MOVING IN MINNESOTA: THE THREE-DAY JACKSON NATIONALS COMMENCES WITH MACEDO MOTORING IN THE MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION (MVT) #41 TO A TOP FIVE FINISH ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF ACTION

JACKSON, MINNESOTA (June 24, 2021) – After the JJR #41 team hustled at Huset’s Speedway to start the busy week of racing in the Huset’s 50, the first two races in the five race series billed “The Showdown”, Philip Dietz and the JJR #41 team trucked slightly more than 80 miles to the east to the Jackson Motorplex where they were hosting the three-day, 43rdAnnual AGCO Jackson Nationals as the crescendo event that started in South Dakota with the capstone occurring in Minnesota. This hallmark event is certainly one that each of the driver’s want to win to add to their career resume. Throughout the preliminary nights of action on Thursday and Friday, the format deviates from the World of Outlaws (WoO) normal format and rewards each driver with cumulative points for their performance each time they hit the track at the Jackson Nationals. The harder you race, the better you do resulting in the more points you earn. It is that simple. There were 36 teams parked in the pit area for the opening night of the Jackson Nationals!

The first opportunity to pick up some points was in Slick Woody’s Qualifying. The point differential between finishing positions in qualifying is 1 point. The fastest 32 drivers in time trials would be inverted in the four slated heat races. The drivers that time in 33rd on back would tag the back end of each heat race. The Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Factory Kahne (FK) #41 Maxim would be the 29th car out onto the track with Carson Macedo behind the wheel. Carson was buckled into his Crow Enterprizes safety belts and ready to go. When it was his turn he rolled onto the track and pounded the loud pedal. He was focused as the green cloth waved to start the clock. Going out late he had faith and was riding his Kistler Engines/Engler Machine and Tool power and clocked in at an impressive 12.913 seconds on lap one. He maintained his momentum and carried his speed through the first set of turn and down the backstretch. One last set of turn stood between him and the waving checkers. When he crossed under the black and whited blocked flag he turned the second lap in 12.955 seconds. His fastest lap the first time around positioned him third overall, which earned him 98 points. Kerry Madsen set quick time with a lap of 12.801 seconds.

Unlike the normal WoO format, there is an eight car inversion in each of the four Drydene Heat Races with the remaining competitors with slower times split and lined up behind the first four rows in each race. The fastest eight drivers in time trials would have to race forward from row four to add to their cumulative point totals with the heat winners automatically locked into the feature without regards to points earned. Elbows up. Carson would get moving in the Jonestown KOA/Durst Inc./Schoenfeld Headers/Waco Metal #41 from the 8th starting position in the third heat race. The point differential between finishing positions is 5 points. When the green flag dropped, it was polesitter Jason Sides driving his #7s into clean air ahead of Aaron Reutzel with Ayrton Gennetten and David Gravel charging. Carson used the early opportunities to move his way into the fifth position in the opening lap. Sides was in control and would lead wire-to-wire to take the win over David Gravel who made a late race pass on Reutzel to claim the second position. Reutzel came home third with Gennetten and Macedo completing the top five. Macedo’s fifth place finish earned him an additional 80 points bring his overall point total to 178, which was sixth overall when the heat races were completed.

With only the top eight in accumulated points following the heat races earning a spot in the DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson locked himself in aboard the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Jansen Transportation/MSD Performance #41. No point are earned in the dash, just starting positions for the feature are determined. The drivers would redraw for their starting spots. When all was said and done the lineup had David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild in row one, Logan Schuchart and Brock Zearfoss in row two, James McFadden and Carson Macedo in row three, and Jacob Allen and Brad Sweet in row four. The 6-lap race’s finishing order would establish the starting order for the first four rows in Thursday night’s feature event. When they went green it was Gravel to the lead with Haudenschild tucking in behind as Schuchart was in the mix. Macedo was behind Zearfoss looking for an opportunity and made the pass for fifth on the second lap. He was right behind the fast moving McFadden as both were using the low side to their advantage as they pursued Haudenschild for his position. The duo would catch the Wooster, Ohio speedster and duck under him on the bottom of the track with McFadden now running third and Macedo in fourth. David Gravel would race to the win over Schuchart, McFadden, and Macedo with Haudenschild, Allen, Sweet, and Zearfoss completing the finishing order.

Following the conclusion of the Last Chance Showdown (LCS), the starting lineup for the 30-lap feature on night one of the Jackson Nationals was set. The air horn was blowing as the team finished up their preparations and rechecked and tightened each nut. Carson would start racing in the Durst Inc./Larry David Farms/Engler Machine & Tool #41 Maxim from the outside of row two. On this day in June back in 2018 we lost Jason Johnson. A hero to so many people associated with this great sport, a husband, a father, a son, and a true gentleman to all whose passion for sprint car racing and love for those who knew him was simply immeasurable. Jackson Motorsports was the site where Jason Johnson earned his final two victories when he won the first two races of the 2018 Jackson Nationals. To honor him official at the Jackson Motorplex and the World of Outlaws open the feature event with the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 driven by Carson Macedo pulling out in front of the field as polesitter and JJR’s 2019 and 2020 driver David Gravel left that spot open to honor our hero. A sincere thank you for this thoughtful and appreciated gesture by all. A first class gesture and act that everyone at JJR is grateful for and appreciative.

It was now time to go racing on the opening night of the Jackson Nationals. When the yellow lights dimmed and the green lights illuminated, the drivers hit the throttle as outside front row starter Logan Schuchart drove the Shark Racing #1s into the lead over David Gravel with Carson Macedo driving into the show position. Schuchart was a beast early as he was setting a torrid pace out front. The only thing that slowed him was a caution on lap 5 for Wayne Johnson who rolled to a stop in turn four. He headed to the work area and rejoined the tail of the field. They got restarted with Schuchart again to the lead over Gravel and Macedo with McFadden and Haudenschild close behind. The driver that had everyone’s attention though was the fast moving and 14 starting Kerry Madsen in the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) #14. He was up to the sixth position by lap four and not ready to stop his forward progress. After the restart he made quick work of the two drivers ahead of him, Haudenschild and McFadden, and then set his sights on Macedo’s #41. He made the pass on and headed towards the next spot. Macedo was now in a great battle for position with James McFadden in the KKR #9. Over the course of the next 10 plus laps they were now the show with McFadden taking the fourth position with 9 laps to go. The second caution of the night would be displayed with 4 laps to go, this time for Brock Zearfoss who shredded his left rear tire and was unable to rejoin the field. Madsen had caught and passed Schuchart for the lead with Gravel in third, and McFadden and Macedo holding down the fourth and fifth position. Pacing in the single-file restart order, the green waved and Kerry Madsen was pedal down. He would lead the remaining laps to collect the win over Schuchart and Gravel with McFadden and Macedo. Carson’s fifth place finish earned him an additional 238 points to bring his night one total to 416 points. That placed his as the sixth highest point earner overall behind Logan Schuchart (426 Points), David Gravel (425 Points), Brad Sweet (424 Points), James McFadden (423 Points), and Kerry Madsen (420 Points). A good night of racing at the Jackson Nationals for the forty-one team.

A Respectable Top Five Finish for Macedo to Open the Jackson Nationals on Thursday Night! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich

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.