MINNEAPOLIS (February 12, 2013) – A top-five finish for Lidman and back-to-back front row starts and top-ten finishes for Carlson marked another week of continued improvement and results for Carlson Motorsports.
The national tour kicked-off a mini-eastern United States swing with a stop in Traverse City, Michigan this past weekend. Both Carlson Motorsports riders were happy to be greeted by an oversized and challenging track, a refreshing sight given the postage stamp-sized racetrack that did them no favors a week previous. Piled high with snow, the track came with its own set of challenges, namely a turn-one funnel that required a clean holeshot and a dab of good luck to escape cleanly.
Despite the possibilities of turn-one tangles, the Carlson team continued to show marked improvement, especially in Pro-Open where Johan Lidman captured his best national finish of the year with an impressive fifth place finish. In the race, the “Swede” bested some of the fastest “names” on the tour, notably Malinoski and Martin.
The quickness and confidence of Lidman continued on Saturday, where he returned to the main event with a solid win in the last chance qualifier, where once again Johan bested top athletes including Kamm, Christian, and Martin. Unfortunately, this time in the main event, luck wasn’t on his side, as he was “berm-shot” by another competitor in the opening turn and taken out of top-five contention.
Not to be outdone, Pro-Lite athlete Andrew Carlson also showed continued improvement, highlighted by a heat race win over current points leader Jake Scott on Friday evening. The Pro-Lite division has once again proven to be perhaps the most competitive and talent laden division on the national tour, as made evident by the 12 different riders who have made the podium through five events, compared to just 8 in the Pro-Open class.
The Pro-Lite parody lends even more credence to Carlson’s improved consistency and strong finishes. In Traverse City, Andrew once again made the front row of both Pro-Lite finals and came across the line with a pair of top-ten finishes, including a 7th place finish on Saturday.
“Confidence is key,” said team owner and manager Chris Carlson. “Both Lidman and Andrew have the skills, now they just need to develop the confidence to put it all together, and we are starting to see that happen. Consistently making the final, top-ten finishes week after week, and beating some of the best guys on tour…it’s all happening. Now we just need to put it all together.”
Carlson Motorsports development rider Ryan Springer, the up and coming Sport rider who scored his first national win last week, will stay home and race the regional circuit during this eastern leg of the tour. Springer will rejoin the team for the final two national races of the season in Fargo, North Dakota and Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
The ISOC national tour regulars will now faces a rare “off-weekend” and the team will take that time to test, tune, and receive some mid-season healing and rest. The next race is located in Salamanca, New York, a team favorite destination thanks to the excitement of the fans who support snocross like an addiction.
For details on the New York event and the entire national tour, visit snocross.com. You can follow Carlson Motorsports on Facebook or at their website: www.carlsonmotorsportsllc.com
About Carlson Motorsports
Carlson Motorsports is a family of racers, mechanics and sponsors who are proud of our accomplishments on the track and off, and are driven to excellence in everything we do. Our racing organization is driven by a deep-rooted passion for the sport and an operational philosophy grounded in integrity. To learn more about Carlson Motorsports LLC, and how you can partner and share in their success, visit their website at www.carlsonmotorsportsllc.com