In 1989, she recalls, it became apparent the Napier Offshore 100, an annual event in the New Zealand offshore powerboat racing circuit for well over a decade, might fold.
"It started when we heard Napier was going to miss out," she said.
Interested parties, including a few with no involvement in boats, got together, and the race was back on. "We made it happen," she said.
More pertinently, the Napier race became a popular weekend away for the race fleets, mainly from Auckland and for some years holding a date on the Auckland Anniversary Weekend.
The attractions were two and perhaps threefold. They loved Napier, including the proximity of onshore locations, from social events to the launching ramps at the Napier Sailing Club, but also the nature of the race.
Where most others were within harbours, or smaller bays, Napier's race became recognised as the only genuine offshore race in the series, although for spectator appeal it had to be brought closer to the shores of Ahuriri and Westshore, rather than the extremities of Bay View and Awatoto.
The family link with boats was more the fishing kind, on Taupo, but Mrs Carson, who with husband, Ken, ran Greenmeadows Panelbeating for many years, recalls Tony and Wayne delighted more in taking the small vessels for a blat and following speedier pursuits such as waterskiing.
"It was a fishing boat," she said. "They wanted to thrash it."
That led to them starting the family racing team, and in 1993 winning the national drivers championship, the last time it was won by a monohull.
The heritage is continued by their children and grandmother Goose is as avid a follower as ever, possibly keener than ever.
The couple, who now have nine grandchildren, have retired from the panelbeating business, but there seems no end to following the sport and the family.
Ken Carson takes care of the barbies, which often fire up about the time the boys are crossing the finish line.
Last year, Mrs Carson was made a life member of the New Zealand Offshore Power Boat Association.