HONORING ROBERT SUTTON: AN IMPRESSIVE NIGHT AT DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY’S HALF-MILE POSITIONS CARSON MACEDO SECOND ON THE SCOREBOARD WHEN THE CHECKERED FLAG FLEW IN THE LONE STAR STATE

MESQUITE, TEXAS (October 30, 2021) – When the dust settled after Friday night’s win at Lawton Speedway in Oklahoma, Carson and the JJR #41 team loaded up their equipment and started their four hour trek south to the historic Devil’s Bowl Speedway located in Mesquite, Texas. The famous half-mile oval is steeped in history as it was the inaugural site for the first ever World of Outlaws race. Ted Johnson brought his dream and a collection of speedsters like Steve Kinser, Doug Wolfgang, Bobby Allen, Sammy Swindell, Rick Ferkel, Danny Smith, Lee Osborne, and Jack Hewitt to the track to race back on March 18, 1978. That inaugural race was won by Jimmy Boyd and since then a series of National Sprint Car Hall of Famers and drivers have added their names to the prestigious winner’s list. On Saturday night there were 26 teams lining the pit area located just off the back straightaway with the airport sitting in the background across the field where the teams were parked. Carson and the JJR #41 team were one of those teams as they were honoring Robert Sutton from Waco Metal, a long-time supporter who we lost too soon.

Following the completion of hot laps for each group of cars, it was time for Slick Woody’s Qualifying at Devil’s Bowl. The track record is still held by the late Jason Johnson with an impressive mark of 13.306 seconds set back on April 27, 2018. Jason, Philip, and the JJR team have always considered Devil’s Bowl a “home track” as they spent so much time competing here early in their careers when they were racing the late Lanny Row’s The Shop Motorsports #41 that was based just up the road in Greenville, Texas, a short drive from the track. On this night, Carson would climb into the cockpit of his Maxim Racing hotrod and buckle in for his two laps against the clock in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Waco Metal/FK Rod Ends #41. He was the fourteenth care that rolled onto the track off turn three and pedaled down to get his Kistler Engines power up to speed. He took the green and was all business during his first lap with a recorded time of 13.780 seconds. He stayed on the loud pedal the next time around looking to maximize his speed and precision. The second lap came in slightly slower as he tried a new line at 13.880 seconds. The faster of his two laps was third quick overall in time trials. Brad Sweet, in the NAPA Auto Parts #49, was the fastest racer of the night with a timed lap in at 13.682 seconds.

With time trials wrapped up, the next order of business on the racing agenda were the three 8-lap Drydene Heat Races. The drivers and teams put their race packages in for the night to prepare for their qualifying races. Carson would get the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Smith Titanium #41 Maxim started from the pole position in the front row with Sheldon Haudenschild’s NOS Energy Drink #17 to his outside. David Gravel and Jason Sides lined up in row two with Jacob Allen, Kasey Kahne, Roger Crockett, and Austin Mundle positioning themselves behind in their starting positions. The starts are so important in these high speed races, so the Californian flipped down the shield on his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet to prepare to take off at the chalk stripe. The green flag waved as Macedo rocketed into the lead diving in low and drifting up to the cushion in front of Haudenschild. The talented Californian stayed on the hammer and was having a blast driving the Philip Dietz prepared JJR #41. He would not be contested throughout the duration of the feature and took the win by 1.999 seconds over Haudenschild, with Gravel coming home third, Sides fourth, Kahne fifth, and Allen securing the final transfer position.

Earning another opportunity in the 6-lap DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson had the head over to the front straightaway where he selected the ‘3’ pill to position him on the inside of row two beside James McFadden for the start of the race where the finish establishes the starting order for the first three rows of the feature. Ayrton Gennetten and Sheldon Haudenschild made up row one with Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz in row three. When the flagman unfurled the green flag, it was Gennetten out front over Haudenschild and McFadden who used the outside lane to take the third spot from Macedo. Carson was running in the fourth spot with Sweet and Schatz. Gennetten would not be denied as he took the victory to earn the pole position of the feature by 1.394 seconds over Haudenschild. James McFadden raced home third with Carson Macedo, Brad Sweet, and Donny Schatz rounding out the running order at the finish.

When the checkered flag flew over the modified feature, the horns sounded summoning the sprint car teams to the track for the NOS Energy Drink Texas Outlaw Nationals Ted Johnson Memorial feature at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Carson climbed aboard The Boyd Family/Meyers Constructors/Durst Inc. #41 Maxim with his sights set on the prize of the night. The grandstands were packed from the fourth turn down the front stretch to the first turn with fans ready to watch the drivers with The Greatest Show on Dirt entertain them for 30 laps. Polesitter Ayrton Gennetten brought the field to the green flag and led the opening circuit and was enjoying his time the front of the pack. Carson wasted little time as he drove from his fourth starting position into the show position as immediately started to chase Sheldon Haudenschild for the second position. He stalked him throughout the first five laps of the race and got a good run off turn four to take advantage of the opening on the bottom entering turn one to take over second.  Meanwhile, Gennetten was doing a terrific job at the front as his speed carried him forward as he caught the rear of the field. He was masterfully navigating slower traffic, but Carson Macedo was closing the gap. He was right there when the first yellow came out to slow and regroup the field. Macedo would restart on the outside of Gennetten as they came back to the green flag, but Gennetten used his speed to drive the Fischer Body Shop #3 back into the top spot with Macedo right behind. Carson would stay with him and use the lap traffic to his advantage to narrow the gap over the first 22 laps, but every attempt was thwarted by the young speedster. Meanwhile, eighth starting Logan Schuchart who won the last two Texas Outlaw Nationals was closing in and with 8 laps to go worked his way by Macedo for second and the next lap drove by Gennetten for the lead. Carson had speed and used it to also make his way by Gennetten to regain the runner-up position now behind Schuchart. Logan would not look back and went on to collected his third consecutive Texas Outlaw Nationals win this time by 0.884 seconds over Carson Macedo with Sheldon Haudenschild coming home third as he kept the pressure on Macedo in the race for second until the very end. Another great run for the forty-one! Mr. Sutton would approve!

Another Podium Run for the Forty-One at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in the Texas Outlaw Nationals! Photo Credit: Trent Gower

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.