BACKYARD BRAWL IN MISSOURI: CARSON CLIMBS UP ON THE WHEEL IN “SHOW-ME” STATE DURING THE NIGHT BEFORE THE IRONMAN AND CROSSES THE FINISH LINE IN FOURTH PLACE AT FEDERATED AUTO PARTS RACEWAY AT I-55

PEVELY, MISSOURI (August 2, 2024) – After a rugged and busy month of July for the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team and all of the traveling platinum members with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series, Carson and the Albaugh – Your Alternative crew were back in their home state of Missouri on Friday night to kick off the two-day Ironman weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. This pristine and racy, 1/3-mile, high-banked dirt oval produces some of the closest, most heart pounding wheel-to-wheel high speed action on the schedule for the competitors. Owned by racing great Kenny Schrader and located to the south of St. Louis just off Interstate 55, the facility is made for full-on racing entertainment. The pit area is located down the banking off turn two behind the colorful billboards. On Friday night there were 44 teams entered for World of Outlaws competition in the Night Before the Ironman along with a full field of ultra-competitive Xtreme Outlaw Midgets and POWRI National Midget League entries. It was time to get moving in the “Show-Me” state of Missouri – World of Outlaws style!

With the amount of teams registered to race Friday, the time trial order for both qualifying groups was established by the random pill draw to determine where each of the drivers would go out for their two individual laps in Sea Foam Qualifying. When scanning the groupings on the time trial list, the #41 of Carson Macedo was in Group #2 in Flight 1 for hot laps and would be the 14th driver to hit the track for his race against the clock. He climbed into the Albaugh – Your Alternative/LogoDaddy/Xtreme Body & Paint #41 Maxim and buckled in tight with his Crow Enterprizes safety belts. Robby McQuinn hopped on the four-wheeler and escorted the Albaugh #41 to the staging area located in the infield to await his turn on the track. Carson waited patiently before a tap on the rear nerf bar awoke the Kistler Engines power that was sitting quietly waiting to perform. He rolled up the banking in turn one as he lowered his right foot to get up to speed. Off turn four Carson saw the green flag waving as he flew by the flagstand. The clock was rolling as Carson was digging in the dirt. He completed his first lap swiftly in 10.689 seconds. He stayed on the gas and circled around the track again, this time clocking in at 10.723 seconds on lap two. The quicker of his two time trial attempts ended the fourth quick overall in Flight 1 to begin the Night Before the Ironman. Sheldon Haudenschild, out of Flight 1, raced around Pevely the quickest on this night with a lap of 10.507 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award. Logan Schuchart was quickest in Flight 2 at 10.650 seconds.

The dedicated timing and scoring officials with the World of Outlaws used each driver’s fastest lap in qualifying to quickly build out the heat race lineups. That put the Sander Engineering/Pro Powder Coating (PPC)/CASM Safety Products #41 in the second of four 10-lap heat races where he would line up on the outside of row one. James McFadden in the Roth Motorsports #83SR would pull beside Carson in the two-by-two starting formation. Landon Crawley and Brian Bell were right behind in row two. Brad Sweet and Joe B. Miller were side-by-side in row three with Jessie Attard and Scotty Milan in row four. Thomas Meseraull and Preston Perimutter paced in row five with Steve Short alone in row six for the start of the race.

The engines would soon come to life as the cars were arranged neatly side-by-side in their starting spots heading into the last set of turns slowly. As is usual and customary, when the front row starters hit the chalk stripe the calmness turned to chaos as these 900 plus horsepower beasts were set loose at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.

Carson used the outside lane to drive into the early lead ahead of James McFadden and Brian Bell. The driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 led the opening lap, but as fourth running Landon Crawley was set to enter turn one his spindle broke detaching the right front tire to bring out the caution flag.

The field was again in their two-by-two restart formation with Carson electing to restart from the outside of McFadden the front row again. The green flag came back out and the Lemoore, California native blasted back into the lead with another lap recorded. He was racing ahead of James McFadden and Brad Sweet who moved by Brian Bell on the restart.

Carson was fast out front and never looked back as he raced to win in the second heat race by 0.913 seconds ahead of James McFadden’s #83SR. Brad Sweet hustled home third, with Brian Bell in fourth, and Joe B. Miller locking down the fifth and final transfer position.

By virtue of winning his heat race, Carson moved into the 8-lap Toyota Dash for the 31st time this season where he would draw for his starting position. After a wicked accident in the fourth World of Outlaws heat race involving Skylar Gee and Corey Day, all drivers were ok, there was a long delay to fix the outside catch fence in turn one. During that time the eight drivers who made the Dash drew their numbers. After drawing the ‘6’ pill, Carson would start on the outside of row three with Kelby Watt to his inside. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brock Zearfoss sat in row one with Roth Motorsports teammates James McFadden and Buddy Kofoid in row two. Logan Schuchart and Giovanni Scelzi tucked in behind in row four for the start. When the green flag waved Sheldon Haudenschild did not waste any time moving into the lead just in front of Zearfoss and McFadden. Carson was on the move as he hugged the inside guiderail and raced the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 into fourth. That position was not secure or safe by any means though as he was fiercely dueling to fend off hard challenges from both Buddy Kofoid and Giovanni Scelzi who wanted that spot. On lap 6, Buddy Kofoid drove his Mobil 1 Roth Motorsports #83 by Macedo into fourth, but the next time around Carson regained the position as the two Californians sparred at speed. Sheldon Haudenschild would take the Dash win ahead of McFadden and Zearfoss with Macedo coming home fourth. Buddy Kofoid finished fifth with Scelzi, Watt, and Schuchart completing the finishing order.

The starting field of drivers was now locked in for the 30-lap Night Before the Ironman feature at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 with the front four row set based off of the Toyota Dash finish. All of Carson’s efforts up until this point of the night delivered a performance good enough to earn the fourth starting spot in row two alongside Brock Zearfoss in the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3z to start the feature. The NOS Energy Drink #17 of Sheldon Haudenschild would pace the field in row one along with James McFadden in the Roth Motorsports #83SR.

Immediately after the traditional four-wide salute to the fans was completed, the drivers raced back into their starting positions side-by-side as the green flag was about to fly. Out of turn four James McFadden drove his #83SR speed machine into the lead as he jumped on the accelerator and got the race started with Haudenschild and Zearfoss keeping track of him down the short front straightaway.

James McFadden led the opening circuit but was under a heavy siege from Haudenschild for the lead. Behind them, Carson was fast around the outside of the track from the drop of the green flag and was looking to enter the exciting mix out front running in the third position in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/FK Rod Ends/RaceDiecast.com #41 after getting by Zearfoss on lap two.

By the eighth lap the leaders were now in lap traffic and things were getting interesting. The gap between the leader and the second and third place drivers had shrunk significantly as they danced at speed through the slower cars. A third of the way through the race it was James McFadden leading Sheldon Haudenschild, Carson Macedo, Brock Zearfoss, and Logan Schuchart.

Halfway through the race the top five was the same, but Donny Schatz was now running sixth and moving forward quickly. Another driver on the move was 21st starting Kyle Larson who was inside the top ten in eighth place after earning his way into the feature through the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS).

On lap 19, the action at speed was slowed when the yellow flag came out for Brock Zearfoss who was off the pace after a fierce battle for the fourth position with Donny Schatz and Logan Schuchart. He headed to the infield pit area at the backstretch opening. The restart running order would be McFadden still out front followed by Haudenschild, Macedo, Schatz, and Schuchart.

James McFadden elected to restart from the outside with Haudenschild tucked underneath in row one with 11 laps to go. The green flag was back out and Kyle Larson was on the move again. He was in the top five and before you knew it he was pressuring Carson for the third spot. On lap 21, Larson took control of the show position and immediately started to stalk Haudenschild for the next better position on the track behind the race leader. Five laps later he would get it.

When the white flag flew it appeared the fans were soon get to experience a “shoey” celebration, James McFadden’s celebratory tradition from Australia where he drinks a beer out of his racing show when he wins, but down the backstretch he got slowed slightly by the lap car of Noah Gass. He ducked to the bottom of turn three and drifted up across turn four. There was the opening Larson was looking for and he pounced. Kyle Larson dove into turn three low and stayed low off turn four exiting with a slight lead over McFadden who was wheels up trying to recover.

It was going to be a race to the finish! And, Kyle Larson aboard the Finley Farms #57 beat James McFadden to the finish line by the thinnest of margins, a mere 0.053 seconds, with Sheldon Haudenschild racing home third to round out the podium. Carson Macedo earned a respectable fourth place finish with Donny Schatz rounding out the top five in the Night Before the Ironman.

Down in the pit area after the race, Carson (Macedo), Philip (Dietz), Robby (McQuinn), and Adam (Zimmerman) debriefed and discussed opportunities so they could continue to make improvements to potentially drive better outcomes Saturday night at the 16th Annual Ironman 55. If you are not in the area, do not miss any of the entertaining racing action at this great event by subscribing and tuning in on DIRTVision.

A Top Five Run in the Night Before the Ironman at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55! 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.

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