JOUSTING FOR POSITION AT JOLIET: NOTHING COMES EASY IN THE FINALE OF THE ROUTE 66 SHOWDOWN AS CARSON MACEDO AND THE JJR #41 TEAM BATTLE ALL NIGHT TO END WITH A TOP FIVE FINISH AT CHICAGOLAND

JOLIET, ILLINOIS (October 19, 2024) – When the engines quieted following the feature on the opening night of the World of Outlaws Federated Auto Parts Route 66 Showdown at the DIRT Oval @ Route 66, the race teams quickly turned their attention to the finale on Saturday night at Chicagoland. Carson open the action in Illinois with a third place run in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 after starting on the outside of row two in the feature. Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman were busy at work maintaining and preparing their Maxim Racing speed chariot for Carson to do his thing again at Joliet. There were 38 sprint car teams back and ready to roll in Chicagoland.

With the sun shining overhead and moderate temperatures for this time of year, the fans were in for a great day of sports entertainment topped off with an incredible World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series show. Each of the drivers got an opportunity to see the track in hotlaps so they could make some minor adjustments before they pushed off for official time trials. The time trial order was set by random draw at the World of Outlaws Command Center before the evening of action commenced. With 38 cars entered, Carson would be the seventh competitor to take on the track in Group A in Sea Foam Qualifying aboard the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Factory Kahne (FK) Shocks #41 Maxim. The Lemoore, California native had two laps to go as fast as he could against the clock measuring his speed performance. He climbed into his office and tightened his safety harness for his two laps at speed. When the Kistler Racing Engines came to life under his Indy Performance Composites (IPC) carbon fiber hood, Carson lowered his right foot to begin his high speed journey. He raced off turn four and powered under the waving green flag to start his speed session. He was movin’ and groovin’ as the completed his first lap in 13.870 seconds. The Lemoore, California native continued to hustle as he peered through the shield of his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet making his way around the Dirt Oval @ Route 66 for lap two. Carson carried his speed off turn four as he saw the flagman displaying the checkered flag to end his session. His second lap was slight faster than his first attempt with a time of 13.818 seconds. The faster of Carson’s two qualifying laps was fourth quick overall in Group A. Buddy Kofoid, driving the Mobil 1/Toyota Racing/Roth Motorsports #83, turned in the quickest lap of the evening overall out of Group A at 13.669 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award. The quickest driver in Group B was Friday night’s winner Aaron Reutzel at 13.796 seconds.

The World of Outlaws Timing and Scoring officials composed the starting lineups for each of the four 8-lap heat races. Carson would get his race started in the Scott Boyd Family/Durst Inc./CASM Safety Products #41 from the outside of the front row in the Milton Hershey School second heat race. He would pull the JJR #41 alongside polesitter David Gravel driving the JRC Transportation/Big Game Motorsports #2. Pacing behind the first two drivers in the current World of Outlaws point standings was Giovanni Scelzi #18 and Tim Estenson #14T. Garet Williamson #23 and Scott Bogucki #45X were rolling in row three with Kelby Watt #17GP and Kraig Kinser #70 in row four. Tagging the rear of the heat race was Matt VanderVere #10V who was ready to race.

The field was set. There were only five transfer positions available and every single one of these drivers wanted one. They paced slowed as these speed athletes made their way down the backstretch. That all would soon change when they reached the chalk stripe laid across turn four. When they arrived to the chalk stripe, the two talented front row racers dueled wheel-to-wheel down the front straightaway as they began jousting for the top spot. They were racing cleanly side-by-side at speed the entire first lap with Carson pulling ahead at the line to lead lap one aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41.

 The ultra-competitive David Gravel though was not going to go away easy as the Connecticut driver kept the pressure on the leader throughout the next circuit. Carson was out front racing in the advantageous clean air ahead with Gravel and Scelzi close behind. That enabled him to build on his lead with each completed lap.

Behind them though Matt VanderVere was the show as he raced from his last starting spot up to the sixth position when the crossed flag was displayed with four laps completed and four laps remaining. He was putting on a one racer show to captivate the fans.

Carson got into a rhythm and blasted around the final four laps to race to the win by 1.433 seconds over David Gravel, with Giovanni Scelzi, Scott Bogucki, and Garet Williamson securing the last three transfer spots. Matt VanderVere’s impressive drive forward ended up one position shy as he finished sixth.

Carson Macedo again earned his way into the 6-lap Toyota Dash where he would get to draw for his starting position. World of Outlaws officials decided to do the draw at the Command Center with temperatures falling quickly to keep the show moving. When they all had selected their numbers the starting lineup would find two seventeens on the front row – the #17 of Sheldon Haudenschild and the #17B of Bill Balog. Behind them in row two was Buddy Kofoid #83 and Emerson Axsom #27. Zach Hampton #17X and David Gravel occupied row three, with Carson Macedo #41 and Aaron Reutzel #87 in row four. They were about to race for their starting spots in the feature, so this was serious business, When the green flag dropped, the driver of the NOS Energy Drink #17 bolted out to the lead as Buddy Kofoid made his way around into the runner-up position as he moved by Bill Balog. On the initial start, Aaron Reutzel drove ahead of Carson who was now running in eighth. Sheldon Haudenschild was in total control out front and led start-to-finish to earn the pole in the feature. He was followed across the finish line by Kofoid, Balog, and Axsom, with Hampton, Gravel, Macedo, and Reutzel completing the Dash finishing order.

The stage was now set for the finale of the World of Outlaws Federated Auto Parts Route 66 Showdown at the Dirt Oval @ Route 66. The stout 24 car field was locked in as the crews finished up their work in the pit area. The duration of the race added up to be 30 laps, with the last one counting the most.

Carson Macedo would get the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) entry started from the seventh starting position. He would line up beside Aaron Reutzel #87, who raced to the win on Friday night. Sheldon Haudenschild and Buddy Kofoid were side-by-side on the front row with Bill Balog and Emerson Axsom directly behind in row two. It was time to go racing at the Dirt Oval @ Route 66 – World of Outlaws style.

With all of the pomp and circumstances now in the review mirror, it was feature time in Joliet, Illinois with some of the best in the business ready to battle. Carson was ready to get his elbows up in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. When the front row starters crossed the white line, the calmness turned into high speed chaos. Penngrove, California’s Buddy Kofoid took advantage of his front row starting position and drove the Roth Motorsports #83 into the lead on the opening lap ahead of Sheldon Haudenschild, Bill Balog, Emerson Axsom, and David Gravel.

Carson was running in the eighth spot early aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/High Performance Lubricants/Fuel Safe Racing Cells #41 Maxim. He was racing hard for position with Aaron Reutzel in a tightly contested battle. The two talented racers were dueling wheel-to-wheel cleanly looking to take ownership of the better position on the scoreboard.

Carson moved by Zach Hampton into the seventh position on lap two with ten-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz now pressuring him. Schatz would move by on lap three. Macedo would move back around the TSR #15 the next time by as both were closing in on sixth running Aaron Reutzel.

On lap 6, Carson tried sliders to get by Reutzel at both ends of the track to no avail. Neither stuck, but they were clean and the two feisty racers continued to spar for the spot. That battle continued for the next few laps with Aaron Reutzel holding the position with some smoke starting to trail the driver of the #87.

On lap 12, the yellow flag came out as Aaron Reutzel was off the pace on the backstretch and slowed to a stop. The running order when they came back up to speed with 18 laps to go would be Buddy Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild, Bill Balog, Emerson Axsom, David Gravel, and Carson Macedo.

The green flag was back out with Carson getting a great start. But that was all for naught as the yellow flag quickly was redisplayed for North Port, Florida’s Danny Sams III in the #2KS who spun coming off turn four.

They would restart again, but this time Carson would get shuffled back to eighth when they got up to speed with Kofoid still out front showing the way ahead of Haudenschild. They were settling in, but three laps later the yellow flag was back out, this time for Zach Hampton #17X who stopped on the track as he exited turn four.

They were halfway there with another half ahead as they paced under the yellow lights. Buddy Kofoid would again lead the field back up to speed, but now David Gravel was right behind the driver of the Roth Motorsports #83 as he moved by Sheldon Haudenschild just a few laps before.

Buddy Kofoid had a fast race car and darted off into the clean air comfortably. Carson picked up two spots on the restart and was running in the sixth position. But he was in another intense racing competition with Logan Schuchart #1s. Those two were battled hard as more laps were recorded. It was high speed entertainment between two of the best in the business with Macedo holding off Schuchart for sixth in the running order.

Their battle continued until lap 25 when the caution flag was back out. The cause of the race slowdown was for ninth running Kerry Madsen #55 who rolled to a stop in turn four. Buddy Kofoid was still out front with David Gravel consistently applying pressure with Donny Schatz, Sheldon Haudenschild, Emerson Axsom, and Carson Macedo looking to improve their positions.

When they went back to green flag racing it was Kofoid showing the way out in front of the pack. Carson was showing some late race speed. Two laps after getting back up to speed he raced by Emerson Axsom to move into the top five before the final yellow flag came out for Danny Sams III again as he spun and ended up on the inside berm of the track.

With 3 laps to go in the race with was Kofoid, Haudenschild, Gravel, Schatz, and Macedo. Five potent names in this sports all hoping they would be the first driver to the finish line so they could collect the $12,000 winner’s check and trophy. The yellow lights dimmed and the green ones illuminate. Buddy Kofoid again raced into the lead as he led wire-to-wire to collect his seventh World of Outlaws victory of the season. Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel came home second and third respectively to round out the podium with Donny Schatz and Carson Macedo rounding out the top five. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

Circling the Dirt Oval @ Route 66 in the World of Outlaws Federated Auto Parts Route 66 Showdown Finale! 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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