THURSDAY THUNDER: MACEDO MAKES SOME NOISE AT 34 RACEWAY IN THE TARLTON AND SON #41 RACING WITH BRAD SWEET FOR THE TOP SPOT AND COMING HOME SECOND JUST WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

WEST BURLINGTON, IOWA (June 17, 2021) – Thursday night at 34 Raceway kicked off a very busy stretch of work with eight scheduled races over the course of the next ten days for Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 sprint car team. Coming off a highly successful weekend at Knoxville last week where they earned two consecutive victories in the Brownells Big Gun Bash, the team was laser focused on continuing their top performance at the 3/8-mile, semi-banked oval that is situated in the southeast corner of the Hawkeye State just off Interstate 34. The town of West Burlington sits adjacent to the Mississippi River city of Burlington, Iowa. There were 24 drivers and teams registered at the pit gate eager to compete and throw some dirt up on the freshly painted walls at the bullring.

Following the completion of hot laps, it was time for Slick Woody’s Qualifying for each of the drivers. There is one car, two laps, and 900 horsepower under the hood with the driver tasked with bringing them all together against the ticking time on the stopwatch. The one-lap track record was established here on July 30, 2008, by none other than Steve “The King” Kinser with a lap of 12.250 seconds. Where each driver goes out for their two laps in time trials is set by random draw when they enter the pit area. The winner of five WoO feature events to-date this season aboard the Tarlton and Son/Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions #41 Maxim would be the second to last driver to hit the track. Carson got his elbows up and took the waving green flag as he raced through the initial set of turn on his first attempt. He was using the cushion to build speed the first lap completing it in 13.164 seconds. That certainly was not the type of lap he was looking for, so the California-born racer kept his power foot planted the next time around using the middle of the track on lap two turning in a much better time at 12.890 seconds. The better of his two laps ended up third quick overall on the final time charts, noting his lap two time was exactly the same as David Gravel’s but Gravel’s other lap in qualifying was better placing him in second, with Kerry Madsen establishing quick time at 12.888 seconds.

With 24 cars in the pits on this night, there would be three 8-lap Drydene Heat Races on tap with the top two finishers moving onto the dash and the next four in the finishing order locking into the feature event at the end of the night. Carson was slated to start from the pole position in the third heat race aboard the Durst Inc./Larry Davis Farms/KSE Racing Products #41 Maxim. The front row was comprised of Macedo and Ayrton Gennetten with Aaron Reutzel, Brian Brown, Brent Marks, Brock Zearfoss, Bobby Mincer, and Logan Schuchart tucked in behind them in the traditional two-by two starting formation. When they exited turn four they were all out as they crossed the starting chalk stripe. Carson used the low line to drive into the lead over Gennetten and they reached turn one. He was digging and making tracks and not looking back until a lap four caution slowed and regrouped the field when Zearfoss rolled to a stop in turn four with problems. When the engines came back to life he pedaled down and started to rebuild his lead. He completed the final four circuits to take the heat race win with Gennetten coming home second as Reutzel, Brown, Schuchart, and Marks locked down the final transfer spots.

Making his way into the 6-lap DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson was looking to continue his winning ways in the Team Jack Foundation/Bell Racing USA/Kistler Engines #41 Maxim. After a brief rain delay as weather moved through the area they were ready to race again at 34 Raceway. As luck would have it, Carson pulled the lowest pill out of the NOS Energy Drink can to start from the pole beside the NOS Energy Drink #17 of Sheldon Haudenschild on the front row. Ayrton Gennetten would get rolling from the third spot with Brad Sweet, David Gravel, and Kerry Madsen right behind. Like in his heat race, when the green lights illuminated Macedo used the moisture in the low lane to dart into the lead on the opening lap with a lightning quick track. Sheldon was not far behind and was staying close enough to keep the pressure on the leader with each passing lap. Carson would run six clean laps and sprint under the waving checkered flags to take the dash victory over Haudenschild with Sweet, Gravel, and Madsen right behind, as Gennetten was scored in the sixth position.

It was now time for the 30-lap feature at 34 Raceway. The starting grid was set as they rolled onto the speedway to wait for their engines to be fired. The track crew had scraped the mud off the walls leaving stripes for the drivers to see at speed. Nate Repetz made the final air pressure adjustments. Clyde Knipp tightened each bolt one last time. While owner and crew chief Philip Dietz worked his magic on the Border International/AutoMeter/K1 Race Gear #41 to prepare their driver for success.  With the fans in the stands on their feet, it was now time for The Greatest Show on Dirt to entertain at 34 Raceway! Carson Macedo brought the field to the green flag with Haudenschild right behind at speed. Carson had a fast race car, but so did Haudenschild, Sweet, and fourth running David Gravel. Macedo led the first 10 laps before Josh Schneiderman and Bobby Mincer spun right in front of him to bring out the yellow flag. Regroup and side-by-side, the field came back to the green with Macedo maintaining the lead. Sweet was now challenging Haudenschild for the second spot and got it. He kept the NAPA #49 moving forward as the leaders were starting to navigate the lap traffic. He was closing in on the JJR #41 and on lap 17 took the lead away from Macedo. Carson fought back the next time around and took the lead back using the low line entering turn one and a lap car to his advantage. Macedo led lap 18, but Sweet was stalking. He made his way back to Macedo’s rear nerf bar and passed him again for the lead with 9 laps to go. He used those laps to put some distance between himself and the fellow California chasing him. Carson now had a hard-charging David Gravel to content with in the Big Game Motorsports #2. They took the white flag and circled 34 Raceway one last time. Sweet took the win as Macedo beat Gravel to the finish line by a scant 0.086 seconds to lock down a runner-up finish. Gravel came home third with Kerry Madsen and Giovanni Scelzi completing the top five. The runner-up finisher sighed and explained, “The lap cars were tough to get by. Brad did a good job!” He continued, “My JJR team did a really good job again tonight. Philip, Nate, and Clyde have been giving me great race cars each night. We are having a lot of fun right now.” Another great run for the forty-one!

Carson Finishes Up in the Runner-Up Position at 34 Raceway to Kick Off a Busy Stretch of High Speed Action! Photo Credit: Trent Gower

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; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Bell Racing USA; Blackbeard LTD; BR Motorsports; 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; Smith Titanium; 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.