PROSPECTING FOR GOLD: LOOKING FOR CONTINUED SUCCESS IN CALIFORNIA, MACEDO DRIVES THE FORTY-ONE TO ANOTHER WIN DURING HIS PRELIMINARY NIGHT AT THE 68TH ANNUAL GOLD CUP RACE OF CHAMPIONS
CHICO, CALIFORNIA (September 9, 2022) – After racing four races in five days in Washington, the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series competitors along with the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team followed Interstate 5 southbound through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest located between the Coast Ranges and Cascade Range of mountains on their 600+ mile route to Silver Dollar Speedway for the 68th running of the Gold Cup Race of Champions presented by Riebes NAPA Auto Parts. The scenery is beautiful along the way highlighted by Mount Shasta at 14,163 feet and Mount Eddy at 9,035 feet. Carson and the Albaugh #41 team were certainly looking to peak at the much anticipated 3-day event in The Golden State, which is circled on the competitor’s calendars. In an effort to bring the race back to its roots and former grandeur, the new promotion team at Silver Dollar – Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson and Colby Copeland – split the field for the preliminary nights on Thursday and Friday with the championship finale to be held on Saturday. Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team were scheduled to race on Friday night against a stout field of competition. On Thursday night, Kyle Larson topped the 30 car field to win the preliminary feature over Ryan Timms accumulating 394 points, but he will not compete the rest of the weekend due to his full-time NASCAR obligations. That put Brad Sweet at the top of the night one points with 386 points with Ryan Timms right behind with 385 points, which locked them both into Saturday night’s dash and $25,000-to-win Gold Cup championship feature. Now those 30 drivers and teams from Thursday night’s split field could sit back and watch the action unfold along with the fans on Friday night as the remaining 29 teams were set to compete.
Like some other high profile events, points are accumulated by the drivers every time they hit the racing track beginning with My Place Hotels Qualifying. With each race, the drivers have an opportunity to add to their cumulative point total in bigger chucks. So in addition to the wrenches, the calculators were back out to track the progress. In time trials, the fastest driver earns 100 points with a one point drop for each position behind on the speed charts. Carson Macedo would be the 27th speed chauffeur to take to the 1/4-mile, high-banked bullring in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Wilwood Disc Brakes/Motor State Distributing #41. He wasted no time getting his elbows up as he maneuvered his Maxim Racing machine to the waving green flag. The clock started as he raced around Silver Dollar chewing up real estate. He stopped the clock after his first lap in 12.435 seconds. He had a full head of steam built up that he carried into the first set of turn hoping to turn his Kistler Engines power into more time off the clock when he completed lap two. When his second lap time popped up on the clock it read 12.418 seconds. The better of Carson’s two timed laps ended up being 9th quick overall on the night earning him 92 points in time trials. Shane Golobic collected the 100 points for his qualifying effort of 12.170 seconds, which put him at the top of the speed charts.
The final results from time trails were used to set the heat race lineups for the four 10-lap qualifying races where only the top five finishers advance to the feature. Unlike the traditional World of Outlaws format though, there would be an inversion of the fastest six cars in each heat race, putting the fastest driver on the outside of row three. Once again those valuable points were on the line awarding the winner 100 points in each of the heat races with each position behind getting two less points than the driver in front of them in the finishing order. The points earned in heat race action would be added to each driver’s points they carried forward from time trials heading into the feature. Hang on to your hats . . . things were about to get interesting and exciting! Carson Macedo would get the Tarlton and Son/Meyers Constructors/Jansen Transportation #41 Maxim started from the outside of row two in the first and fastest heat race. He share the second row with Austin McCarl in the Country Builders #88. Shane Hopkins and Joel Myers Jr. sat on the front row with the quick tandem of Robbie Price and Shane Golobic in row three. Michael Ing and Nick Parker tagged the rear of the field in row four poised to get started. Before racing action started, Joel Myers Jr. experienced mechanical issues that shuffled the starting lineup moving McCarl to the outside of the front row and Carson lining the JJR #41 up in third for the start. The field was set as the yellow lights were turned off. When the front row starters crossed the chalk stripe in turn four they blasted towards the flagstand with Austin McCarl taking the lead as Carson got bottled up and slid back to fifth in the early going. Action came to an abrupt halt on lap three when Nick Parker flipped after hooking the cushion in turns three and four. It was McCarl leading Robbie Price, Shane Golobic, Shane Hopkins and Carson Macedo back to the green. Macedo quickly moved the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 into the fourth position and was looking for more. He was up on the wheel and by lap four moved into third ahead of Robbie Price as he turned his attention to chasing down McCarl and Golobic. Shane Golobic would drive into the lead with McCarl drifting back to second. Carson tracked down McCarl too with 2 laps to go but could not make the pass as the two drivers almost made contact. Carson was relentless and made a last lap, last corner pass for second to earn 98 more points, bringing his cumulative point total to 190 following time trials and heat race competition.
For the 30-lap preliminary Gold Cup Race of Champions feature, the top eight in points on the night up until this point would again be inverted putting the high point driver on the outside of row four and the eighth highest on the pole. For the feature, the winner of the race would not only get the winner’s portion of the purse, but also 200 points added to their point total with each driver behind them getting 3 less points based on their finishing position. Carson squeezed into the top eight holding down the last spot with Shane Golobic being the high point driver with a perfect 200 points. The field paced and reordered themselves into their starting positions after the four-wide salute to the fans presented by Whiskey Myers as fans were waving their balloons in the stands – a long-time Gold Cup tradition that had returned. Carson and Max Mittry in the #2XM would lead the field to the green flag with the forty-one in the top spot on lap one. The first of many cautions flew after the first lap was in the books for Jayce Steinberg who spun in turn four. Carson led the field back to the flagstand with Mittry, Spencer Bayston, Blake Carrick and Dominic Scelzi chasing. The yellow flag was back out for the second time on lap 6, this time for Jesse Schlotfeldt who had front end damage as he came to a stop in the infield on the backstretch. The track was already starting to change, but Carson and the field were prepared to adjust when they went back to green flag racing. Carson drove the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Tarlton and Son/Meyer Constructors #41 Maxim from the first position as Mittry stayed close with Spencer Bayston, Jacob Allen and Robbie Price battling in the top five. Mittry got up over the banking in turn two opening the door for Price around the bottom to drive into second from fifth in the running order. Carson was able to build some space between himself and the chasers, but that was eliminated when the third caution of the night was displayed for Shane Hopkins who had troubles in turn two. Carson would get them back up to speed as Jacob Allen was making his presence known around the bottom as he was now running in second ahead of Price, Bayston and Golobic. The action was again short-lived as the fourth caution flag of the night flow for Jake Morgan. Jacob Allen was fast around the bottom and Carson Macedo was working the middle and the top. When they went back to green, Carson kept trucking in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41, but Allen was right there. Just after the halfway point of the race, Allen drove underneath the JJR car driven by Macedo into the lead. A lap later the friendly caution flag flew yet again, this time for Michael Ing who lost power and Jake Morgan who also experienced mechanical issues. Jacob Allen led Macedo, Golobic, Bayston and Carrick back to the green. Carson went right to work to try to earn back the top spot. It took him until lap 19 to accomplish the feat, but he did and then moved lanes as he started working the bottom too. As the leaders approached lap traffic their lines and strategies would have to be executed to perfection. Carson did just that and put some distance between himself and Allen over the last third of the race. Not a lot, but enough to allow him some space to work at speed as he raced by the red and white candy cane striped walls surrounding Silver Dollar Speedway. When the checkered flag flew over Carson, he was the first driver to cross the finish line ahead of Jacob Allen, Spencer Bayston, Shane Golobic, and Ryan Bernal to round out the top five. With the victory, Carson earned another 200 points to bring his final preliminary night point total to 390, which was third overall for the night behind Jacob Allen’s 393 points and Shane Golobic’s 391 points. Those two drivers locked into the dash on Saturday night along with Brad Sweet (386 points) and Ryan Timms (385 points) from Thursday night’s preliminary feature. Carson will start from the pole position in the first heat race with the winners advancing of each heat joining the four locked in drivers in the dash.
After celebrating his 13th win of the season with his JJR teammates and family, the smiling driver from Lemoore, California climbed atop his Vortex Racing Products wing to celebrate in the confetti . . . but, the confetti gun failed so he raised his hand to display the number one signal as he waved the checkered flag. During his interview with Chase Raudman, Carson explained, “This place is special to me and always will be. I got my first World of Outlaws win here and now I gave Jason Johnson Racing their first win here. I know how much Philip (Dietz) has wanted to win here, so I’m excited I can finally give them that. Hopefully we can be up here when it counts tomorrow.” The win was his third World of Outlaws win at Silver Dollar Speedway and in Gold Cup competition as he won his first career WoO race here during Gold Cup preliminary action in the Tarlton and Son #21 back in 2014 and then repeated that in 2019 when racing for Kyle Larson Racing (KLR) #2. He was back in victory lane again in 2022 – Another great run for Macedo and the JJR #41!
Saturday night is championship night at the 68th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. Since you may not be able to attend in-person, fill your cup up with your favorite beverage and pull up your seat to watch on DIRTVision to see who will be crowned the champion at the end of the night on Saturday! You won’t want to miss the action!
Carson Macedo Finds Gold During Preliminary Action at the Gold Cup Race of Champions! 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.