SPEED TEST AT OSKY CHALLENGE: CARSON MACEDO AND THE ALBAUGH #41 TEAM RACE HARD TO DELIVER ANOTHER PODIUM RUN TO THE FINISH AT THE SOUTHERN IOWA SPEEDWAY DURING THE 29TH ANNUAL FRONT ROW CHALLENGE

OSKALOOSA, IOWA (August 5, 2024) – Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team were once again busy preparing the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 to race for the fourth consecutive night in a row. This time the team would visit Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa as they entered to race in the Sage Fruit 29th Annual Front Row Challenge presented by Your Life Iowa and Country Builders Construction. On Sunday night, just 26.5 miles up the road via IA-92 at Knoxville Raceway, Carson competed and came home with a third place finish in the 12th Annual Capitani Classic.

Last year at the Front Row Challenge (FRC), the forty-one team set quick time and finished second to James McFadden in the race to the checkers. He also finished second to Kyle Larson in the 2022 event after leading a lot of laps in the feature before losing the top spot to a superstar of the sport. So needless to say the Albaugh #41 team had a goal to end up one position better this year. They knew that feat would not be easy though with a stout field on hand, making it paramount for them to put a whole night together performance wise to position themselves for success. There were 24 haulers parked off the back straightaway at this big half-mile fairground facility and they were all ready to put on a show for the fans in the stands and throughout the infield area. Terry and Lori McCarl do a terrific job promoting and running this event. This race is marked on everyone’s calendar as it has turned into a party with great sprint car racing. In fact, as many fans explain, “We went for the party and a race broke out.” It was time to go racing at Southern Iowa Raceway in the Front Row Challenge.

Each driver got a limited amount of time on the track during hot laps to run it in, rev their engines, and go fast while testing their car’s initial setup. When Carson came back to the pit area, Philip Dietz and the JJR crew went to work to make some minor adjustments hoping to pick up a little more speed. Carson would be the eighth driver to hit the track for his two time trials laps aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Border International/BR Motorsports #41 Maxim. He rolled onto the track down the backstretch and wasted no time calling for some speed from his Kistler Racing Engines. The call was answered as he was up to speed as he raced down the front straightaway towards the green flag. He tripped the timing light and the seconds started to roll by as the talented driver hunkered down to make speed. He used his JOES Matador Steering Wheel to turn left into the first set of turns before heading down the long back straightway. Carson was hurtling around the big half-mile sweeping oval. Carson recorded his first lap in 16.185 seconds and immediately went to work on his second attempt. He was still moving and grooving as he carried his speed forward. When he raced by the checkered flag to end his individual speed session, lap two came in at 16.155 seconds. When Anthony Macri finished his laps, Carson’s best lap was third quick overall to start the night. Brad Sweet aboard the Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR)/NAPA Auto Parts #49 sat alone at the top of the speed charts turning the quickest lap of the evening at 15.989 seconds.

After opening ceremonies were complete, the three 8-lap heat races were on deck. Those races would allow the drivers to race directly against each other on the track for the first time in the show. With an inversion of the six fastest drivers in each race, Carson would start from the outside of row three driving the Scott Boyd Family/High Performance Lubricants/C&R Racing #41 in the third heat race. He would share the third row Kasey Kahne. Daison Pursley and Garet Williamson were together on the front row pacing the field with James McFadden and Kyle Larson behind in row two. The last row found Jake Bubak and Kevin Ingle.

The field of eight drivers was set and ready to go in the third heat race. The drivers were ready. And, the fans at Southern Iowa Speedway were excited for the speed festivities to begin. The green flag waved with Daison Pursley being the fastest to turn one with Garet Williamson right behind. In turn two, Pursley made contact with the outside wall with Williamson following leaving the inside of the track wide open. James McFadden saw it and took advantage of the free track to make the pass on both for the lead entering run three. McFadden led the first lap with Pursley, Williamson, Larson, and Macedo rounding out the top five.

Carson’s Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 was one fast hotrod as he was up on the wheel digging from the fifth position. He started to reel in Kyle Larson in the JVI Group #57. Macedo was up top. Larson was working the bottom as the flagman showed them the crossed flags indicating the race was half way complete.

That must have stoked the fire under Carson’s Fibreworks Composites seat as the forty-one came to life the next time around Southern Iowa Speedway. The Lemoore, California native dove underneath Larson through turns one and two to take over the fourth position. He then immediately went to work on third place running Garet Williamson before using the low lane to drive by him entering turn three.

When the white flag was displayed James McFadden was in firm control of the lead with Daison Pursley still chasing in the second spot from a distance. Right behind Pursley though was Carson Macedo in third as he was quickly approaching as they passed the flagstand. He was showing off his Kistler Engines speed as he darted under Pursley entering turn one to seize the runner-up position off turn two. What a charge forward by Macedo!

The flagman unleashed the black and white cloth flag to end the race as James McFadden in the Roth Motorsports #83SR secured the heat race victory. Carson Macedo raced an incredible race to cross the finish line second with Daison Pursley, Garet Williamson, and Kyle Larson completing the top five.

There would be two heats in the annual Foot Race. The first heat race featured a barefooted James McFadden, Brian Brown, young gun Corey Day, and Carson Macedo. When the green flag waved it was Carson Macedo blasting off the line showing off his white K1 Race Gear kicks he sprinted to the win over Corey Day as those two would advance.

The second heat showcased “The Big Cat” Brad Sweet, “The Law Firm” Parker Price-Miller, Buddy Kofoid, and “The Madman” Kerry Madsen. It was Parker Price-Miller getting the jump at the start as Brad Sweet drafted him down the stretch. They finished one-two to advance to the semi-finals.

It was Macedo, Day, Price-Miller, and Sweet racing for the win. This time when the green flag waved it was a tight race all the way with Parker Price-Miller showing off his Olympic speed to take the win with Day inching out second at the line over Macedo with Sweet coming home fourth. Parker Price-Miller won the Priority Aviation $1,500 winner’s check from Richard and Jennifer Marshall.

All of the drivers who made the show, they were called to the track before the start of the 30-lap Sage Fruit 29th Annual Front Row Challenge presented by Your Life Iowa and Country Builders Construction feature. Carson climbed into the cockpit of his Maxim Racing speed machine and buckled into this Crow Enterprizes safety belts. He would get the race started from the third starting spot with Brad Sweet in the NAPA Auto Parts #49 joining him in row two. Parker Price-Miller and Corey Day lined up on the front row with Roth Motorsports teammates James McFadden and Buddy Kofoid in row three. I row four was Brian Brown and Kerry Madsen.

The packed house was on their feet to show their appreciation for this talented field of drivers. It was about time to throw it down at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. The next time by the green flag waved to start the race as Corey Day drives the Sander Engineering #14 into the lead from his outside starting spot with Parker Price-Miller and Brad Sweet in tow.

Carson was doing his work early running in the fourth spot on the scoreboard as he dueled with James McFadden for the position. He was able to hold the driver of the #83SR off for a bit, but on lap four things were about to get shaken up in the top five. Brad Sweet drove by Parker Price-Miller into the runner-up position and Carson surrendered fourth to James McFadden.

There was no time to rest though for Macedo because Scott Bogucki was on his tail tank for a spot in the top five. On lap six, Bogucki moved by Macedo with Kyle Larson on the move and running behind the forty-one in seventh.

All of the action though would come to an abrupt stop on the eighth circuit when James McFadden made contact trying to pass Parker Price-Miller down the backstretch for third sending him flipping wildly before coming to rest on the track. James was not injured as he climbed out to survey the damage.

The single file restart order with 22 laps to go would be Corey Day, Brad Sweet, Parker Price-Miller, Scott Bogucki, Carson Macedo and Kyle Larson. The green lights re-illuminated around the track as Day dueled his way back into the lead ahead of Sweet. Carson drove the Albaugh #41 around the cushion on the outside from his fifth restarting position into the third spot overtaking Bogucki and Price-Miller. Kyle Larson moved into fourth.

On lap 10, Kyle Larson moved by Macedo for third as he executes a clean slide job entering turn one and drifting up to take the spot exiting turn two.

At the halfway point of the race the top five was Corey Day, Brad Sweet, Kyle Larson, Carson Macedo, and Scott Bogucki. Larson had the Finley Farms #57 on the move as he maneuvered into the runner-up position after getting by his brother-in-law, Brad Sweet, with a perfectly executed slider entering turn three.

On lap 17 the caution flag was waved for Danny Sams III who slowed on the inside of the track just as Larson was ready to overtake Day for the lead. There would be 13 laps to go when the green flag waved with Corey Day leading the field back to the starting line.

Kyle Larson used the restart as an opportunity to move to the front of the pack as he sped by Day into the lead. Brad Sweet was racing comfortably in third with Carson Macedo battling with Buddy Kofoid who was trying to work his way by the Albaugh #41.

All of the slicing and dicing paused on lap 26 when the yellow flag came back out for Danny Dietrich who spun in turn three up near the wall. Both of the leaders, Kyle Larson and Corey Day, got into the wall as they tried to squeeze between spun car and the outside wall. Neither of them sustained any damage and were ready for a four lap dash back to the checkers.

 The green flag was back out with Larson leading Day. Carson made his way by Brad Sweet to take over the show position. Kyle Larson, who started the race in the 13th position, would not be denied as he raced to the win ahead of Corey Day who came home second. Carson Macedo raced home third, Brad Sweet fourth, with Parker Price-Miller rounding out the top five. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

Some Monday Night Sprint Car Racing Fun at Southern Iowa Speedway Results in Another Podium Run for the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41! 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.

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

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