Tyson Lautenschlager

"It takes a certain amount of talent to drive a racecar, talent that Derek Dudding, Barney Ward & A.J. Young don't have."

Tyson Lautenschlager (born October 4th, 1990, died November 18, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas) was a full-time ARLA Elite Series driver for Karl, Inc. Racing.

He was one of at least five drivers fatally injured at the disastrous 2012 Hanmore World Championships, the Formula Overdrive season finale.

ARLA Elite Series Racing
Lautenschlager made his debut with Rossini Sport. He made his debut at the famed Dwyer Speedpark for a struggling Rossini Sport. After Siam Rossini, the wife of team owner, Milano Rossini stepped down, Lautenschlager was contacted for a one-race deal.

When James West was injured in a crash in the TM Master Cup Series, Lautenschlager was called to replace him at Decatur Raceway.

In 2010, acquired himself a part-time ride with Karl, Inc Racing where he made his first start at Talladega alongside teammates Jason Bates, Serena Bacchero, and James West. Bacchero didn't have luck in her first start, which also turned out to be her last for Karl, Inc. He also was running exceptionally well at Dwyer running top 5 the whole race until TMMC driver, Alexis Rainsford turned him and he wrecked.

In 2011, Lautenschlager remained with Karl, Inc and early in the season is running well. St. Petersburg, which was Lautenschlager's first stock-car rain race was going well until hitting the wall while in the top 5 and ended up finishing 6th. At Talladega, Lautenschlager led a few laps, but was known to be extremely vocal after the race about 'gutless drivers not wanting to make a move.' Las Vegas didn't go as planned when Nami Mura was sent flipping landing on top of Tyson's car, forcing him to retire.

In 2012, Lautenschlager was a season full of ups and downs. He started his season very well by almost grabbing a win in the first race of the season but by the time the Japanese Tour started, Lautenschlager was beginning to get very fed up. He was getting involved in a lot of accidents not of his doing but at Tokyo, Lautenschlager wrecked the Grease Burger Racing car being driven by Paul Lyons. He was benched by his team and then requested the right to leave the team. He continues to come to the track every week as a spotter. He spotted for Kalvin Oreiller at the Iowa Speedway and the two got a 6th place finish. Lautenschlager drove the 673 for his fathers team, Dangerous Dog Racing at Rockford Speedway. Lautenschlager got in the main race through his heat race but that was the only thing to smile about throughout the weekend. In the main race, he wreaked a lot of havoc by causing multiple accidents including one that took Ebenezer Quiggles, Jr. out of the race and out of contention for the championship. It was Lautenschlager's final ARLA race before his untimely death.

Formula Overdrive
Lautenschlager will drive the #23 ClarTech Dangerous Dog Racing car in the 2012 Hanmore World Championships. It will be Lautenschlager's debut in the series. He was killed during the race.

TM Junior Series
The now defunct TM Junior Series was another series Lautenschlager competed in. Lautenschlager drove the #123 MyTireMonkey.com car. He got only one top 10 in the series.

TM Master Cup Series
Tyson Lautenschlager started off in the TMMC at the young age of 18. He quickly got a ride with Greg Whittaker Racing in 2009 at the Round of Italy where he ran well back in the pack. To get in the TMMC so early in his career was an "honour" as he said. He also ran for the Independent's Trophy in 2010 where he failed to qualify numerous times ending the partnership.

He attempted the 2011 Karjala Grand Prix in a Karl, Inc. Revolution for his own team, Dangerous Dog Racing. Lautenschlager's attempt at Karjala did not go very well as he did not pre-qualify.

Lautenschlager's TM Master Cup Series career will continue at the TM Master Cup Series Round of Daytona doing a one-off racing in the #43 Tutino. This one off race turned into a two year long partnership where Lautenschlager ran part-time in both 2011 and 2012. Lautenschlager got the Scuderia Tutino team its first point at Road America by finishing 20th. The team celebrated almost as if it was a win.

In 2012, Lautenschlager would make a return to TM Master Cup Series and to Scuderia Tutino driving the #42 car sponsored by Tim Horton's and 105.3 KOOL FM. Lautenschlager would drive for the team first at the very same track he got the teams first point, Road America and then attempting the race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He would be picked up once again to compete in the Round of Brazil and the Round of British Columbia after Cody Keaton who was scheduled to be in the car had his license revoked.

Rivalry with Tom Delgado
Lautenschlager made it very evident twice he and Tom Delgado are not friends.

The first time was after Delgado was "whining" on his Twitter and Lautenschlager called him out on it.

The second time was during the Mosport 300k when Lautenschlager, who was running 2nd, wrecked Joseph Howard the race leader who drives for MRD Motorsports, owned by Tom Delgado. Delgado and him got into a bit of a war of words and the rivalry then continued.

Lately, however, the rivalry has cooled and they are, at the very least, on speaking terms. Delgado went out of his way to congratulate Lautenschlager in the Canadian press for his finish at the 2011 Round of Wisconsin, which earned Scuderia Tutino their very first championship point.

Their rivalry settled down to a friendly one and they became good friends before Lautenschlager's death.