Andrew
Carlson
United States
·
Offroad
Date of birth | December 15, 1992 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Elk River, Minn. |
Age | 33 |
Nationality | United States |
Career start | 2014 |
Disciplines | Offroad / UTV Racing |
Andrew Carlson’s need for speed began early. He started racing snowmobiles at age 3—and the Minnesota native never looked back.
Whether competing on a sled, on two wheels or four, Carlson made the most of his racing opportunities in a wide range of conditions offered in the Great North State.
Each of the disciplines prepared Carlson to tackle whatever challenge came next—like a Pro 4 Off-Road short-course truck racer.
“We had a family business that was in snowmobile aftermarket products at the time,” Carlson said. “My dad raced into his late 30s and just naturally got my sister and I into it.”
Carlson found success early in Snocross, winning top events and titles throughout the ranks in his teens. He found no better stage to display his versatility on a sled than in three Winter X Games. Carlson added motocross to his racing repertoire to remain sharp during the snowmobile offseason.
Eventually, Carlson transitioned from motocross to UTV racing. In 2014, he made his Pro-Lite Truck debut with his family team in The Off-Road Championship (TORC) Series. By 2017, Carlson turned his attention full-time to off-road competition.
“I always like to stay sharp in the offseason and do some sort of racing,” Carlson said. “The motocross obviously has its downsides with injuries.”
He quickly acclimated to the heavier, higher horsepower vehicles that require a more technical approach using the balance of four wheels as opposed to racing his sled.
“When I signed with Factory Polaris on the snowmobile side, that was right when these UTVs and side-by-sides were getting to be popular,” Carlson said. “I ended up getting one in the summer and went out racing and just kind of started dominating.”
Carlson graduated to the Pro 4 division with 950 horsepower, four-wheel drive trucks in 2018. He joined forces with Red Bull the following season and Carlson claimed the Off-Road Nationals victory at his family-owned track—ERX Motor Park.
With ERX as his personal playground, Carlson has tested and raced in a variety of vehicles including Pro Turbo SxS, Nitro Rallycross and Nitro RX Supercars.
A business degree from Bethel University coupled with his day job as an industrial designer enables Carlson to remain well-versed in technical advancements in racing. As one of two factory Short Course racers for Polaris, Carlson gains ample seat time.