Hudson began his own lawn care business in the Durham area, something he felt was a need for many around him and that he could be successful at.

“After leaving racing, working two jobs and not really being happy with my situation, I realized I wanted the chance to be able to mold my own situation and have the ability to make my own way. I dabbled a little bit in hauling and there just wasn’t a market for it in the Durham (N.C.) area … and eventually found my way into lawn care and maintenance.”

“It may sound simple, but it was something I was good at and was a way I felt I could make a difference because there really was a need for it among a good number of those around me.”

Now 19, Hudson spends much of his time providing lawn detail and upkeep services for many local families and businesses, a process and project that keeps him as busy, if not more so, than when he was spending time out back of his dad’s house working on his race car several years ago.

“I’m getting new work every week; sometimes it’s hard to keep up with … but I’d say the level of work is tit for tat,” Hudson said. “It’s time-consuming in a lot of aspects, but it’s hard to compare the two in a way … just because it’s two different spheres. It’s almost the same to me.”

Make no mistake, though; motorsports was, and still is, a passion for the North Carolina teenager.

Hudson still counts himself among the fan base of 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski and is working towards a return to racing in his own right, albeit at a different level than he might have expected as a 16-year-old.

He is currently working with his father Mark on a future pursuit of competition in dirt go-karting, preparing a kart to run at Liberty Raceway Park in Staley, N.C. and saying that while it’s not where he might have hoped to be in the sport, it’s still a way to satisfy his inner adrenaline and need for speed.

“I’ve always been interested in dirt racing, even though I’ve never done it. It’s always really appealed to me … and it seems like it almost has more of a culture than the NASCAR set,” Hudson said. “We always knew we’d get back into racing, it was just a question of when and how. My dad bought a kart and we discussed classes that we could both run to where all we had to do was pull weight off and on.”

“Eventually we’re looking to have two karts so that we can both run (in different classes) … I’m just looking forward to having them so I can get back into the shop and get onto a race track again. It’s something I’ve missed more than I can express.”

And what has Hudson learned from his own life journey and path in and out of the sport he’s followed since his youth?

“I’ve learned that there’s no substitute for hard work, both in racing and in life. You always have to figure out how to make yourself better and even when your options are limited, you always have to keep working.”

Though he may not carry a story like those who have made it to the upper echelons of the sport, Carson Hudson does count himself among those who racing has made a difference for, shaping him in part into who he is today.

“You get what you give. If you don’t spend time working in the shop, or working on your goals and dreams, then you’re never going to be successful. It’s a lesson that I think everyone can take to heart … that there’s a whole road of decisions that you have to make in racing, and those decisions shape the outcome of your season and your character.”

For more information on Hudson Lawn Care, servicing the greater Durham, Hillsborough and Alamance, N.C. areas, contact Carson Hudson at (919) 691-7865 or [email protected].

About the Writer

Jacob Seelman is the Managing Editor of Race Chaser Online and creator of the Motorsports Madness radio show, airing at 7 p.m. Eastern every Monday on the Performance Motorsports Network.

Seelman grew up in the sport, watching his grandparents co-own the RaDiUs Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series team in the 1990s.

The 23-year-old is currently studying Broadcast Journalism at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., and is also serving as the full-time tour announcer for the Must See Racing Sprint Car Series.

Email Jacob at: [email protected]

Follow on Twitter: @Speed77Radio or @JacobSeelman77

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