MAKING THE BEST OF IT IN IOWA: AFTER WINNING THE LAST CHANCE SHOWDOWN, MACEDO DRIVES THE GOLD EDITION OF THE FORTY-ONE TO A TOP TEN FINISH IN THE 60TH ANNUAL KNOXVILLE NATIONALS

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (August 14, 2021) – Following the tough outcome in the Thursday’s preliminary night feature where a crash ended their night early, the silver lining for Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team was that their performance up until that point yielded enough points to lock the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Durst/Liquid Trucking #41 Maxim into the front row of the B-Main on Saturday night. Philip Dietz, along with Clyde Knipp, Nate Repetz, Chris Layher, and Cole Neuhalfen, put together a new car for their driver and the golden edition of the forty-one was ready to get back on the track. Before the action got started though, the Jason Johnson Racing team accepted the Best Dressed Team Award for the fourth consecutive year.

He would start on the front row beside polesitter Josh Baughman for the 20-lap B-Main where the top four finishers would be the final drivers to lock into the 60 Annual Knoxville Nationals where they would line up in positions 17 through 20 for the grand finale at Knoxville Raceway. Sye Lynch and Spencer Bayston paced behind them in row two with Cory Eliason and Kraig Kinser in row three. Paul McMahan and Kerry Madsen partnered up in row four with Sheldon Haudenschild and Sam Hafertepe Jr. in row five. Carson climbed into the cockpit of his Maxim Racing machine and buckled tightly into his Crow Enterprizes safety belts. Patiently waiting in the staging lane, with the assistance from a push truck, his Kistler Engines power fired and he rolled onto the track aboard the Tarlton and Son/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Schoenfeld Headers #41. The Lemoore, California speed chauffeur rolled into his starting position on the outside of the front row side-by-side with Baughman as they came to the green flag. Baughman would lead lap one with Macedo close behind as they raced by the start finish line. Macedo dove low into turn one and took advantage of the clean air to build a sizable lead over Spencer Bayston. Carson was flying and caught up to the rear of the field by lap 5 and immediately started to navigate the new found dirty air using the high line. Things were getting crowded on the already busy track. He gracefully maneuvered around the lap cars using his KSE Racing Products to steer through the field and around obstacles. At the halfway point of the race it was Macedo leading over Bayston, Kerry Madsen, Cory Eliason, and Sheldon Haudenschild. The battle continued as Macedo advanced forward keeping plenty of distance between himself and second place. The racing action was close as he continued to navigate through the slower cars.  With 3 laps to go, Hunter Schuerenberg got hard into the cushion between turns on and two almost flipping over with Macedo running in the same line entering turn one. Fortunately, Carson turned down across the track to avoid contact as Schuerenberg made a miraculous save so the racing stayed green. Macedo would not look back and took the win by 4.017 seconds over Madsen to earn a coveted spot in the 60th Annual Knoxville Nationals A-Main field. Macedo took the win over Madsen, Eliason, and Haudenschild who beat Bayston to the finish line by the thinnest of margins.

The field was set for the prestigious 50-lap 60th Annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway. Carson would get started from the inside of row nine beside Kerry Madsen. After the fireworks highlighted their way around during their four-wide salute, the rearranged in their side-by-side starting formation to take the green. Giovanni Scelzi drove into the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Carson wheeling the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 Maxim picking off four cars early to drive into 13th place after the first lap. He stayed up on the wheel and moved the forty-one into the top ten the next time around and was looking for more. Carson saw an opportunity and found one more position as he raced behind James McFadden for the next few laps. Giovanni Scelzi led the first 10 laps before surrendering the lead to Donny Schatz. Kyle Larson was right there and also passed Scelzi for the second spot. Donny led the field all the way through lap 24, before Larson made the pass for the lead in turn two right before the competition caution flew mid-race. Meanwhile, Carson was still busy in the cockpit of his Maxim Racing machine as he passed McFadden and also worked his way by Brooke Tatnell. He was running eighth when the yellow lights illuminated.

The running order was Larson, Schatz, Scelzi, Gravel and Brent Marks, with Brad Sweet, Kasey Kahne, Macedo, McFadden and Tatnell rounding out the top ten. Philip Dietz had his wrenches turning making changes to assist his driver’s forward advancement. Brent Marks and Brooke Tatnell both were penalized 2 starting spots due to not completing their work in the allotted time frame and pushing off. They would restart in single file order with Macedo now right on the rear nerf bar of Brent Marks. Larson and Schatz brought the field back to the green flag with Larson holding the top spot. Carson got stuck on the bottom behind Marks allowing McFadden to race by and take the eighth spot. A yellow flag flew for Rico Abreu after contact with Kerry Madsen on the frontstretch slowing the action momentarily. When the field went back to racing, Macedo went high and passed McFadden back for position with 21 laps to go. A red flag quickly flew for Brian Brown and Tyler Courtney who both flipped hard in turn two. Brock Zearfoss, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Cory Eliason also got caught up in the melee and headed to the work area. When racing resumed, Larson was still in command of the lead over Schatz and Scelzi. Schatz was not going away and putting pressure on Larson as the laps wound down. Carson was running in the ninth position and was dealing with part of his hood coming loose. Schatz would make one valiant run again at Larson on the last lap, but it was Kyle Larson taking the win over Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet. Carson Macedo recovered from his preliminary night crash in the feature bringing the JJR #41 home ninth. Another great run for Macedo and the entire JJR #41 team!

A Ninth Place Finish in the 60th Annual Knoxville Nationals for Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 Team!

Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Albaugh – Your Alternative, 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.