Out of North Dakota, Ty Olson is leaving his tread marks on the Legends dirt racing community. After winning the 2023 INEX Young Lions Dirt National Championship, Olson is looking to repeat in 2024 and look to win at every track in North Dakota. He may even have his eye on racing a little further south.
Hometown: Mandan, North Dakota
Division: Young Lions
Race Team: King Olson Racing & Joe Ryan Racing
Car Number: 7t
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Strawberry
Favorite Season: Summer
1. What first got you started in racing?
My dad used to take me and my brother to races and we always kind of thought the Legends were the coolest cars out there because they’re fast and small and then we found out about Ivan Sailor. He had me drive his car and another guy’s car in the pits at one of the tracks up here and then like two weeks later we ended up buying a car from him and I Just kind of started there. Then we met Mike and Jeff King and they knew Glen Mitchell who introduced us to Joe Ryan and Candace and Billy and then they built me a car and last season. This season I’ve been with Joe Ryan and it’s been a really good season, last year was a really good season.
2. How has your racing journey been so far?
I do all dirt racing for the most part. In North Dakota I don’t think there are any asphalt tracks, I know there are a few, maybe one in Minnesota but there aren’t any up here. Glen Mitchell is up here, and he does dirt and he introduced us to Joe Ryan, and they built me a car and I ended up winning the [2023] Young Lions [Dirt] Points Championship.
3. When did you realize it was possible to win the championship last season?
Probably within a month before the end of the season. I was in the top five [in points] in the last month of the season and we were just kind of looking at the numbers and races and we were like “Hey, if we get to all these races and we’ll have to have a perfect car every time then maybe there is a chance.” So then we just went to as many races as we could and I focused a lot more and I guess we just made it happen, I just focused a lot.
4. What is the biggest difference between racing on asphalt and racing on dirt?
I would say the braking and the sensitivity is just not as forgiving. I think it might be a little more intense at times.
5. What has been your biggest racing accomplishment?
I would say I did win a feature race towards I think the first month of the season, that was really really exciting for me. I really never thought I would have against all the Pros at this one track up here and believe it or not when I did win, the track was really rubbered down and it was like asphalt, there wasn’t any sliding it was just like an asphalt track and I had no idea what I was doing I just kept out in front and I just threw all my thoughts and everything behind me and I guess I just raced the car.
6. What’s the hardest part of dirt racing?
I would say your nerves because you can get so mentally kind of screwed up sometimes with worrying, but I just try and keep my head straight and not think about that and just think of everyone as another car. I guess it’s just having the [guts] and being able to drive the car to its limits and be comfortable being uncomfortable.
7. What’s the reasoning behind 7t on your cars?
Well my birthday is February 7 and I’ve just kind of been with the whole “lucky number seven” just because my birthday is number seven and when I went to races when I was younger, when my dad would take me and my brother, there was this Modified driver Marlon Seidler, he was number seven. He was always my favorite Mod driver and he was always winning and it just kind of stuck. I added the T since there were other number sevens and I figured I just should add the T. 7t is very distinct and it’s the first letter of my name too.
8. What is the best part about racing?
I would say the learning you get from everything. The way you can take everything you learn there, the discipline and try to apply it to other things in life. For me it’s school. Also, the friendships with certain people because I have a big group of friends and we all race like crazy on the track but then after we’re best buds and everyone’s always willing to help. But I’d say a lot of it is like the discipline and that type of stuff.
9. How do you balance school and racing?
I just focus on school and just apply it to my racing. I don’t have a choice [with school]. I probably don’t want to do it, but I don’t have a choice so I’m like, I gotta focus on this schoolwork like I focus on my car when I’m getting ready and then it makes it a lot easier and then I can be somewhat of a normal kid. I mean I don’t mess around in school, but I got other things going on. I just try to keep racing on my mind all the time and I know I can’t be messing around, I have to get my schoolwork done whether I want to do it or not because if I don’t, I can’t race.
10. If you had to pick a sport outside of racing, what would it be?
I’d probably have to do football or some contact sport. I played football before racing and I was probably the best on my teams. I made the A teams for everything, and I was kind of by far the best. I think it has to be football just because I was pretty good at it and I’m just strong in general, at least that’s what my coaches say.
11. How has this season been so far and what are you working towards for the rest of it?
It’s looking really, really good. I’ve been doing really well and testing against all the fast drivers like a lot of the Pros. I’ve been able to keep up with them, if not stay in front of them or gain on them. I would say for the future, win at every track up in North Dakota and win the national points championship again. Then maybe in the future race down there [in Charlotte] as well.