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But the Dutch Mill Trucking team, and top mechanic Brian “Toby” Nuttleman, don’t drive the No. 66 race car. Steve Carlson does that, and few would argue that he probably does it better than anyone else at the track. Over the past six weeks, no one has been better than the King himself.
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Steve Carlson
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King, because Carlson is the defending Whelen All-American Series national short-track champion. Yes, of the 60-some tracks that are NASCAR-sanctioned, no one was better than Carlson in 2007.
And don’t give up 2008 just yet either. He might find himself knocking at the door before it’s all over. He would probably be near the top right now if three early-season races would not have been rained out.
Carlson, in a word, is “sizzling” right now.
Carlson did auto racing’s version of threading the needle Saturday night when somehow, some way, he was able to poke his blue car through the smallest of openings as the top cars entered Turn 1 on Lap 35 of a special 50-lap Kwik Trip Late Model feature. He shot past race leader J. Herbst — both drivers said their cars did not touch — and stayed glued to the track like a rollercoaster at Wisconsin Dells.
Race fans, who numbered about 2,300, knew it was all but over at that point.
“I watched J. for a few laps and I knew he was getting pretty loose,” said Carlson, the Late Model points leader at the track. “He didn’t get a very good run off of Turn 1 and I did. I just finished it up in Turn 1.”
Carlson, who has won two straight features and four of the past six, wound up winning the race by nearly a straight-away over Brent Kirchner. Herbst, who won the feature three weeks ago, settled for third place, while Mike Carlson — thanks to a daring Turn 1 pass of his own two laps from the finish — grabbed fourth. Dutch Mill Trucking teammates Kevin Nuttleman and Emily Sue Steck finished fifth and sixth, respectively.
“I learned when I was in (NASCAR touring series) AutoZone that in these longer races you have to pace yourself and take care of your equipment,” Kirchner said. “Look at who finished first and second, and both of us raced in AutoZone.”
Kirchner spent the entire race in the top five, but was trailing Herbst and Tony Bagstad, then Herbst and Steve Carlson for the first 24 laps. Kirchner was like a rear bumper sticker on Bagstad’s car when he gave him a tap in Turns 3 and 4, causing Bagstad’s car to break free and wobble in the turns.
Bagstad made a nice save to keep his car off the outside wall, but the momentary loss of control allowed Kirchner to take over the second spot.
“We touched a little bit, but barely,” Kirchner said. “I was watching Herbst and Bagstad for a few laps, and they were getting loose. When you are tailing them, you try and pick out their weakest point, then take advantage of it.”
Carlson did the same thing to Herbst, who simply had all he handle keeping his car flying through the turns.
“We got too loose entering (the turns),” Herbst said. “I knew Carlson was coming. Obviously he thought he had enough room to make it (through). Sometimes when you try that you make it, and sometimes you don’t. We just missed it (chassis setup) a bit. The rear end was trying to pass the front through the turns.”
Carlson passed everyone, and won his second race in as many nights. He won an ASA Late Model North Series race Friday night at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
SPORTSMAN: Rain hit the Fairgrounds Speedway around 9:15 p.m., which was right in the middle of the North Country Contractors Sportsman Division feature race. There were eight of 15 laps in the books when track officials first put out the yellow flag, then called it a few minutes later.
Randy Steinhoff, who was leading when the rain came, was the official winner. It was his first feature win of the season. Nick Clements, who held a seven-point lead in standings entering the night, wound up second, while John Olson was third.
Rob Mason and Larry Bolster, Jr., rounded out the top five.
Jeff Brown can be reached at (608) 791-8403, or at jbrown@lacrossetribune.com
