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| Despite completing his Pro Stock license only one day before the event started, Shaun Carlson subbed for the ailing Darrell Alderman, qualified his Dodge Stratus 14th and won his first-round match. |
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Under the Big Tent!
Aspiring Sport Compact circuit racer Shaun Carlson was presented a tremendous racing opportunity during NHRA's season-opening K&N Filters Winternationals at Pomona Raceway. Carlson was called to duty on very short notice to drive one of the Team Mopar Dodge Status cars after it was learned that Darrell Alderman could not race due to medical reasons.
Carlson, whose Dodge SRT-4 is one of the quickest Front Wheel Drive cars on the NHRA Summit Sport Compact circuit, was thrilled with the Pro Stock opportunity.
"Coming right into Pro Stock from an FWD category was a big adjustment," he confided. "Our SRT-4 runs similar back-half numbers; however, there is nothing like the first 60 feet in a Pro Stocker. Being thrown into the mix so fast was a bit concerning, but Allen and Roy Johnson were so helpful they made it easier for me mentally." Carlson is the first and only NHRA Summit Sport Compact Series competitor who has successfully qualified for an NHRA POWERade Series event.
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"The whole sport compact market was following [our performance] very closely," Carlson said. "That's why I'm happy that it did go so well. It's pretty cool to see the awesome support that we got from the whole sport compact crowd." Carlson is committed to racing in the Summit Series for the balance of 2004 and concedes that his Pro Stock experience was an eye opener.
"This Pro Stock stuff is amazing - it's something I had always dreamed about," he added. "I didn't think I would have this opportunity so soon in my career, but I hope it was a taste of the future." He continued, "For the rest of 2004, we will focus on developing our Pro FWD Dodge SRT-4. We plan to set some records and chase that championship, and if all that goes well, maybe I can move on to Pro Stock someday."
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