NO SHARING AT SHARON: THE CALIFORNIAN DRIVES THE FORTY-ONE TO A FOURTH PLACE FINISH IN OHIO AT SHARON SPEEDWAY WITH A STRONG NIGHT OF COMPETITION IN THE GREBER RACING COMPONENTS (GRC) #41

HARTFORD, OHIO (May 20, 2023) – After finishing on the podium at Attica Raceway Park on Friday night, Philip Dietz guided the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team over to Dave Blaney’s 3/8-mile oval located in Hartford, Ohio. Sharon Speedway is one of the oldest, continuously running weekly racetracks in the United States. They are celebrating their 94th anniversary season of racing action at the speed plant this year. There have been a lot of stars from Rusty Wallace and Dave Blaney himself to Tony Stewart, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell that have showcased their talents here over the years. On this night, Carson Macedo was one of 36 talented drivers registered to race for the $10,000 winner’s check at Sharon Speedway in the first of two appearances the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series would make at the track this season. Rain had moved through the area, but the sun was shining and the drivers were eager to get their elbows up. It was race day at Sharon Speedway on the eastern side of the Buckeye State!

In the solo portion of the show where each driver gets two laps to show off their speed in Low-E Insulation Qualifying, fear is thrown out and replaced by pure courage. These 1,425 pound beasts with 900 horsepower under the hood like to go fast – really fast. They don’t care who is timing them, they just like to create power and speed. The drivers don’t seem to mind either. In fact, that is what makes them such incredible athletes because it blends and showcases the mental and physical part of being the best. Carson Macedo, the driver of the Greber Racing Components (GRC)/Kistler Racing Engines/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads #41 Maxim, would be the 28th driver out for his graded speed test. When he entered the track off turn two he quickly pressed on the gas pedal to get his car up to speed as he headed to take the green flag. The clock was started and he was hustling as he turned his first lap in 13.370 seconds. Never one to waver, he stayed on the accelerator the next time around Sharon Speedway looking to find anything he may have left out there during his first circuit. When he saw the checkered flag waving he stayed in the throttle crossing the finish line on lap two in 13.235 seconds. The better of his two circuits positioned him fourth quick overall. David Gravel turned the quickest lap of the night at 13.112 seconds.

Using each driver’s best time trial lap to compile the starting lineups for the four 8-lap heat races found the Tarlton and Son/High Performance Lubricants/Smith Titanium #41 of Carson Macedo on the inside of the front row in the pole positon flanked by 4-time WoO Champion and the current point leader Brad Sweet in the fourth and final heat race of the night. The formidable front row starters were followed by Henry Malcuit and Cale Thomas in row two, Spencer Bayston and Jacob Allen in row three, Jacob Dykstra and Bob Felmlee in row four, with Michael Bauer from Eighty Four, Pennsylvania in row five. Carson pulled the black with green and silver stripes Albaugh #41 up beside Brad Sweet’s blue NAPA Auto Parts #49 as they prepared to battle. When the green flag waved, the Kistler Engines power under the hood of the forty-one propelled Carson into the lead ahead of Sweet, but “The Big Cat” fought back as he pulled even with Macedo down the backstretch and into turn three. Carson held the lead on the exit of four but it was just the beginning of a race long battle with the champion. The racing action was just as exciting behind them with Spencer Bayston, in the TrueTimber #5, sliding the #49X of Cale Thomas to move into the show position. While Macedo and Sweet continued to battle, these two exceptional racers were waging war against each other for the higher spot on the scoreboard. Just after the halfway point of the race, Carson began to put some distance between himself and Sweet who continued to prowl. Carson drove to his 12 heat race victory over Sweet with Bayston coming home third ahead of the last two transfer spots occupied by Cale Thomas and Jacob Allen. Those five drivers would lock themselves into the feature with Macedo and Sweet heading to the dash.

For the eight drivers who earned a shot to race for their feature starting position in the 8-lap Toyota Dash, they headed to the front straightaway to test their luck with the pill draw. The gamble for every driver is exactly the same in the pill draw. The worse you can do is an eight, not a higher number including something like a twenty-four pill, so just getting an opportunity to start in one of the top eight spots in the feature is something to be grateful for versus complaining. When all the numbers were pulled, the last driver to pull was Brad Sweet who had good news waiting for him as the ‘1’ pill was the only number left putting him on the pole for the dash. Friday night’s winner at Attica, Donny Schatz, would start second with Brock Zearfoss and Carson Macedo making up row two. It was a coast-to-coast row three with Pennsylvania native Danny Dietrich in fifth and California native Rico Abreu in sixth. The final row was filled by Logan Schuchart and David Gravel. The track still had some moisture in it, which is atypical, but was consistent and well-prepared. The competitors rolled around in their starting positions with Donny Schatz jumping into the lead when the green flag waved over Brad Sweet and Carson Macedo. David Gravel had a terrific start using the outside lane to drive into the fourth position by the flagstand on the opening lap. He was pushing Macedo for third, but the Lemoore, California driver held his own aboard the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Team Jack Foundation/Engler Machine & Tool #41 Maxim in the early going. In fact he was closing in on runner-up Brad Sweet to compete for the spot. Sweet was in the middle as Macedo worked the top. Carson would catch Brad and make the pass for position in turn one. He was now running in second with Donny Schatz out front in the CARQUEST/Ford Performance #15. Schatz would take the dash win over Macedo with Sweet crossing the finish line third followed by Gravel, Abreu, Schuchart, Zearfoss and Dietrich.

With the qualifying now all completed, the 24 car field was set for the 30-lap NOS Energy Drink feature at Sharon Speedway! The surface was very different than in previous visits, but it still was technical which would challenge both the teams and the drivers if they wanted to be successful on this night in Eastern Ohio. The track crew did a really nice job giving the drivers a bottom, middle and top lane to run and create action.

Carson climbed into the Durst Inc./Larry Davis Farms/C&R Racing #41 Maxim ready to give it his best effort getting started from the second position beside pole sitter and red hot Donny Schatz. Brad Sweet and David Gravel shared row two with Rico Abreu and Logan Schuchart in row three. After the Whiskey Myers four-wide salute to the fans the drivers were pacing side-by-side as the caution lights went out.

When the front row starters exited turn four the green flag was waving with Donny Schatz racing to the lead over Macedo, Sweet and Gravel. Carson slid Schatz to get by momentarily for the lead through turns one and two before the ten-time WoO champion turned back under the driver of the Albaugh #41 to regain the position. Brad Sweet was working hard to fend off David Gravel as the two racers were also putting on a show. On lap 4, Gravel got by Sweet and was now running in third.

There was action throughout the field and on lap 10 Carson Macedo was back at it taking the lead again from Schatz, David Gravel was right there and before you knew it there was a three car battle for the lead between these racers. Two laps later it was Schatz back by Macedo for the lead as Gravel followed right behind to take the second position. Macedo would stay close to stay in the fight as the top three were all nose-to-tail at speed. Brad Sweet wasn’t going away either as he moved past Macedo for third on lap 15. What a race.

Donny Schatz stepped out as he began to build a big lead through lap traffic. He had a 2.2 second lead over second running Gravel with 20 laps recorded. Carson was up on the wheel battling with Sweet and on lap 23 he raced by the forty-nine to regain the show position. Just a half of a lap later the yellow was thrown for Cale Thomas who caught one of the inside tires in turn four and spun up across the track into the outside wall right in front of Macedo and Sweet’s battle for position with Carson narrowly missing the stalled car on exit.

Donny Schatz would bring Gravel, Macedo, Sweet, Abreu and Sheldon Haudenschild back to the green flag as he maintained the top spot. Sheldon was on the move as he passed both Abreu and Sweet and was now running in the fourth position from his eleventh starting spot with 5 laps to go.

On lap 27, the action would be slowed again under yellow flag conditions when 13th running Dylan Cisney spun in turn one after hitting the infield tire collecting Nate Dussel. With 3 laps to go it would be Schatz, Gravel, Macedo, Haudenschild and Abreu brining the field back up to speed in a race to the checkered flag.

The flagman showed the field the white flag indicated one lap to go before they got back up to speed. Leader Donny Schatz stomped on the power pedal to lead Gravel and the field back up to speed. Sheldon Haudenschild made a bold move from his fourth starting position and passed both third running Macedo and second running Gravel gaining two spots. The three talented racers would showcase a three car battle for position in some edge of your seat type of racing that was all behind race leader Schatz.

Donny Schatz would be the first driver to roll under the checkered flag, his first career win at the storied track, as David Gravel muscled his way home second followed by Sheldon Haudenschild who rounded out the podium positions. Carson Macedo brought the Albaugh #41 home with a respectable fourth place finish with Rico Abreu rounding out the top five at Sharon Speedway. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

A Competitive Night of Racing at Sharon Speedway Ends with a Fourth Place Finish! Photo Credit: CS Productions – Cameron Saich

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; 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.