Why Pro 2 and Pro Light Racer Andrew Carlson Races on Atturo Trail Blade M/T Tires [Video]

Andrew Carlson of Carlson Moto has had an unprecedented rise in the ranks in the TORC racing series.  Carlson #151 races on Atturo Trail Blade M/T tires - the same tires you can purchase at your local independent Atturo Tire Dealer.  In this video testimonial, Carlson outlines why he races on Atturo.

2017 TORC Series Highlight Reel

Here's a highlight reel of all of the Atturo race action this season of  The Off Road Championship Series (TORC).  This video celebrates all the hard won victories our team and the Atturo Trail Blade M/T had this season.

 

Stay tuned for more action next year in both the Pro 2  and Pro Light race classes.  It'll be a mud-slingin' good time! 

ATTURO DRIVER ANDREW CARLSON GRABS HOLESHOT AND WIN IN PRO 2 TORC SERIES RACE LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN CRANDON, WI

From TORC: The Off Road Championship Series: 

Labor Day weekend at Crandon not only brings out the best in a racer, it brings out the best racers too. Both PRO 2 and PRO Light saw the biggest fields of the 2017 season, and in the mix were past champions, top racers from the West Coast, and even an NHRA Top Fuel drag racer. But full starting grids and a mud-laden track didn't slow Andrew Carlson, who burst from the land rush start, held it on through a slick turn one, and never looked back.


Throughout the 9-lap final, only Brad Lovell had anything for Carlson. Lovell attempted to keep Carlson honest and show him a fender early after the competition caution, but that was as close as he ever got. Lovell looked to have second place well in hand, but a last-lap mechanical issue turned over the position to PRO 2 points leader Luke Johnson, who worked his way up from fifth and passed eventual third place finisher Eric Ruppel in the closing laps.




The win was Carlson's third in PRO 2, who made his debut in the class just a few races prior. "I've struggled at Crandon in the past," said Carlson after the race. "I've never had the holeshot here, but coming through turn one and not seeing anybody...I was ecstatic."

The Pro 2 Race Begins at 2:39:20 

Carlson Wins Back 2 Back in Pro2 and Pro Light

From the TORC: The Off Road Championship Series Website:

The day’s most thrilling race came down to some corner contact between Andrew Carlson and TORC PRO 2 series point leader Luke Johnson. Carlson got the better of the situation as Johnson spun and Carlson went on to take the win. This was Carlson’s second PRO 2 win of the three PRO 2 races he has run this season.

“Truck’s [sic] got a bit of a bang on the side,” said Carlson, looking down at the area of his truck following the race where he got tangled with Johnson.

Johnson also remarked on the get-together that, “We were in tight, I was trying to fight back and did everything we could. I am happy to keep the points lead going.”

After successfully pulling the holeshot from the pole position and leading Johnson and Mitch Dorr up Horsepower Hill and out of the first turn, Carlson put his PRO 2 truck on a rail and held the lead through the competition yellow, and eventually the checkers.

***

Andrew Carlson had the prime starting position in PRO Light, which he parlayed into a holeshot and subsequent green-to-checkers first place finish in TORC’s PRO Light race on Saturday at RedBud, completing the PRO 2/PRO Light sweep.

“I knew the holeshot would be a huge part of this race,” said Carlson. “I knew if I could get out front and run clean, I could do it. This was the best track for PRO Lights all year.”

Carlson’s masterful performance was just waiting to be upset by top-qualifier Cam Reimers, who shadowed Carlson for the entire race but was unable to make a pass for the lead. “We were fast this morning, so was Andrew. And, we were able to reel him in, but it ended up being really tough to get around him,” said Reimers.

Carlson Wins Big in Bark River! Racer's Debut in TORC Pro2 Class is 1st Place!

From the TORC: The Off Road Championship Series Website:




Elk River, MN based driver Andrew Carlson made his PRO 2 debut in Round 7, starting on the pole in Keegan Kincaid’s former truck. Carlson jumped out to an early lead as Eric Ruppel held off class favorites Brad Lovell and Luke Johnson for several laps. Lovell’s mistake on lap two allowed Johnson to speed by, and the top qualifier soon got around Ruppel as well. But by that point, Carlson had gapped out to a huge lead. Lovell, who had been plagued by overheating issues through practice and qualifying, dropped out and attempted to salvage some championship points.

The halfway mandatory caution brought Johnson right up to Carlson’s bumper, and most race fans expected the more experienced racer to pass the rookie quickly. But, lap after lap passed by, and Carlson held on to the lead, turning the Michigan fans and online viewers around the world into believers in the process. Johnson had a couple chances at the lead, but Carlson kept his composure and held the hard charger off to win his first PRO 2 race in storybook fashion.

“I didn’t know what to expect coming into the class. To get out and get the green flag all the way to checkered is awesome for me, because I could just run,” an emotional Carlson explained. “I’ve never run this truck behind anyone, ever, so I didn’t know what the PRO 2 roost was like. I was having a blast. This thing is so fun to drive.”

Carlson was also named the “Bad MoFo” of the day for his courageous debut performance. Luke Johnson, though disappointed with his second-place finish, came out of Saturday a big winner in the championship points race, jumping from third place to first due to mechanical struggles by the previous leaders.

Andrew Carlson is now doing double duty. The driver of the #151 PRO Light and PRO 2 by the same number further cements his team’s commitment to TORC Series competition – Andrew is the son of Chris Carlson, co-founder of ERX Motorpark, the site of TORC’s championship rounds.

Carlson Motorsports purchased the truck from Keegan Kincaid. It’s safe to say the truck is fast – Kincaid piloted it to multiple wins in 2016, including two Crandon Cup Race victories. Carlson is hoping to pick up right where Keegan left off, and he’s off to a good start. He posted the second fastest lap time in Friday’s practice, despite having no previous practice in the new truck.

“It feels awesome,” Carlson said after his second practice session. “It was more similar to the PRO Light than I thought it was going to be. The driving style is pretty much the same with the rear-wheel-drive. The biggest [difference] is probably the suspension. It feels a little more floaty, like riding around on a cloud. It hooks up a lot better. I definitely felt like the PRO Light was slow after I got out.”



Carlson races on the Atturo Trail Blade M/T tire - 265/75/16, the same tire you can find at your local Atturo Dealer.

Mueller Motorsports Reports on the TORC Big House Brawl

Scott Mueller of Mueller Motorsports and driver of #31 in the Pro2 class of the TORC series sent us an update on last weeks races in Crandon, WI.  The Big House Brawl was  a terrific challenge for the teams and for the Atturo Trail Blade MT.



Here's the word from Scott:


The #31 Pro 2WD Atturo Tire, Mueller Automotive race truck came into this race looking for a finish after DNF’s in the last two rounds.

Saturday Round 5:

The #31 Atturo Tire, Mueller Automotive truck had a good start and was in a tight battle when Mueller came in contact with the #17 truck, damaging the right front suspension and one lap later breaking the rear axle gear and ending with another DNF. The crew whole-heartedly worked on the truck replacing the rear gear set and front upper a-arm, making it race ready for Sunday.

Sunday Round 6:

The Atturo tires were hooked to the track with a good start. At the competition caution #31 was in 6th place, a spin on lap 8 dropped Mueller back to a 7th place final finish.

The Big Announcement! 

The Next Round of racing is in Bark River, MI on July 15-16.

The #31 Pro 2WD will be racing a new tire from Atturo, the Trail Blade XT, along with the Trail Blade MT!  This is the debut of the XT in the racing circuit. 

Atturo Kicks Off 2017 TORC Race Season with Expanded Team in Pro-Lite and Pro 2 Classes

New Rules Allow for Both Trail Blade M/T® and Trail Blade X/T® to Race

Atturo Tire, Chicago’s own tire company, announced their lineup for 2017’s The Off Road Championship (TORC) series.  Kicking off this May 13th in Joliet, IL, with the Chicagoland Slam, this TORC series will feature Atturo tires racing in two classes of off road competition - the Pro Lite and Pro 2.  This is an expansion of the Atturo brand into the Pro 2 class pitting the Trail Blade M/T® and the Trail Blade X/T® tires against the harsh driving conditions that make up the TORC race experience.

Atturo has been a major player in the Pro Lite class of the TORC series, having sponsored 2016’s series and nabbing 11 podium finishes with veteran drivers Andrew Carlson #151 and Travis Dinsmore #43.  Both drivers race on the Atturo Trail Blade M/T.  The unique design of the Trail Blade M/T is based on the cutting edge blades of designer Jared West, of Quartermaster Knives, creating something fresh in the LT tire segment. Atturo selected knife blades to incorporate into the tire design based on their intended use as a gouging or clawing type tool. The shoulder and corresponding sidewall tread blocks are based on a pusher style double tipped blade, even including the contoured edges. The alternate sidewall lugs are from the Karambit type blades. All of these elements have combined to create a winner on and off the track, and while 2017’s competition is fierce, Atturo is poised to build on their earlier successes in the series.

“Consumers know that when they go to their local independent Atturo tire dealer to get a Trail Blade M/T, they are going to get an aggressive tire that is not only designed well, but it’s race-proven,” says Atturo president, Michael Mathis.  “We are eager to expand into the Pro 2 class and show our SUV, Crossover, and Light Truck consumers exactly what our Urban All-Terrain Trail Blade X/T can do.”  The Trail Blade X/T debuts in 2017’s TORC Pro2 class racing alongside the M/T thanks to a rule change allowing for a DOT  rated street tire. The Trail Blade X/T, a new type of multi-terrain tire, is another collaboration with Quartermaster Knives, and cuts into the segment between traditional M/T and A/T tires. The Trail Blade X/T offers the open shoulder and sidewall tread lugs of a mud terrain, combined with the off road ability of an all-terrain and the road feel of a highway tire. The design and variety of sizes brings a whole new look to SUV, Crossovers, and Pickups.

Atturo’s expansion into the Pro 2 class not only gives race fans opportunities to see the TrailBlade  X/T and M/T in action, but also introduces the Atturo audience to its newest drivers, Scott Mueller and Matt Solka. Mueller brings two Crandon Classix World Champion wins to the team while Solka brings a diverse background  with multiple Holeshot awards, multiple podium finishes, and a 4th overall in race points.
Both are eager to show what they can do on May 13th at the upcoming 2017 TORC series kickoff, the Chicagoland Slam.  

Pro-Lite  * Running the LT265/75R16 Trail Blade M/T

#151 Andrew Carlson – hometown ERX (Elk River, MN)

#43   Travis Dinsmore – hometown Paris, ON Canada

Pro-2 * Running the 35x12.5R17LT Trail Blade M/T & Trail Blade X/T

#31 Scott Mueller – hometown Owen, WI

#28 Matt Solka – hometown Houghton, MI

For more information:
Atturo Tire – www.Atturo.com 
Facebook.com/atturotires
Twitter - @atturotire
Instagram – atturotires
TORC, The Off Road Championship Series – www.torcseries.com 
Quarter Master Knives – www.quartermasterknives.com 

Get Ready for the Atturo Chicagoland Slam!

Taking place right in our backyard, this year's TORC series kicks off with the CHICAGOLAND SLAM!



We will have Atturo drivers competing in the following classes: 

-- Andrew Carlson #151 running the Pro-Lite racing on the Trail Blade M/T 265/75/16,

-- Scott Mueller #231 running the Pro-2 Trail Blade M/T in 35x12.5R17

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE: 

• 9:00 AM SCOUT CAMPING OPENS – ENTER THROUGH GATE 13

• 9:30 AM BOX OFFICE OPENS TO THE PUBLIC – ENTER THROUGH GATE 13. PARKING IS $5 AND WILL BE CHARGED AT THE GATE.

• 10:00 AM GATES OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

• 11:30 AM SPORTSMAN RACING BEGINS

• LIGHT BUGGY

• 1600 BUGGY

• SUPER BUGGY

• SPORTSMAN UTV

• SUPER STOCK TRUCK

• SHORT COURSE CARTS

2:30 PM PRO RACING OPENING CEREMONY

• PRO STOCK UTV

• PRO MOD UTV

• PRO LIGHT – ANDREW CARLSON #151

• PRO 2 – SCOTT MUELLER # 231

• PRO 4 

ON SATURDAY, AFTER THE PRO 4 RACE, THERE WILL BE A DRIVER AUTOGRAPH SESSION WITH THE TOP FIVE PRO FINISHERS FROM EACH PRO CLASS.

SEE YOU THERE!