A TOUGH NIGHT IN LAWRENCEBURG: A STRONG EFFORT TO START THE NIGHT IN THE MEMORIAL DAY SPECTACULAR GETS DEFLATED TWICE DURING THE FEATURE AS THE TEAM PERSEVERES TO COLLECT A TOP 15 FINISH

LAWRENCEBURG, INDIANA (May 30, 2022) – Following Saturday night’s 12th place finish at Atomic Raceway, the JJR team trucked westward Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) style in their Border International to Lawrenceburg Speedway on Monday for the annual Memorial Day Spectacular event. This beautiful facility located in the back portion of the fairgrounds houses a fast and racy 3/8-mile high banked clay oval that consistently gives the competitors an opportunity to showcase their talents. While the track promotors do not charge extra for the excitement, the fans are assured of seeing some great racing action every time they go to Lawrenceburg for a race. There were 43 sprint car teams situated through the outside pit area preparing for the show.    

The time trial lineup order for My Place Hotels Qualifying was posted after each team selected a numbered ball before the evening got started. The numbers were arranged from lowest to highest identifying that Carson was set to go out 16th for his two laps at speed. He waited for his turn against the clock patiently sitting just off turn four in the push off lane aboard the Liquid Trucking/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Motor State Distributing #41 Maxim. Carson flipped the shield down on his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet and was ready to race against the clock. His motor came to life and he got his chariot up to speed as he took the green. Carson made quick work around the oval the first time as the clock stopped at 12.247 seconds. He ran a very consistent lap the next time around as he timed in at 12.248 seconds. His first lap was third quick in Group A behind Spencer Bayston and Brock Zearfoss to set his heat race starting position. Giovanni Scelzi set quick time overall out of Group B at 12.083 seconds.

The lineups were posted and after some water and track preparation the cars rolled on the track for the first of four 8-lap heat races. In the first heat race, Carson would get started from the outside of the front row in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Larry Davis Farms #41 Maxim beside polesitter Spencer Bayston. He followed the arrow directing them to the battlefield as he entered the racing arena. The front two paced a formidable field of competitors with Cale Thomas, Brad Sweet, James McFadden, Lachlan McHugh, Kevin Thomas, Robbie Price, Carson Short, Nathan Skaggs, and Buddy Kofoid behind them. When the crossed the chalk stripe in turn four it was Macedo driving off turn four and into the lead. Bayston was racing hard and made an aggressive move entering hard into turn one as he slid up across the track. Both drivers bounced their way through turns 1 and 2 with the forty-one coming out in the top spot. He stayed hammer down with Bayston’s CJB #5 right on his bumper in the early going, but as the race unfolded the Lemoore, California driver cemented his position at the front as he raced to the win over Bayston, Sweet, Cale Thomas, and McFadden.

Earning a spot in the 6-lap DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson headed to the frontstretch to test his luck as drawing his starting position. He would be the first driver to select a number and it was the number one! Would luck be on his side on this night in southern Indiana? Time shall tell. Carson would start in the front row in his Tarlton and Son/Meyers Constructors/Fibreworks Composites #41 beside Brock Zearfoss with Logan Schuchart, Spencer Bayston, Giovanni Scelzi, Sheldon Haudenschild, David Gravel, and Parker Price-Miller filling in the remaining three rows of the starting lineup. The paced in their two-by-two starting order and when the green flag came out it was Zearfoss using the outside lane to drive the Moose’s LZ #3z to the lead over Macedo. Carson was quickly challenged for the runner-up position by the always hard-charging Spencer Bayston, but was able to hold him off to keep the position. Zearfoss ran away and took the dash victory over Macedo and Bayston with Schuchart, Haudenschild, Scelzi, Gravel and Price-Miller completing the finishing order.

The finishing order from the dash set the starting grid for the first four rows for the 30-lap NOS Energy Drink feature event. Philip Dietz, Clyde Knipp and Nate Repetz were busy preparing the Albaugh #41 entry for their driver when the 8-minute horn sounded summoning the teams to the track. It was time to go racing at Lawrenceburg Speedway where they have been Slingin’ Dirt since 1950. During that 72 year span there has been a lot of good racing at the track and tonight would be no exception. Carson peered through the shield of his Bell Helmet as he paced from the front row in the Boltz Family/C&R Racing/Engler Machine & Tool #41 Maxim. It was time to go racing! When the engines roared catapulting the competitors towards the green flag it was Zearfoss to the lead as he brought along the row two starters, Logan Schuchart and Spencer Bayston, with him. Macedo was relegated back to fourth by the time they got to turn one, but the talented driver diamond off the turn and drove the car down across the bottom of turn two on exit to take the show position. It was Zearfoss and Schuchart leading Macedo early. On lap 3, Brock Zearfoss got into the wall to bring out the first caution of the night. That would move Carson up to second for the restart, but he was in trouble too as the sir was leaking out of his right rear tire forcing him to surrender the spot and head to the work area. The JJR crew made the change as Carson rejoined the field at the back of the pack. When they got restarted it was Schuchart up front with Bayston and Sheldon Haudenschild in the mix. They got two laps in the books before a red flag stopped the action when tenth running Kraig Kinser got upside down in turn two. In two short laps Carson was able to move up and would restart from the 18th position. They went back to green where Schuchart would surrender the lead to Haudenschild as they put on an incredible show for the fans racing for the top spot. Carson meanwhile was hard at working making his way forward. His passed 12 cars and was looking for more but his luck ran out as this time his right rear tire shredded sending him back to the work area. The team put on another new right rear, a big thank you to Ray Brooks Racing #18 team that Carson’s brother Cole races for as they gave them a tire to bolt on. Carson rejoined the field again at the back of the pack and was hoping to make some more forward progress over the last 19 laps. He did just that as he started his march forward when they went back to racing. Haudenschild was still leading the field, but in the closing laps Kyle Larson made his presence known as he took over the runner-up position from Logan Schuchart. Carson was hard on the hammer as he moved into the top 15. With one lap to go, just as Larson slid Haudenschild for the lead entering turn one, the last caution of the night was thrown for Parker Price-Miller who rolled to a stop off turn two. Haudenschild would go on to take his second win of the Memorial Day Weekend over Larson, Schuchart, Gravel and Bayston. Carson and the JJR #41 team did not have much luck after the dash draw but made the best of adversity as they were scored with a 13th place finish in the Memorial Day Spectacular at Lawrenceburg Speedway. Certainly not the results the team was looking for after a strong start to the night, but they are resilient and will regroup and come back stronger as they head to North and South Dakota next weekend!  

A Challenging Night at the Memorial Day Spectacular Ends with a 13th Place Finish! Photo Credit: Trent Gower

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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.