WHEELING IN WEST FARGO: THE DUEL IN THE DAKOTAS AT RED RIVER VALLEY SPEEDWAY WITH CARSON MACEDO RACING HARD TO A 7TH PLACE FINISH ON THE 3/8-MILE TRACK IN THE PEACE GARDEN STATE

WEST FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA (August 21, 2021) – After Mother Nature postponed Friday action at River Cities Speedway on Friday night, Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team loaded up and traveled an hour and a half south to Red River Valley Speedway located in West Fargo, North Dakota to compete in the Duel in the Dakotas. This semi-banked, 3/8-mile facility has produced some great races in the past and the competitors enjoy competing here for the appreciative fans that come out to support the event. The pit area was brimming with anticipation as there were 31 teams parked and ready to go. It was time to go racing at Red River Valley Speedway!

Carson would be the 30th driver to take to the track in Slick Woody’s Qualifying. Even with the late draw, the goal was to race as hard and fast as he could over two laps with the quickest time being the one that represents his efforts in time trials. Shane Stewart came into the event holding the one-lap track record with a lap of 11.925 seconds back on August 19, 2017. Carson strapped into his Crow Enterprizes safety belts and rolled into the staging area to await his turn to race against the clock. After Noah Gass finished his two circuits, the Lemoore, California driver got his elbows up as he darted under the flickering green flag overhead. The seconds were passing by as the air flowed over the top of his Vortex Racing Products wings creating the necessary downforce needed to maximize traction and speed. When the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Team Jack Foundation/Bandy & Associates #41 Maxim crossed the timing stripe the first time the clock stopped at 11.744 seconds. His second lap was already being recorded by the stopwatch and Carson was looking to improve his speed and lap time if possible. The clock read 11.596 seconds at the completion of lap two with his quickest lap positioning him ninth quick overall when time trials were completed. Kasey Kahne established the quickest lap on this night, and a new track record, with a blazing lap of 11.397 seconds. Kahne along with 15 other drivers broke the previous track record.

Carson qualifying effort yielded him the third starting position in the third of three 8-lap Drydene Heat Races. He rolled the Durst Inc./Jonestown KOA/Engler Machine & Tool #41 Maxim into his starting position in row two beside fellow Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) driver Kraig Kinser to start the race. The top six finishers would earn transfer positions into the feature with the winner and runner-up getting a shot to compete in the dash to determine their starting position for the feature. When the green flag waved, it was James McFadden driving his blue KKR #9 into the lead over polesitter Giovanni Scelzi and Macedo. McFadden was using the clean air ahead of him to his advantage as he built a sizable lead over Scelzi. His speed carried him forward and he began navigating lap traffic. Carson used the slower cars to close the gap between himself and the runner-up position over the second half of the race. He was closing in on Scelzi, but just ran out of time as McFadden took the win as Scelzi locked down the runner up position and the dash lock-in position. Carson came home third followed by Brock Zearfoss, Marcus Dumesny, and Kraig Kinser. Those six drivers transferred into the A-Main.

With all of the qualifying action completed, the air horns were sounded throughout the pit area to indicate it was time to roll out on the track to stage for the 30-lap NOS Energy Drink Duel in the Dakotas feature event at Red River Valley Speedway. Carson Macedo would get started aboard the Tarlton and Son/Waco Metal/BR Motorsport #41 Maxim from the ninth starting position. His partner in row five was Sheldon Haudenschild. The field of competitors slowly paced behind the pace vehicle and front row starters David Gravel and Logan Schuchart in their two-by-two starting formation ready to drop the hammer. When the pace vehicle left the track and the front row starters crossed the chalk stripe in turn four, the sound of powerful 900 horsepower sprint car engines filled the air. The drivers were maneuvering their 1,425 pound rockets around Red River Valley as they chased the checkered flag. It was Gravel racing into the top spot on the opening lap over Schuchart. Macedo was racing from the tenth position on the track when the yellow was displayed for the #55 of Nick Ranten and #9N of Wayne Nygaard. When racing resumed it was Logan Schuchart seizing the lead from Gravel with Donny Schatz running in the third spot. Carson wheeled the forty-one and raced up to eighth and the next time around moved into the seventh position. It was uninterrupted green flag racing with Schuchart in the lead and now Donny Schatz in second as he worked his way by Gravel. Just before the halfway point of the race, Carson gained another spot as he moved by Giovanni Scelzi into sixth place. Schatz was working the middle at the front of the pack and on lap 22 moved by Schuchart into the lead. Gravel would soon sneak by Schuchart too into the runner-up spot. With less than ten laps to go, it was Schatz showing the way in his hometown. Meanwhile, Carson was battling with James McFadden and Logan Schuchart for position on the track with Brad Sweet closing to join the fun. With 6 laps to go, a yellow flag for Marcus Dumesny, who was sitting backwards in turn four, slowed the action. When they went back to green flag racing, Schatz led Gravel as McFadden moved into the show position. Schatz went on to take the win as Gravel came home second, McFadden in third, Schuchart held on to fourth, and, Sheldon Haudenschild raced into the top five at the checkers. Brad Sweet passed Carson Macedo with two laps to go to claim sixth with Carson coming home with another top ten finish, his 51st of the 2021 racing season – an 82.26% top ten success rate, as he was scored in the seventh position. Giovanni Scelzi, Kraig Kinser and Jacob Allen rounded out the top ten. Another good run for the forty-one team, but they were looking for more and would get an opportunity on Sunday night at Huset’s Speedway.

A Seventh Place Finish for Carson Macedo at Red River Valley Speedway Aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 Maxim! Photo Credit: Ascent Media

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.