Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com
Published - Monday, June 09, 2008
Mike Carlson driving out from under his father's shadow
 Mike Carlson |
WEST SALEM, Wis. — Speaking candidly, most of us didn’t know what to expect. In terms of his last name, he couldn’t have been more well-known in local, even regional, racing circles.
Carlson? Oh, you must mean Steve, right?
No, I mean Mike. Yes, Mike Carlson.
Those who spend part of their summer weekends at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway know that Mike Carlson has raced the last two years in the Kwik Trip Late Model Division, and showed flashes that he, too, can wheel a race car pretty darn well.
There was no sophomore jinx, either, as Mike Carlson followed his 2006 rookie season (10th in points) with a 10th place finish in the 2007 points standings, the same season his well-known father, Steve, won the Fairgrounds Speedway track championship, then became the first driver from the track ever to win a Whelen All-American Series national short-track title.
Talk about big shoes, or tracks, to follow. Mike, a quiet but articulate 20-year-old from West Salem, Wis., has handled living in his father’s shadow very well — at least outwardly. This season, however, he appears on the verge of driving out from under his father’s considerable shadow and finding some light of his own.
Not that he’s looking for the spotlight, but I have a feeling it may just find him. He’s after feature wins, and he already has one, along with three top-five finishes in five starts. He’s seven points out of the points lead held by Kevin Nuttleman, and would likely be in the lead if not for a hiccup in Week 2 when he was involved in a wreck with Jeff Baker in Turn 3.
“I am feeling pretty confident. I don’t try to look back at the past too much,” Carlson said. “Everybody makes mistakes. You have to learn from them and move on.”
Carlson is moving on, and up. How far he can climb is what makes watching young drivers so much fun. Sure the young guns are unpredictable, but when they catch on, look out.
“He is doing good for what he has to operate with,” veteran driver Tony Bagstad said of Mike Carlson’s car and overall equipment. “He’s been the top single-car team out here so far.”
It’s hard to argue that point.
Carlson certainly seems to have figured out that top-five finishes will keep him in the hunt for a track title just as much, or more, than feature victories. So while many of us expected to see a Nuttleman vs. Steve Carlson duel for the 2008 track title — and that could very well still materialize — there is a new contender. A contender that could very well be right there all season.
“I don’t look too much at the points or who has the lead,” Carlson said. “I just want to keep running well each week.”
So far, he has done just that. And he’s done much of it on his own. Sure his father has helped him with some advice and by working on his car, but if you know Steve Carlson, he’s not a man of many words.
Mike has a great understanding of how a race car works, said his crew chief, Mike Weber.
“It is hard to explain, but for a 20-year-old kid to comprehend that much, it’s fun to be around,” Weber said. “I grew up helping Kenny Christanson, Isaak Owen, Dexter Bean. This kid is the most talented I have seen.”
This might be the season where he shows the level, and depth, of that talent for an entire season. Wouldn’t that be something to watch?
Jeff Brown can be reached at (608) 791-8403, or at jbrown@lacrossetribune.com
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