QUICK IN KANSAS: CARSON MACEDO SETS ANOTHER NEW TRACK RECORD IN THE ALBAUGH – YOUR ALTERNATIVE #41 BEFORE A RUN NEAR THE FRONT OF THE PACK IS DISRUPTED IN THE SUNFLOWER STATE RESULTING IN A TOP TEN

PARK CITY, KANSAS (March 30, 2024) – After hazardous winds blew away action canceling the World of Outlaws debut at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Oklahoma on Friday night, the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team loaded up and navigated the 235 miles to the next event on Saturday at 81 Speedway (@81_Speedway on X Platform). The track is located just north of Wichita, Kansas and was ready to host the speed stars for the Wichita Sprint Car Showdown. This 3/8-mile oval has produced some incredibly exciting racing in the past when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series has visited, so everyone was excited to get rolling with the schedule of events. There were 41 teams lined up throughout the pit area looking forward to putting on a great show for the fans in the stands and those tuned in on DIRTVision. And there were a lot of fans as it was announced it was the biggest crowd in 81 Speedway’s history!

Carson hopped into the cockpit of the Scott Boyd Family/Xtreme Body Shop/Team Jack Foundation #41 Maxim to buckle in for his two laps in Sea Foam Qualifying. There would be two separate groups for qualifying – Flight A and Flight B. The driver from the Central Valley area of California was ready to race against the second hand of the clock in the first flight. He would be the 16th driver out on the track. When Ayrton Gennetten was done with his attempts, Carson was given the go ahead by the race officials to get started. He flipped the shield down on his Bell Helmet and grasped the steering wheel with his K1 Race Gear gloves. When he raced by the flagstand the second hand on the clock started moving. The track was fast and the numbers on the clock were trying to keep up with the speedster. The clock reported back a time of 13.192 seconds when Carson finished lap one, which positioned him second behind David Gravel. Carson was still on the clock though as he worked his way through the first set of turns again searching for just a little more speed. When he came out of turn four he drifted to the outside and saw the checkered flag waving to complete his session with a slightly faster lap than his first one at an impressive 13.023 seconds. That set a New Track Record (NTR) and pushed him to the top of the speed charts. His best time broke the 20 year old track record set by Travis Whitney back on August 20, 2004 at 13.207 seconds. Carson would wait out the remainder of the drivers in Flight A and the whole group in Flight B where Giovani Scelzi had the quickest lap at 13.167 seconds, before earning his second Simpson Quick Time Award in as many races by establishing the quickest lap of the night, and in the track’s history, at 13.023 seconds.

Using each driver’s best lap result in time trials, the World of Outlaws timing and scoring officials quickly consolidated the starting lineups for the four 8-lap heat races. That meant Carson Macedo would get the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/High Performance Lubricants/FK Rod Ends #41 Maxim started from the pole position in the first heat race. He would start alongside Penngrove, California’s Buddy Kofoid on the front row. Aaron Reutzel and Ayrton Gennetten were beside each other in row two followed by Sheldon Haudenschild and Jace Park in row three, Carson McCarl and John Carney II in row four, Wayne Johnson and Scotty Thiel in row five, with Baron Silva pacing alone in row six.

The field was side-by-side anxiously waiting to get to turn four to go hammer down. When they arrived Carson drove the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 into the top spot with Buddy Kofoid right there within striking distance entering turn one. The initial racing action was halted quickly when Baron Silva flipped after getting up over the cushion in turn one. He was ok as the remaining drivers sat quietly in their cars.

When the track was cleared the engines re-fired as the field of cars realigned behind the Toyota pace truck. The green lights came back on and it quickly became an all-out battle for the lead between the two California drivers – Macedo and Kofoid with Aaron Reutzel sitting in third watching it unfold. Carson entered turn one low with Kofoid carrying speed on the high side. Macedo slid up across the track as Kofoid scrubbed off some speed as the forty-one exited turn two with the lead ahead of the eighty-three. They would dice it our through the last set of turns with Carson Macedo leading the first circuit.

All eyes were on the leaders as the show was just beginning. The next time around Buddy Kofoid piloted the Roth Motorsports #83 by the JJR #41 as he led lap two and quickly started to put some racetrack between himself and Macedo. He would not look back and raced to the win in the opening heat race by 1.416 seconds with Carson Macedo coming home second to lock himself into the Toyota Dash along with the winner. Clute, Texas’ Aaron Reutzel raced home third with Sheldon Haudenschild and Ayrton Gennetten securing the final two transfer positions.

Carson would head to Victory Lane on the frontstretch to test his luck as he drew for his starting position for the 6-lap Toyota Dash. I guess all of the rabbits were busy due to the Easter holiday because he sure didn’t have a lucky rabbit’s foot with him as there were eight pills to draw and he drew the eight. Rico Abreu did have some good fortune on his side though as he would start on the pole for the dash beside Logan Schuchart. Buddy Kofoid and David Gravel would make up row two with Giovanni Scelzi and Garet Williamson in row three. Landon Crawley pulled to the inside of Carson Macedo in row four as they awaited the green flag. When the yellow lights went off and the green flag came out, Rico Abreu darted into the lead ahead of Schuchart and Kofoid. Abreu would be in command, but over the next few laps Schuchart and Kofoid were putting on a high speed show for second. Carson was running in the eighth position through the early and middle laps of the dash before overtaking Williamson for the seventh position.

Up to this point the racing at 81 Speedway was absolutely incredible treating the fans in the stands to a show World of Outlaws style. Even though the evening of action was filled with excitement and seemed to fly by, it was now time for the speed pilots to put on the finale in 30-lap NOS Energy Drink Wichita Sprint Car Showdown feature. The teams rolled their cars and drivers onto the track to wait to be pushed off. Carson Macedo would get the Albaugh – Your Alternative/KSE Racing Products/Jansen Transportation #41 situated in his seventh place starting spot with Garet Williamson pacing to his outside aboard the Fischer Motorsports #23. Rico Abreu and Logan Schuchart earned the right to lead the highly talented field to the green flag with Buddy Kofoid and David Gravel right behind.

After the four-wide salute to show their appreciation to the fans in the stands, these high speed athletes were focused and ready to roll. When they front row starters hit the chalk stripe in turn four there was no hesitation slamming the gas pedal with Rico Abreu leading lap one ahead of Buddy Kofoid, David Gravel, Logan Schuchart and Giovanni Scelzi. Carson quickly gained and spot and was scored in sixth place after lap one in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41.

On lap three, the first caution flag of the night flew for Landon Crawley who slowed in the Sides Motorsports #7s. He made a quick stop in the work area before rejoining the field.

It would be a double file restart with 27 laps to go as Rico Abreu reclaimed the lead at the drop of the green flag before another caution flew, this time for Matt Covington who got hard into the wall on the back straightaway.

They would try to get back up to speed again as Rico Abreu raced back to the front of the pack with everyone else chasing him. They were able to get a few laps in before the third caution flag of the night was displayed for Dominic Scelzi who spun out and was sitting in the wrong direction in turn four.

Carson Macedo would restart the race from his sixth running spot as Rico Abreu led Kofoid, Gravel, Schuchart and Giovanni Scelzi back up to speed. It was high speed chaos back in the dirty air as Carson relinquished his spot in the running order and was now running seventh. On lap nine he got shuffled back to ninth, but gained one lost position back by the completion of lap ten.

The fourth caution of the night came out for Brock Zearfoss who was sitting sideways up in turns one and two. The field would regroup before coming back to the green flag.

Rico Abreu and Logan Schuchart were ripping as they came back up to speed. Carson restarted from the eighth position and was using the outside line to gain speed coming off turn four as he headed down the front straightaway in his line. Donny Schatz was on the far inside underneath Giovanni Scelzi racing hard to maintain his position. Giovanni Scelzi drifted up across the track banging wheels with Macedo as the two made contact. Giovanni Scelzi flipped wildly into turn one ending his night and sending Macedo to the work area. Scelzi was ok, but his night of competition was over as his car suffered quite a bit of damage.

Philip, Robbie, and Adam quickly went to work to make repairs on the left rear area of the Albaugh #41 car. With the amount of race stoppages, WoO officials advantageously used this break in action as an ‘Open Red’ for all of the teams. The JJR #41 team were all hard at work replacing the bird cage and other parts in the left rear end area of the car to get their driver back out. When the final air horn sounded, Carson would rejoin the field at the rear of the field.

Disappointed for sure but still focused and determined as ever, Carson was ready to get back to work. Californian Rico Abreu and Pennsylvanian Logan Schuchart would again step on the gas first as they went back to racing. Abreu was leading as Carson moved the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41 into the top 15. David Gravel was making some noise at the front of the pack as he moved into second ahead of Schuchart. Macedo was up on the wheel and continued to work relentlessly. When the fifth caution of the night came out for Aaron Reutzel who had problems Carson was running in the 14th position.

With 14 laps remaining, Rico Abreu was enjoying the clean air as he powered the Rothwell Hyde Napa Valley Vineyard #24 back up to speed. While competitively racing with David Gravel trying to regain the runner-up spot, Logan Schuchart pounded the outside wall in turn two forcing him to slow down the backstretch to bring out another caution flag, the sixth for the night. He was able to rejoin the field.

 They would restart again with Carson Macedo getting the forty-one headed in the right direction from the twelfth starting position. Under green flag conditions he moved one spot out of the top ten and on lap 19 moved the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 into the tenth spot. He continued his march forward and was up to the eighth spot with less than five laps to go. Rico Abreu was leading Donny Schatz and David Gravel looking to repeat at 81 Speedway as he won the Jason Johnson Classic here last year.

Rico Abreu would not be denied as he took the win to become the ninth different winner in nine WoO races to start the season. That has never happened in the history of the Outlaws. David Gravel wrestled the runner-up spot away from Donny Schatz who came home third with Sheldon Haudenschild and Buddy Kofoid rounding out the top five. Brock Zearfoss charged back from his time in the work area to make a last lap pass on Carson Macedo relegating the latter driver to a ninth place finish. Despite the challenges the JJR driver and team encountered during the feature they recovered to collect a top ten finish after setting a new track record in time trials.

Carson and the JJR #41 team will be back in action in the Wildcat Showdown next Friday in Osborn, Missouri at US 36 Raceway before heading back to Oklahoma for the 6th Annual Jason Johnson Classic at Arrowhead Speedway in Colcord, Oklahoma on Saturday night. If you cannot be in the area to come out to watch all of the talented stars of the sport World of Outlaws, be sure to tune in via DIRTVision to catch all of the action!

Carson Macedo Recovers to a Top Ten Finish in the Wichita Sprint Car Showdown at 81 Speedway! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners: Albaugh, LLC; Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Border International; Scott Boyd Family; Saich Family; Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Durst Inc.; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Kistler Racing Engines; Maxim Racing; Sander Engineering; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Boltz Family; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); RaceDiecast.com; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Xtreme Body and Paint; All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads; AutoMeter; Bell Helmets; Ben Cook Race Car Products; BlackBeard LTD; BMRS (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions); BR Motorsports; Buckwalter Trucking; CASM Safety Products; C&R Racing; ChalkStix; Crow Enterprizes; CS Productions; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; Indy Performance Composites (IPC); ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Premium Coach Group; Saldana Racing Products; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; Smith TI; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.

To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) and Carson Macedo go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.

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