Steve Carlson (racing driver)
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| Steve Carlson | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | September 6, 1957 West Allis, Wisconsin, United States |
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Steven Carlson (born September 6, 1957, in West Allis, Wisconsin) is a stock car racing driver.[1] His career is most notable for his success in the former ARTGO Challenge Series, and its succesors under NASCAR sanction (RE/MAX Challenge Series) and the ASA Midwest Tour. Along with many wins in other series throughout the Midwest, he scored 3 wins in the American Speed Association.
ARTGO and ASA career[edit]
Carlson's first start in ARTGO came in 1983, as did his first ASA start. His ASA debut came at the Minnesota State Fair Speedway, finishing 19th. His first full ARTGO season came in 1988, and he won a feature race at Dells Raceway Park before finishing 5th in the points. He improved to 4th in 1989 after another feature win at Dells, but defeated Joe Shear for the championship in 1990 by finishing 2nd to Scott Hansen at Oktoberfest at LaCrosse after a feature win at Grundy County Speedway. 1991 saw greater performance improvement, with 3 wins and 17 Top 5s in 20 races guiding him to a 2nd title. Carlson would settle for 2nd to Jim Weber for the next 2 seasons before reclaiming the championship in 1994. In 1995 he would win 4 races, but his opportunity to beat Kevin Cywinski for another title was ended in a multicar wreck before halfway at La Crosse.
Another championship followed in 1996, but with the future of ARTGO being uncertain, Carlson began a full season of ASA in 1997. He had 15 previous starts that included 1 Top 5 and 4 Top 10s, and would compete for top rookie honors alongside another ARTGO championship bid, following the likes of Butch Miller and Dick Trickle who had competed in both series full time in years past. His ARTGO season would see him debut sponsorship from Phillips 66, whose colors he would carry for the next 6 years. With 5 wins, another ARTGO title seemed to be eminent for Carlson, but he opted for the ASA's Midwest 300 at Salem Speedway (finishing 2nd to Mike Miller) over ARTGO's finale at La Crosse, and was marginally overcome by Eddie Hoffman. He would, however, claim ASA Rookie of the Year with wins at Peach State Speedway and the rain-shortened Pennsylvania 400 at Jennerstown Speedway. 1997 would be his only full ASA season.
1998 saw the beginning of the NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series, the successor to ARTGO. However, it was business as usual for Carlson, winning 6 races and edging Brian Hoppe by 2 points. Despite 7 wins in 1999, he was defeated by Hoppe by 8 points, no thanks to an engine failure at I-70 Speedway and a crash at Kaukauna. Carlson would rebound to dominate the 2000 season with 7 more wins, and a decisive title victory over Hoppe capped by his lone Oktoberfest win at La Crosse. 2001 would be his most successful championship season, in which he won 8 races and had only 1 finish out of the Top 5 in 18 races: 7th place at Road America. His average finish was 2.2 that season. He would score another ASA win in 2002, at Madison International Speedway. His RE/MAX Challenge Series success was more difficult to come by, but he still won the 2002 and 2003 championships before Justin Diercks claimed back-to-back crowns. In 2006 he would drop to 3rd in points; his worst result since 1989. It was also his first winless season since 1987 (the same year that Dexter Bean, 17th in points that season, was born).
NASCAR shut down the series after 2006, but under new ownership the championship continued as the ASA Midwest Tour in 2007. After returning to Victory Lane in 2007 and 2008, he resumed championship form in 2009, besting 2007 champion Nathan Haseleu and Chris Wimmer; both 20 years younger than Carlson. He would triumph over the same duo in 2010 to secure his combined 11th championship (including ARTGO, NASCAR, and Midwest Tour sanction). His 2011 victory in Rockford Speedway's National Short Track Championship would be his 8th title at the Illinois track, and the final of his record 78 wins in the Midwest Tour.
Other Success[edit]
In 1994, Carlson won Wisconsin International Raceway's Red, White, and Blue State Championship, and the McLeod USA/Musco Lighting Gold Star Series championship in 1999. He is also the 2007 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion, representing La Crosse Fairgrounds. He was also the champion of his region (Wisconsin) in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018, and the champion at La Crosse in 2007, 2008, 2013, and 2014.
References[edit]
- ↑ Tribune, JAMES KRAUSE La Crosse. "La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway: Steve Carlson finally gets first win of season". La Crosse Tribune. Retrieved 2023-01-12.
External links[edit]
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Joe Shear |
ARTGO Challenge Series Champion 1990, 1991 |
Succeeded by Jim Weber |
| Preceded by Jim Weber |
ARTGO Challenge Series Champion 1994 |
Succeeded by Kevin Cywinski |
| Preceded by Kevin Cywinski |
ARTGO Challenge Series Champion 1996 |
Succeeded by Eddie Hoffman |
| Preceded by Eddie Hoffman (ARTGO) |
NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series Champion 1998 |
Succeeded by Brian Hoppe |
| Preceded by Brian Hoppe |
NASCAR RE/MAX Challenge Series Champion 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 |
Succeeded by Justin Diercks |
| Preceded by Dan Fredrickson |
ASA Midwest Tour Champion 2009, 2010 |
Succeeded by Andrew Morrissey |
| Awards | ||
| Preceded by Kevin Cywinski |
American Speed Association Rookie of the Year 1997 |
Succeeded by Jimmie Johnson |
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