CURTAIN CLOSER AT I-80: ON A BRISK EVENING IN NEBRASKA, CARSON MACEDO DRIVES THE LIQUID TRUCKING #41 MAXIM TO A PODIUM FINISH IN THE LAST RACE ON I-80 SPEEDWAY’S LIGHTNING FAST HALF-MILE OVAL

GREENWOOD, NEBRASKA (October 14, 2022) – The World of Outlaws were back in the Midwest at I-80 Speedway in Nebraska on Friday night for the final race at the track. It would be the 34th time the traveling tour of stars have raced around this half-mile oval . . . and unfortunately the last time. The Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team has had some success here through the years when they were running on the ASCS National Tour and they were hoping to continue their forward momentum on this night as the last chapter of the track’s history was being wrote. They were one of 39 teams that registered in and were unloading in the pit area to prepare to do battle on the wide and fast racing surface here at I-80 Speedway.

With enough cars to split into two separate groups for My Place Hotels Qualifying, Carson would be slated to be the tenth driver out in Group B aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Pro Powder Coating/Jansen Transportation #41 Maxim. During qualifying there would be two cars out on the track at the same time to race against the clock. Carson buckled into his Crow Enterprizes safety belts and patiently peered through the shield of his Bell Racing helmet as he waited his turn on the track. When it was his turn his Kistler Engines power came alive as he got up to speed to take the green. He would share the track with Alan Gilbertson as the two drivers tripped the timing stripe to start the clock. Carson was using his horsepower to carry him around the cushion. When he stopped the clock after his first lap he jumped up to third on the speed charts with a lap of 13.786 second. He kept the hammer down and was making quick work again on lap two. This time when he exited turn four he saw the checkered flag waving and the clock read 13.725 seconds. His second lap was slightly quicker and when all was said and done in time trials positioned him as the third quickest driver in Group B. David Gravel set the overall quick time out of Group B with a lap of 13.674 seconds.

The lineups for the four 8-lap heat races were posted based on the driver’s best time in their qualifying group. That placed Carson Macedo on the front row of the third heat race with David Gravel pacing from the pole position. Brock Zearfoss and Garet Williamson paced behind in row two with Riley Goodno, Justin Henderson, Tyler Drueke, Tim Estenson, Bill Rose and Terry McCarl falling in behind into their starting spots. When the green flag waved it was David Gravel continuing his strong night driving into the lead with Carson right behind in the Liquid Trucking/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/FK Shocks #41. David Gravel was moving in the Big Game Motorsports #2 and Carson was doing his best to stay in chase mode. Gravel would not be denied as he raced to a dominant win by 2.525 second over Macedo who came home in the runner-up spot with Brock Zearfoss, Garet Williamson, and Riley Goodno locking down the final three transfer positions out of the third heat race.

With the top two finishers in each of the heat races advancing into the 6-lap DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson had the opportunity to draw a pill out of the oversized NOS Energy Drink can to determine his starting position in the dash. When he went to speak with Hannah Rickards he pulled the ‘4’ pill to position himself on the outside of two to for the start of the dash. Giovanni Scelzi and David Gravel would get started from row one with Spencer Bayston sharing row two with Carson. Brad Sweet and Brian Brown lined up in row three with Ian Madsen and James McFadden side-by-side in row four. When they came off turn four it was Giovanni Scelzi darting into the lead over Gravel and Macedo who was using the top side to make his way forward in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/WELD Racing/Winters Performance Products #41 Maxim. Scelzi was a rocket up front and led wire-to-wire to take the win by 2.398 seconds over Gravel with Macedo coming home third. Spencer Bayston raced across the finish line in fourth with Brian Brown, Brad Sweet, James McFadden and Ian Madsen rounding out the finishing order.

The air horn sounded in the pit area as the teams finished up their work and rolled their drivers towards I-80 Speedway for the last time ever to race in the 30-lap feature finale. Giovanni Scelzi earned the pole position with David Gravel to his outside on the front row. Carson Macedo would get the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Durst Inc./Bandy & Associates #41 going from the inside of row two beside Spencer Bayston. After the four-wide salute in front of the packed house, the field was set to go. The green flag waved and Gravel drove into the lead with Scelzi and Macedo dicing for the runner-up position. They made racing contact on the exit of turn two with Macedo’s right rear tire getting into Scelzi’s left front tire. Scelzi slowed with a flat left front and headed to the work are to have it replaced. He rejoined the field. That moved Gravel to the pole with the Albaugh #41 to his outside. When they went back to green flag racing it was again David Gravel to the front with Carson Macedo and Brad Sweet in pursuit. With four laps in the books a yellow flag slowed the action when Carson McCarl rolled to stop at the end of the front straightaway and headed to the work area. When racing resumed it was Gravel again to the front with Macedo and Sweet trying to keep pace with the fast #2 car. These athletes were amazing as they were maneuvering the lightning quick surface at I-80 Speedway. On lap 7, the red flag came out for Spencer Bayston who got up over the cushion and flipped through turns 3 and 4. He was ok and under the red flag the officials went to an “open red” for the crews to add fuel and make minor adjustments as these beasts were eating in this cool air and high speeds. David Gravel brought the field back up to speed with Macedo staying close on this restart in the first few laps. Both of these talented drivers had good cars that were making speed, but David Gravel was on point all night. Meanwhile, Carson had his hands full with the hard-charging Sheldon Haudenschild who was now running in third from his ninth starting position. Sheldon was working the high side. He then looked underneath and found a window to make the pass exiting turn and drove under Macedo for the runner-up spot with a few laps left in the race. David Gravel took the win, his seventh of the season, over Sheldon Haudenschild and Carson Macedo with James McFadden and Brad Sweet rounding out the top five.

A Third Place Finish in Nebraska Closes the Books on Racing at I-80 Speedway! Photo Credit: APEX Media

Albaugh, LLC; Border International; Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Saich Family; Tarlton and Son Inc.; Boltz Family; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Durst Inc.; Liquid Trucking; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution; Jansen Transportation; Larry Davis Farms; Meyers Constructors Inc.; Mr. Jim’s Racing; RaceDiecast.com; Sam I Am; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Tiger Towing; All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads; AutoMeter; Bell Helmets; BMRS (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions); BR Motorsports; C&R Racing; Crow Enterprizes; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Greber Racing Components; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Hoosier Racing Tire; Indy Performance Composites (IPC); ISC Racers Tape; K1 Race Gear; Kistler Racing Engines; KSE Racing Products; Maxim Racing; Motor State Distributing; Premium Coach Group; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Saldana Racing Products; Schoenfeld Headers; Smith Titanium; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Weld Racing; Wilwood Racing; Winters Performance Products; and Xtreme Body and Paint.

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.