WoO BACK IN WASHINGTON: A SEVENTH PLACE FINISH FOR CARSON MACEDO ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE SAGE FRUIT SKAGIT NATIONALS BEGINS THE FALL WEST COAST SWING FOR THE CALIFORNIAN AND THE JJR #41 TEAM
BURLINGTON, WASHINGTON (September 3, 2021) – Philip Dietz guided the JJR #41 team westward to the beautiful state of Washington to start the month of September at the three-day Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals. This part of the country is always beautiful, but at this time of the year it is extra special. September is filled with outdoor activities, craft breweries, wineries, and festivals all throughout the Skagit Valley. There is even the Bow-Edison Food Trail that attracts the locals and people from afar. For the JJR team and their fellow World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series competitors, this was the first time back on Pacific Time since 2019. And, to say the least, it was great to be back at Skagit Speedway! There were 23 teams registered in at the pit gate for the first of three nights of action.
When the time trial order was posted, Carson scanned the list to find that he would be the 16th driver onto the track for this two time trials laps in Slick Woody’s Qualifying. Navigating around the 3/10-mile high-banked oval at speed is exhilarating, but also unforgiving as the stopwatch will highlight any bobbles or missteps. Carson climbed aboard the Tarlton and Son/Larry Davis Farms/Border International #41 Maxim and buckled in for his high speed adventure. When James McFadden completed his two circuits in the Karavan Trailers #9, Carson flipped the shield down on his Bell Helmet and went to work as he raced under the waving green cloth at the flagstand. He was hustling and his first lap was captured on the clock in 10.873 seconds. Hammer down, he stayed the course and turned his second lap in 10.790 seconds. The quicker of his two laps ended up third quick overall to start the night. Donny Schatz set quick time with a fast lap of 10.765 seconds, just 0.025 quicker than Macedo’s quickest lap.
There would be three 10-lap Drydene Heat Races contested on the night with the finishing order establishing your starting spot in the A-Main, and the first and second place finishers advancing into the dash. The Albaugh – Your Alternative/Wilwood/Factory Kahne (FK Shocks) #41 that Carson would wheel would get started from the inside of the front row beside Sheldon Haudenschild. Logan Schuchart lined up right behind Macedo in row two with Washington native and former World of Outlaw Jason Solwold to his outside with Jason Sides, Austen Wheatley, and Brock Lemley completing the starting grid. They slowly paced down the backstretch, but when they hit the chalk stripe they were wheeling and dealing inside their cockpits. Carson drove off the bottom and into the lead. Haudenschild was right behind battling for position with Schuchart during the opening stages of the heat race. The Lemoore, California speedster was applying his talents as he was hitting his marks running cleanly at the front of the pack. In the closing laps he was closing in on the back of the field when he took the checkers 2.322 seconds ahead of Haudenschild, Schuchart, Solwold, and Sides, with Wheatley and Lemley completing the heat race finishing order.
When the dash draw was completed for the 8-lap DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson would start from the outside of row three with Donny Schatz to his inside. David Gravel would roll off from the pole and share the front row with Sheldon Haudenschild. Kraig Kinser and James McFadden would make up row two. When the event went green, Haudenschild drove into the lead with McFadden following him into the runner-up position. Macedo was dueling for the fifth position and would get it on lap three. He was closing in on fourth running David Gravel trying to earn a spot in row two for the feature, but came up just short. Sheldon Haudenschild took the win over McFadden with Schatz and Gravel following. Carson finished improved one position with his fifth place finish ahead of Kraig Kinser.
The feature lineup was set now for the 30-lap NOS Energy Drink feature on the first night of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals. Carson would get the Tarlton and Son/Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Weld Wheels #41 Maxim started from the inside of row three when the green flag dropped. Sheldon Haudenschild and James McFadden brought the field around to the green flag and the race was on. McFadden to the lead, Haudenschild in second, Gravel to third, Schatz in fourth and Macedo in the fifth spot. With two laps in the books, the first yellow flag came out for Malachi Gemmer who sat sideways on the track. When they restarted in single file order, it was McFadden protecting the lead with a gaggle of competitors giving chase. The racing action for the fourth position between Carson Macedo and Donny Schatz was getting exciting and capturing the attention of the crown. They were racing cleanly and making things tight at speed. Carson would slid the ten time World of Outlaws champion and make the pass for position with 8 laps completed. He maintained that position as the race passed the halfway point when the next caution flag flew. This time it was for sixteenth running Jason Sides who slowed to a stop in turn four. The slowing of the high speed action did not cool the excitement when they went back to green. McFadden and Haudenschild were racing for the top spot and Macedo and Schatz were racing for the fourth position. Schatz used the bottom to get back by the forty-one of Macedo. They continued to navigate around Skagit Speedway at speed. With 8 laps to go, the third caution of the night came out for Austen Wheatley and Tanner Holmes who made contact and spun exiting turn two right in front of the leaders. It was McFadden still leading Haudenschild with Gravel, Schatz and Macedo completing the top five. But Brad Sweet had worked his way up to sixth and was looking to break into the top five. When they got rolling again, it was McFadden leading as Macedo stole the fourth spot back from Schatz. Schatz was not relenting and roared back to regain the position bringing along Sweet and Logan Schuchart. Carson was now relegating to the seventh position in the waning laps of the race. He stayed up on the wheel and continued to be in the mic. James McFadden raced to the win over Sheldon Haudenschild by 0.514 seconds with David Gravel completing the podium. Donny Schatz held on for fourth over Brad Sweet with Schuchart, Macedo, Jacob Allen, Jason Solwold, and Rico Abreu completing the top ten on night one of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals.
A Top 10 Run for the Californian on the Opening Night of the Sage Fruit Skagit Nationals! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich
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.