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WEST SALEM — It is almost impossible to top a national championship season, but Steve Carlson’s doing his best.
Carlson, the Whelen All-American Series national short-track champion in 2007, is on the verge of doing something he didn’t do last year during his magical season. He’s about to become a double champion.
Carlson, who is on the verge of clinching his second straight Kwik Trip Late Model Division track title at the La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway, is a “Drivers, Start Your Engines” command away from winning the Late Model track title at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Carlson, with five wins at Hawkeye Downs this season, simply has to start the feature race Friday night to win the track title.
“All I have to do is start at Cedar Rapids. No, I’ve never done that,” Carlson said of winning two track championships in the same year. “That would be cool. Still, the national championship was the ultimate.”
Carlson hasn’t won the track title at the Fairgrounds Speedway just yet. There are two 50-lap features on Saturday that are standing between him and the title, but he’s looking forward to them. A nine-time NASCAR Touring Series champion, Carlson prefers longer races.
“I always like the longer races because it depends less on where you start and more on your chassis set-up and on the driver,” said Carlson, who has won four feature races at the Fairgrounds Speedway this season.
Carlson and his crew are definitely peaking at the right time, and nearly added another highlight to their 2008 season Saturday night. Carlson turned in the fastest qualifying lap in the Kwik Trip Late Model Division when he stopped the clock at 19.684 seconds, or an average speed of 99.751 mph. Carlson’s time was just one-thousandth of a second off the track record of 19.683 seconds, which was set by Fall Creek, Wis., driver Andy Burgess in 2005.
Carlson’s fast time was his division-best ninth of the season, including three straight. Steve’s son, Mike Carlson, had the second-fastest time at 19.912 seconds (98.608 mph), while Sparta’s Tim Schendel was third (19.970 seconds, 98.322 mph).
HORNETS FEATURES: Chris Swenson won the first Feature’s Sports Bar & Grill Hornets Division feature race Saturday night, holding off Nate Towner and John Eron. Mark Bornitz won the second Hornets feature, as he beat Wade Elliott and Matt Moore across the line.
FIRST-TIME WINNER: Danielle Neary won the first feature race of her career when she grabbed the checkered flag in the United Auto Supply Thunderstox Division feature race. Neary, who raced in the Late Model Division in the past, has spent this season in the Thunderstox class.
OUCH! Adam Moore, the United Auto Supply Thunderstox Division points leader by 36 points entering Saturday night’s action, saw that lead wiped out when he was disqualified during a post-race inspection for using an illegal carburetor. Moore finished third in the feature, but that finish was nullified, giving third place to Charles Vian, Jr.
BUD DASH WINNER: Drivers in the Kwik Trip Late Model Division earn points in what is called a Bud Dash throughout the season. Saturday night was the final Bud Dash of the season, and by finishing second, J. Herbst of West Salem earned the Bud Dash championship with 700 points. That was 50 points better than Kevin Nuttleman, and 80 points more than third-place Brent Kirchner.
Shawn Pfaff of Sparta won the Odd Bud Dash Saturday night, while Paul Proksch of Stoddard won the Even Bud Dash.
SCHENDEL APPEARANCE: Sparta’s Tim Schendel, who has raced in every circuit from the Nationwide to Craftsman Trucks to NASCAR Touring Series, made an appearance at the Fairgrounds Speedway Saturday night. He did well, too, qualifying third out of 24 cars, and finishing 11th in the 24-car Late Model feature despite starting 21st.
NICE DRIVING, TODD: Todd Lockington took a wild ride through the infield grass in turns 3 and 4 during a heat race — he appeared to have a little help getting there — but somehow was able to maintain control of his car, and eventually coaxed it back onto the track, just behind the field. Lockington didn’t win, but he did finish the race with his car in one piece.
His luck would change for the worse in the semi-feature, however, as he appeared to have some serious engine problems — maybe even a blown motor — just one lap into the race.
LUCKY NICK: Nick Clements, the points leader in the North Country Contractors Sportsman Division for much of the season, had some bad luck that might actually have been good luck. Confused?
Clements had the right rear tire of his car completely break off during practice, but was able to get his car repaired in time to run qualifying laps. If he would have broken the hub during a race, he likely would have finished for the night. Clements wound up 11th in the feature race.
SPORTSMAN QUALIFYING: Jen Tenner of Melrose earned the fast time in the North Country Contractors Sportsman Division Saturday night when he circled the five-eighth’s mile track in 22.056 seconds, or an average of 89.023 mph. It was his first fast time of the season. Larry Bolster, Jr., had the second-fastest time at 22.062 (88.999 mph).
Randy Humfeld of Chaseburg, who has a season-best nine top qualifying times this season, was fourth (22.100 seconds, 88.846 mph).
CAR COUNT: A total of 24 Kwik Trip Late Model cars, 29 North Country Contractors Sportsman, 29 United Auto Supply Thunderstox, and 41 Feature’s Sports Bar & Grill Hornets competed at the Fairgrounds Speedway Saturday night. That put the total car count at 123 cars.
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