Elk River, Minnesota (February 3, 2015) – Fueled by grit and determination, the Carlson Motorsports Pro-Lite duo of Ryan Springer and Andrew Carlson would not be denied in Deadwood, South Dakota as they charged to a double podium on Saturday with Springer leading the way from flag to flag. Springer’s victory and Carlson’s well earned third place finish was the result of both a re-energized effort a tenacious drive.
After coming off a one-two finish at the World Championships in Eagle River, Wisconsin that saw both Springer and Carlson dominate the field on the tight and treacherous infield track – the team took home the towering first and second place hardware with renewed determination in making gains in the highly competitive Pro-Lite ranks of the AMSOIL Championship Snocross series.
Temperatures early in the week soared to 70-degrees, forcing International Series of Champions (ISOC) officials to build a track with what snow was left. The result was a tight, mogul littered course that took its toll on the field, and forced racers to maintain an intense focus. In Friday’s opening round, both Carlson Motorsports riders succumbed to the difficult track in qualifying, but their tenacity allowed them to capture valuable year-end points in the final where Carlson finished 6th and Springer charged from the back row for a nearly impossible 5th place finish.
The second day of racing saw persistent snowfall, a few key changes to the track, and remarkably positive attitudes from the Carlson Motorsports trailer despite the first day tribulations. Both riders earned front row starts, with Carlson going 1-2 in qualifying and Springer posting a 2-2 effort. In the Pro-Lite final it was Carlson and Springer who burst to the front of the pack with their nearly predictable Polaris powered holehsots. Within the first lap, Springer charged to the front with an effort team owner Chris Carlson called “a banzai lap”.
With clear vision, Springer opened up a lead over the rest of the field but was closely paced by Tyler Adams, Andrew Carlson and Trevor Leighton. The battle between Carlson and Leighton proved to be one of the best of the weekend in the Pro-Lite ranks, as Carlson looked to find fast lines and hold off his archrival Leighton for the final podium position. What made the battle at the front even more closely matched was all five top finishers practice together at Carlson Motorsports hometown ERX Motor Park track, thus there were few secrets amongst them as they charge all-out to the finish. “We (Leighton and Carlson) had an intense battle for much of the race,” Andrew said with gratification after the race. “Trevor and I were side-by-side for a bunch of laps…but I just kept charging and pulled away.”
Springer’s win was his second of the season and the double podium put both riders in hot contention for the year-end points championship, with Carlson in third just 19-points behind and Springer in fourth a mere 25-points out.
“Our guys came out swinging on Saturday after a tough first day,” said Chris Carlson. “I couldn’t be more proud of how they bounced back…we’re at the mid-point of the season and if feels like things are really coming together. The crew is clicking…both guys (Andrew and Ryan) are healthy…and our equipment is top-notch.”
Racing highlights from the weekend will be televised on CBS Sports with complete day one (round #7) coverage airing February 8th at 9:00am and 11:00am (central); and day 2 (round #8) broadcast February 15th at 9:00am and 11:00am. The national tour will now head straight to Salamanca, New York – February 6-7, for rounds 9 and 10. You can stay abreast of all the team happenings through their website www.carlsonmoto.com or follow them on Facebook @CarlsonMoto or Twitter #CarlsonMoto. You can also follow Pro Lite racer Andrew Carlson via Twitter @151Carlson.