SEARCHING FOR GOLD: A FAST START, A HILL TO CLIMB, AND THEN A RESPECTABLE SEVENTH PLACE FINISH IN THE FINALE OF THE 67TH ANNUAL GOLD CUP RACE OF CHAMPIONS AT SILVER DOLLAR SPEEDWAY

CHICO, CALIFORNIA (September 11, 2021) – As the country paused to reflect and remember the devastation and tragedy that occurred back on September 11, 2001, the World of Outlaws (WoO) paid homage to this great country by providing a respite for many by turning up the heat to provide some high speed entertainment in the championship finale of the 67th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions at Silver Dollar Speedway. Silver Dollar Speedway, which opened for racing action back in 1962, is located near the foothills of the Plumas National Forest an hour and a half north of Sacramento. Looking to build and improve on their tenth place finish in the opener on Friday night, Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team were one of 31 teams back in the pit area on Saturday night ready to compete for the Gold Cup Race of Champions trophy.

The field of entries was ready to go in Slick Woody’s Qualifying action. Carson would get the Albaugh – Your Alternative/T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication/Larry Davis Farms #41 up to speed as the 25th car out on the track. When his Kistler Engines power came to life it was the Lemoore, California native’s job to unleash all of the horsepower to generate speed. He obliged and dropped his right foot and was off to the races. The seconds were ticking by as he was using his KSE Racing Products to steer his way around the demanding 1/4-mile bullring. When he stopped the clock following his first lap, it was a good one as the stopwatch read 12.310 seconds. He stayed on the hammer the next time around improving his time to 12.264 seconds. The second of his two laps was fastest and ended up second quick overall. The fastest driver of the night was Logan Schuchart who ran a lap of 12.244 seconds to end the night atop the time trial order.

The crew chiefs and their teams were busy readying their speed equipment for competition in each of the four 10-lap Drydene Heat Races, where the top five finishers transfer directly to the feature, and the top two finishers in each heat race earn spots in the dash event. After downloading with Philip Dietz, Carson added some tearoffs to his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet in preparation for his heat race assault. The sound bellowed from the air horn notifying teams heat race action was just around the corner in eight minutes. Carson would line up on the pole in the second heat race where he shared the front row with Kasey Kahne on the Roth Motorsports #83. Dominic Scelzi and Robbie Price paced behind them in two as Carson Short, Parker Price-Miller, Tim Kaeding, and Jessie Attard filled in the remaining starting spots. The starts are so important here in part because of the opportunity it presents to gain some positions on the track early, but also the awareness, importance and skill needed to identify and avoid the risks present with everyone bunched together on the racing surface at the beginning of the race. The green flag waved and all out chaos ensued at speed. Kasey Kahne used the outside groove to race around Carson through the first set of turns to take the lead. The track was fast and the top of the track was the preferred line. Kasey Kahne was showing the way as Carson wheeled the Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Team Jack Foundation/RaceDiecast.com #41 from the runner-up position. Kahne went on to win the heat race by 1.5 seconds over Macedo as those two drovers earned spots in the dash event, with Scelzi, Price, and Price-Miller securing the final three transfer positions.

Qualifying for the feature is difficult enough, but Carson not only accomplished that, but also earned a coveted spot in the 8-lap DirtVision Fast Pass Dash for the 43rd time during the 2021 WoO campaign. Carson hopped on the scooter and headed to the frontstretch to talk to Hannah Rickards to draw for his starting position. Following the luck portion used to set the starting lineup, Carson would get started from the third position in the dash aboard the Border International/C&R Racing/AutoMeter #41. He was rolling alongside Logan Schuchart in row two as they peered ahead at Kasey Kahne and Ryan Robinson. Kraig Kinser and Tanner Carrick were in row three with an all Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR) row four with James McFadden and Brad Sweet. When they flagman dropped the green flag it was Kahne to the lead over Robinson, Carrick, and Schuchart with Macedo running in the fifth position. Carson was running the high side and with one lap in the books he hit the hole on the entry of turn three, hoped the car, and then flipped end-over-end damaging his mount. He would be scored eighth, but now the work began in the pit area under Philip Dietz leadership to make the necessary repairs to the forty-one. When racing resumed it was Kasey Kahne back to the top spot that he would not relinquish as he led wire-to-wire to take the win over Schuchart, Robinson, Carrick, and Sweet who rounded out the top five. James McFadden came home sixth with Kraig Kinser earning the seventh spot.

After feverishly working to get their Maxim Racing entry ready for the 40-lap NOS Energy Drink feature finale of the 67th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions, the JJR #41 was ready to compete when the air horn sounded. Carson climbed into his Fibreworks Composites seat and buckled his Crow Enterprizes safety belts. Car Chief, Clyde Knipp, pushed his onto the track with the four wheeler as they staged for the race. The track completed extensive work to the racing surface to ensure the talented field could put on a great show. Side-by-side the 24-car field came to the green flag with Kasey Kahne leading the way over Logan Schuchart. Carson Macedo was running in the seventh position after lap one in the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Engler Machine & Tool/Sam I Am #41. Donny Schatz was right on his rear nerf bar and took the higher numbered position from Macedo the next time around before the caution flag waved for Colby Copeland who came to a stop on the entry of turn one with brake issues. Kasey Kahne was leading Logan Schuchart, Ryan Robinson, Tanner Carrick, and Bead Sweet, with Carson running in the eighth position. On the restart, fourth starting Tanner Carrick got up on the wheel and drove into the runner-up position. He was not done as he was laser focused on the lead. On lap 9, he passed Kasey Kahne on the low side coming off turn two. Carrick was fast and in control. But as Silver Dollar always does the action for the lead was heating up for Carrick with Brad Sweet and Logan Schuchart in a 3-car battle for the lead. Carrick would hold them off as the lead exchanged a few times away from the finish line, but with 15 laps to go the yellow flag again was displayed for JJ Ringo who slowed to a stop in turn three. Tanner Carrick was leading Schuchart, Sweet, and Kahne with McFadden now rounding out the top five. Carson still owned the eighth position in the running order. Before the field went back to green. World of Outlaws officials summoned Carrick to stop on the track to inspect his car. The reason for that inspection was his tail tank had come loose and he had to surrender the lead and head to the work area. Heartbreaker for Carrick who was running a terrific race. Logan Schuchart was the recipient of good fortune as he inherited the lead with Brad Sweet right beside him at the start. When the field got back up to speed under green flag racing, Schuchart and Sweet would again exchange the lead with the Shark Racing #1s coming out on top. Meanwhile, Carson was battling Ryan Robinson for the sixth position. With 11 laps to go, Carson would get the spot but Robinson took it back the next circuit. Logan Schuchart ended his impressive evening by taking the win over James McFadden, who passed his teammate on the last lap in the last set of turns, with Brad Sweet rounding out the podium. Carson Macedo was able to recover from his accident in the dash to collect a seventh place finish. While certainly not the finish they were hoping for, the team’s perseverance and hard work paid off. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

A Seventh Place Run to Finish Off the 67th Annual Gold Cup at Silver Dollar Speedway! Photo Credit: Brian Walker

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.