bolster, Sparta; 3, Andy Moore, Sparta; 4, Matt Cleveland, Sparta; 5, Adam Moore, Sparta; 6, Bill Inglett, La Crosse; 7, Kris Buldhaupt, La Crescent, Minn.; 8, Jamie Dummer, Holmen; 9, Charles Vain Jr.; 10, Ray Hardy, Sparta; 11, Harley Jankowski, Sparta; 12, Tony Wheeler, La Crosse; 13, Mike Olson; 14, Ed Senn; 15, Scott Geier; 16, Jake Krueger, Onalaska; 17, Joey Johnson, Mindoro; 18, Brad Warthan, Sparta; 19, Keith Larson, La Crosse; 20, Danielle Neary, La Crosse; 21, Ben Allen, La Crosse; 22, Steve Owen, La Crosse; 23, Jason Schaller, Holmen; 24, Ray Burkum, Westby.
B-Feature — 1, Ray Hardy; 2, Jason Schaller; 3, Steve Owen; 4, Joey Johnson; 5, Wayne Smith, Barre Mills.
Bud Dash — 1, Brad Warthan; 2, Harley Jankowski; 3, Jason Stark; 4, Andy Moore; 5, Matt Cleveland.
Heat 1 — 1, Andy Moore; 2, Ben Allen; 3, Jason Bolster; 4, Kris Buldhaupt; 5, Danielle Neary.
Heat 2 — 1, Adam Moore; 2, Jake Krueger; 3, Charles Vian Jr.; 4, Jamie Dummer; 5, Bill Inglett.
Heat 3 — 1, Matt Cleveland; 2, Harley Jankowski; 3, Ray Burkum; 4, Ed Senn; 5, Mike Olson.
Heat 4 — 1, Jason Stark; 2, Brad Warthan; 3, Keith Larson; 4, Tony Wheeler; 5, Scott Geier.
