BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN . . . AND AGAIN: A TOPSY TURVY NIGHT AT COTTON BOWL SPEEDWAY DISPLAYS CARSON MACEDO’S AND THE JJR TEAM’S TENACITY OF PURPOSE AS THEY REBOUND TO COLLECT A 13TH PLACE FINISH

PAIGE, TEXAS (March 19, 2021) – With another weekend upon us, Carson and the JJR #41 team were back at the race track for a high speed weekend of action Texas style in the Drydene Texas Two-Step presented by American Lube Supply. The schedule for the weekend took them back to the Lone Star State to Cotton Bowl Speedway with their Waco Metal/Durst Inc./Jansen Transportation #41 Maxim. It certainly is welcoming to be back racing in front of some of the greatest fans in sports – sprint car fans. Cotton Bowl Speedway is a fast and racy 3/8-mile oval located near Austin, College Station, and Waco, that last hosted the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series competitors in 2018 with last year’s event being canceled due to the COVID pandemic. As the teams settled into the pit area, there were 26 teams represented and present at the drivers meeting to kick off the weekend of speed.

The tour of talented WoO speedsters always aim high. The track record at Cotton Bowl Speedway was set back on February 26, 2016, the World of Outlaws (WoO) first visit to the track, by Danny Lasoski at 13.517 seconds. They would each get two laps on the track by themselves in Slick Woody’s Qualifying to see if they could make a better lap. Carson would be the 20th driver to take a shot aboard the All Pro Reconditioning/T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication #41. When his Kistler Engines power came to life he got the Tarlton and Son, Inc. Frame-2-Finish black and silver forty-one up to speed and took the green flag. He was focused and determined and completed his first lap against the clock in 13.686 seconds. He kept digging the next time around completing the second circuit in 13.547 seconds. Both laps were good ones, but the quicker of his two laps ended up fifth quick overall to start the night of racing action. Aaron Reutzel set quick time with a lap of 13.356 seconds.

When the starting lineups were completed for the three 8-lap Drydene Heat Races, Macedo would get rolling in the second heat race from the outside of the front row from his office in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International #41 Maxim. He would start alongside Ian Madsen in the #11 with Donny Schatz, David Gravel, Brent Marks, Wayne Johnson, Ayrton Gennetten, Josh Baughman, and Logan Schuchart completing the starting grid. When the green flag was unfurled, Madsen raced under it first before Macedo seized command of the top spot exiting turn two on the first lap. Carson had a fast hotrod and was in clean air and taking advantage of it. Meanwhile, there was a three car war behind him all gunning for the runner-up position between Madsen, Gravel, and Schatz. All three drivers were looking for a way around the other with each passing lap. Macedo made his way down the back straightaway one last time as the cattle grazed in the fields behind. He took the heat race win over Madsen who maintained the runner-up position with Gravel, Schatz, Marks and Schuchart locking down the remainder of the transfer positions.

Earning his way into the DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Macedo buckled into the cockpit of the Jonestown KOA/C&R Racing #41 for the 6-lap event to set the starting lineup for the first three rows of the feature.  The field was set as local Texan Aaron Reutzel was on the pole beside Ian Madsen with Brian Brown and Jacob Allen in row two and Brad Sweet and Macedo in row three. When they crossed the chalk stripe in corner four the engines roared and the ensuing chaos quickly began as Brian Brown and Carson Macedo made contact just before the flag stand setting both on wild rides with Macedo’s #41 ending stuck in the front straightaway’s catch fence. Like seasoned bull riders, both drivers were tussled around in their saddles but ok which is the most important thing. With their primary car for the night heavily damaged, the JJR #41 team quickly pulled down a new car to prepare it for the feature event. Reutzel went on to win the Dash over Sweet, Madsen, and Allen as both Brown and Macedo did not finish the race.

The dedicated JJR crew of Clyde Knipp and Nate Repetz, led by co-owner and crew chief Philip Dietz, methodically prepared the new car for the 35-lap NOS Energy Drink feature. Carson would have to start from the back of the field due to having to switch cars, but the Lemoore, California driver stayed focused on the job at hand. The field was set and polesitter Aaron Reutzel set the early pace leading the pack. Macedo wasted no time showing his tenacity and talent as he passed seven cars on the first lap to move into the 17th position in the Greber Racing Components/Wilwood Racing #41 Maxim. He was fast and determined and mixing it up as he battled his way forward. That forward momentum would come to a quick stop with six laps in the books when Brent Marks entered turn one high and came down across the track collecting Macedo sending the #41 into a series of flips for the second time on the night. He got towed to the work area and the team’s tenacity was on full display with the assistance of many of the team members from other teams. They were working frantically to change the front axle, top wing, front wing, and fix anything else necessary to get their driver back on the track. With time running out, a little lady luck finally was bestowed upon the team when fourth running Jacob Allen came to a stop before racing resumed with a flat left rear tire. The extra time gave the crew the time they needed to make the final adjustments as Macedo pushed back out to rejoin the field at the back of the pack again. This is where champions are made of and Macedo’s talent and desire would be on full display. When they went back to racing Reutzel again seized the lead with Brad Sweet hungry to take it away. Sweet would get the lead on lap 13, but Reutzel and Sheldon Haudenschild were fiercely determined to try to get the top spot. Macedo was running in the 20 position when Sweet took the lead and he was digging for more. By the halfway point he was up to 18th in the running order and just not about to stop. A little further front though Sweet had company as Haudenschild was running the high line and on lap 25 took control of the lead over Sweet and Reutzel. The driver sitting in the seat of the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Fuel Safe Racing Cells #41 had his elbows up and moved into the top 15 with five laps to go. When Haudenschild took the checkers to collect his second WoO win of the year over Reutzel and Sweet with Madsen and Schatz rounding out the top five, Macedo wheeled his Maxim Racing machine to a 13th place. A challenging night ended about as well as it could have despite some unfortunate events earned him the KSE Hard Charger honors for the third time this season. A good run for the forty-one . . . one that builds character and champions!

Overcoming Obstacles at Cotton Bowl Speedway on the Opening Night of the Texas Two-Step to Earn a 13th Place Finish!

Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Saich Family; Border International; Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution; Jonestown KOA; Durst Inc.; Maxim Racing; The Boyd Family; Liquid Trucking; Meyers Constructors Inc.; Tiger Towing; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Waco Metal; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Kistler Engines; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; All Pro Auto Reconditioning; K1 Race Gear; AutoMeter; Bell Racing USA; Blackbeard LTD; Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS); Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; C&R Racing; Chalk Stix Torsion Bars; Crow Enterprizes; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; KSE Racing Products; Larry Davis Farms; Logo Daddy Graphics; Mr. Jim’s Racing; MSD Performance; RaceDiecast.com; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Weld Wheels; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.

To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR), go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.

To stay up-to-date with Carson Macedo and his success journey on and off the track, as well as to purchase his gear and merchandise directly, visit www.carsonmacedoracing.com.