MEET #14 BRANDON CARLSON

By Terry Guest, CWR Journalist

Photo by L. McKellar

       Since he was a baby, Brandon Carlson has been around race cars, and today he is proving he is destined to be a race car driver.  Brandon was always in his Dad’s race car shop watching him, and long time racer Darrell Midgley, work on Darrell’s car.  Since that time, he has been hooked on racing. 

     Brandon was born in Sidney, B.C., lives with his long time girlfriend Amanda and owns a transmission and auto repair company in Langford, B.C.  He made his racing debut in 2004 driving a street stock in the local series at Western Speedway. In 2008, Brandon’s street stock was damaged beyond repair. Later that week, one of Brandon’s sponsors, a huge racing enthusiast named Steve Copp, stepped up to the plate and offered to help Brandon buy a new race car. After Brandon raced a full season in 2008, Steve decided that he wanted to get involved as well, so he and Daryl Crocker acquired there own stock car. The 2009 season saw Steve and Daryl split the season, but they both decided that they were having so much fun that they needed their own stock cars.  After running the 2009 season as a two car team called the “Copp Racing Team”, 2010 saw them branch out into a three car team; Brandon, Steve and Daryl. The 2010 season saw Brandon move up into the late models racing the local races at Western Speedway and running in the Katana Sportsman Tour.

Brandon has acquired many racing memories through the years and states, “It’s too hard to pick a favourite, because all of my racing memories have been great ones”. He has secured many great achievements over the past seven years that include capturing one of the last late model races at Port Angeles Speedway in Washington State and winning a 100 lap stock car championship race. Carlson also set the late model track record last year at Saratoga Speedway with a time of 15.288. Another highlight for Brandon was racing his late model last year at a super late model open show in Redding, California, followed by running the Fall Classic at the Las Vegas Bullring.

The upcoming 2011 season will see Carlson continue to race as part of the “Copp Racing Team” at Western Speedway with the goal of winning his first stock car championship. Brandon will also compete in the newly formed ASA BC Late Model Tour with the intent of becoming its first champion. 

Brandon would like to thank his dedicated sponsors, Steve Copp Construction, LD Race cars, Alien Race Cars, the Keg Steak House and Bar, his girlfriend Amanda and his great crew for making all his successes possible.

            Be sure to watch for this young rising star in the upcoming 2011 season.