By Ken KEATING
Brandon
Carlson got his start in one of the most competitive series racing at
Western Speedway. As a young man he went to the track with his dad Richard
while he worked on Darrell Midgley's race cars and has been around the
race track most of his life. He got hooked up with a crew chief for
Howie Mace and got an opportunity to drive a Stock Car when Mace was
unable to race on a particular day. The ride was offered to Carlson
and it was an immediate love for the sport and an almost intimidating
first night. Here he was racing against twenty-five plus competitors
in a hotly contested series with drivers like Brian Clutchey filling
the rear view mirror. He took a quick glance to see where Clutchey was
on the white flag lap and drove headlong into the backstretch wall.
Brandon has driven in the Steve Copp Construction Hornet Series as well
as a few Bomber events over his career and he says: "If I'm not
busy on a Saturday night, you can usually find something to drive at
the track."
Brandon's
love for racing goes beyond just being on the track. It is fun to be
there and it is like one huge family where we all get together and share
an experience and conversation that you share with your family as well.
"Driving is addictive and an adrenalin rush" says Brandon.
"If I couldn't drive I would still find involvement in one way
or another because of the closeness of the group."
Brandon
now drives a Late Model Monte Carlo owned and sponsored by Steve Copp
and is very enthusiastic about the upcoming Keg & Steakhouse Bar
Driver Challenge. The Keg Steakhouse & Bar is also a major sponsor
for Carlson along with L.D. Racecars, Alpine Insulation, and Alien Racecars.
He also has a very competent crew behind him as Daryl Crocker, Trevor
Copp, Spencer Carlson, Kevin Knight, and Rory Smith have teamed up to
keep the #14 Late Model in contention. He also has the support of his
dad as a spotter and spouse Amanda with his siblings Brittany &
Spencer plus his mother Cindy. His biggest race win came at Saratoga
Speedway July 16th, 2011 as he won the A.S.A. Advance Testing BC Late
Model Tour event. "This is the biggest win I have ever had,"
says Brandon. That is not the only major accomplishment for Brandon
as several years ago he won the one-hundred lap Stock Car Championship
race when there were twenty-five cars on the track and he had to fend
off good friend Rory Smith and Ryan Wade in order to secure the win.
Carlson says: "That is truly the most competitive class I have
ever been a part of. I am excited about the Late Model Series this season
as the competition will be great with Rory Smith, Darrell Midgley, and
Wade Bland in the field and they are always tough to beat and you never
know who else will show. There is a lot of hype for this series and
it should provide close racing"
Brandon
plans on returning to Saratoga this season and will try and set a new
track record that he broke in 2010 and then broke again in 2011 with
a 14:98. He ran a Thrifty Foods 150 at Saratoga Speedway so he is not
a stranger running there. He also plans to race at Penticton for the
Gordy Mannes week end where he first ran a Stock Car in 2006 and has
gone back on several occassions placing second in 2010 in week end points
with the Late Model Series. Brandon also hopes to run at Big Show and
Reading California with a Super Late Model show. He has also competed
at the Bullring in Las Vegas as Brian Clutchey and Gord Wheeler travelled
with Brandon to crew last November as several cars joined that event
from Western Speedway. Brandon Carlson is just another competitor anxious
to get on track for the new Keg Steakhouse & Bar Driver Challenge
and a driver to watch closely.