WORKING A DOUBLE: CARSON CHARGES FORWARD IN THE MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION (MVT) #41 AS HE MAKES HIS WAY THROUGH THE FEATURE FIELD TO SECURE A SEVENTH PLACE RUN IN THE DOUBLE DOWN DUELS

ROSSBURG, OHIO (July 17, 2024) – While gravity helped settle the remaining dust lingering over Attica Raceway Park following the Brad Doty Classic on Tuesday, Philip Dietz and the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 team loaded up after their fourth place finish and headed southwest to one of the true gems in sprint car racing – Eldora Speedway. This famous half-mile oval owned by Tony Stewart is located just outside Rossburg, Ohio in New Weston. It is surrounded by cornfields, but shines through as people make the pilgrimage there to see some of the best racing this country has to offer. While driving to the track during the big event weekends you might mistakenly think you drove to an RV show as there are campers parked everywhere throughout the fields surrounding the facility, along with tents for those in attendance not lacking any courage. The fans were streaming into the venue for the inaugural debut of the Double Down Duels presented by the Kubota High Limit Racing Series. All of the drivers entered for the night would get the opportunity to compete for a chance to race in one of the Twin 25, $12,000-to-win preliminary night features as they collect points each time they are on the track using the Every Lap Matters point format. The field would be split and the accumulated points at the end of the night would then be combined to assist in seeding of the drivers for Thursday’s Joker’s Jackpot with a $100,000 check awaiting the winner. There were an astounding 64 race teams registered and working throughout the infield pit area. It was time to go racing at Eldora Speedway on the first of four consecutive nights of action!

With a huge field of cars it would be a split field. The teams were equally split into two qualifying groups for time trials in Capitol Custom Trailers Qualifying. The timing order was established for each based on a random draw where luck plays a part in where a driver would go out in each of the time trial groups. For Carson that meant he would be the 30th driver out on the racing surface for his two laps in Qualifying Group A. Darin Naida in the #2MD would join Carson circling Eldora in two car qualifying. Carson got on the gas and was making tracks and not looking back as his Hoosier Racing Tires gripped the surface to make speed. He came off turn four in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Durst Inc./ChalkStix #41 Maxim with a head of steam as he took the green flag. He was rolling forward fast . . . and, so was the clock. The California speed chauffeur made his way around the half-mile track the initial time in 13.091 seconds. He kept the hammer down attempting to balance and optimize his traction and speed on his second circuit with the clock still measuring his performance. When Carson exited turn four, he darted through the timing light for the last time triggering a lap time of 13.048 seconds on lap two. The better of his two attempts stood third quick overall in Qualifying Group B earning him 96 important Every Lap Matter points to start the night. When time trials concluded, Rico Abreu sat at the top the overall speed charts racing out of Qualifying Group A with a timed lap in 12.985 seconds. The fastest driver out of Qualifying Group B was Kerry Madsen in the TK Concrete #55V at 13.084 seconds.

Using each driver’s best lap time from qualifying, the timing and scoring gurus put together the starting lineups for the four 10-lap heat races for each of the Qualifying Groups. The inversion number was still outstanding as there was a possibility of a 6, 7, or 8 being spun on the Wheel of Misfortunate. When Rico Abreu spun the wheel it landed on the seven, which put the quickest four drivers from time trials in each group back on the inside of row four for the heat races. That meant Carson would be in that spot in the third heat race where he was joined by Henry Malcuit in the #70M. Cole Macedo was sitting on the pole with Daison Pursley to his outside. Chase Randall and Garet Williamson were in row two with Kalib Henry and Corey Day in row three.

The field was lining up as they accelerated to chase the pace vehicle. Carson found his starting spot to start the race with the racing surface prepared for an all-out assault. The green flag was flying high overhead off turn four with Daison Pursley driving into the lead over Cole Macedo. Carson went to work early but his momentum got choked off as two competitors in front of him got together. He was mired in the seventh position and was looking to stay close before the field got too spread out.

Only the top five finishers would earn transfer spots to the feature and get to keep their accumulated Every Lap Matter points. There was a sense of urgency on everyone’s part, but the field got strung out early and after some slight shuffling at the start there was no passing at all. Not one car passed another while racing in this heat race.

Daison Pursley led from start-to-finish to take the win over Cole Macedo with Garet Williamson, Kalib Henry, and Chase Randall rounding out the top five.

After competing hard and earning everything he got out on the track, Carson finished where he started and earned 182 more Every Lap Matter points for his heat race work. That brought his cumulative Every Lap Matter point total to 278 points following heat race action.

Being the top point driver out of Qualifying Group A that was unable to transfer through his heat race relegated Carson to the first 12-lap B Feature with only the top four advancing into the feature. He would get the Scott Boyd Family/Motor State Distributing/Schoenfeld Headers #41 Maxim fired up and ready to go from the pole position with Corey Day to his outside and Hunter Schuerenberg and Landon Crawley behind in row two. Tanner Thorson and Travis Philo were in row three with Creed Kemenah, Zeb Wise, Chris Windom, Darin Naida, Henry Malcuit, and Greg Wilson filling out the remaining starting grid.

Carson was focused. When they came off turn four he blasted into the lead in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 with Corey Day and Hunter Schuerenberg battling for the runner-up position on the track. There was only one interruption in the speed sow as fourth running Landon Crawley’s tough night continued as he slowed to a stop with rear end issues in turn two. When the race got restarted the Lemoore, California sprint car chauffeur was not about to be denied as he led the race wire-to-wire to take the win ahead of Hunter Schuerenberg and Corey Day with Tanner Thorson coming home fourth as they all would move into the first feature at the back of the field.

The horn sounded as the crews pushed back their drivers and cars into the staging area for the first $12,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start, 25-lap feature of the night. Carson zipped up his K1 Race Gear racing suit and climbed into the cockpit of his Maxim Racing machine. He settled in and pulled on his head sock and then Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet as he finalized his early race strategy.

Carson was sixth in the first group (Group A) Every Lap Matter points after all of the qualifying was completed, but because he did not transfer through the heat races he would not be eligible for the inversion redraw. High point driver at this juncture of the night, Aaron Reutzel, spun the Wheel of Misfortune for the feature inversion with a possibility of an inversion of 8, 9, or 10. When the wheel stopped in landed on a 10.

The driver of the JJR #41 had a lot of work to do, but he was focused on the task at hand as he would get started from the 21st starting spot aboard the Tarlton and Son/Sander Engineering/Vortex Racing Products #41 with Tanner Thorson to his outside. Garet Williamson and Logan Schuchart were on the front row and would lead the field to the green flag.

There was a trophy, some good money, and of course those coveted Every Lap Matter points still on the line. It was time to go racing at Eldora Speedway – Kubota High Limit Racing Series style! The green flag was out as Garet Williamson drove into the early race lead ahead of Logan Schuchart, Justin Peck, and Brad Sweet. Carson was working hard and on the move in the opening laps as he gained five positions early taking advantage of any opening that was presented at speed.

On lap 3, the red flag came out for Cole Macedo who had the air taken off his wings sending him into the turn one wall hard as he flipped the #16TH. Cole was ok, but the car was severely damaged.

The restart running order with 23 laps to go would be Garet Williamson, Logan Schuchart, Justin Peck, Brad Sweet and Kalib Henry. Carson would restart the race from the 16th position. The green flag was back out and the race was on again. Logan Schuchart had the Shark Racing #1s moving as he took the lead with Justin Peck hugging the extreme bottom to move into the runner-up spot followed by Garet Williamson.

Carson continued his march forward in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 as he was now up to 13th place in the running order. The yellow flag came out on lap 13 for seventh running Buddy Kofoid who had a flat tire and stopped in turn two. A little more drama was about to unfold though as eighth running Rico Abreu also had a right rear tire losing air pressure forcing him to the work area. They both replaced their tires and rejoined the field at the rear.

When the field got back up to speed, Logan Schuchart held down the point position with Peck and Sweet behind him. But Donny Schatz was on the move too and was now up to fourth with Williamson rounding out the top five. Carson Macedo was just ahead of Corey Day racing for position just outside the top ten. Corey Day made incidental contact with the rear of Macedo racing for the spot and spun on the inside of turn two ending his night.

Carson was knocking on the door of the top ten and soon would put the JJR #41 on the bottom of the first 10 listed on the scoreboard when they went back to green. Donny Schatz had the CARQUEST #15 on the move as the laps were winding down. He raced behind Schuchart, Peck and Sweet as they were putting on an incredible show as they all raced for the lead. Crisscrossing the track and exchanging positions at these speed is incredible. Schatz though was creating speed around the bottom and on the last lap moved into the runner-up position showing his nose under the leader.

When the checkered flag flew over race winner Logan Schuchart, who beat Donny Schatz by just 0.242 seconds at the finish line, Carson had driven and impressive race as he maneuvered the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 across the finish line in seventh place. That earned the driver of the forty-one another 276 points to bring his cumulative point total for the entire night to 554 Every Lap Matter points – 12th overall.

With the Double Down Duels point totals carrying forward to seed the Joker’s Jackpot heat race starting lineups on Thursday night, that point total locked Carson Macedo and the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 into an outside starting spot in one of the six heat races on Thursday night at The Big E. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

Busy Night of Work with the Kubota High Limit Racing Series in the Double Down Duels Results in an Impressive Top 10 Run! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich – CS Productions

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.

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