MAKING IT HAPPEN: AS THE ENGINES FIRED OFF 2025 WoO SEASON AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK, CARSON MACEDO WHEELS THE ALBAUGH – YOUR ALTERNATIVE #41 TO THE WIN TO OPEN THE 54TH ANNUAL DIRTCAR NATIONALS
BARBERVILLE, FLORIDA (February 5, 2025) – As the short off-season comes to a close, Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team were eager to get their Kistler Racing Engines power fired up for the opening of the 2025 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in sunny Florida. The team rolled the beautiful black and green Albaugh – Your Alternative/Scott Boyd Family/FK Rod Ends #41 Maxim out of the hauler to bask in the sunlight at Volusia Speedway Park as they prepared for the opening night of racing. Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman worked hard all winter preparing for a fast start at the 54th Annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. They were not alone though as a total of 52 teams were parked throughout the pit area ready to take on the fast half-mile oval. It was time to go racing – World of Outlaws style – in twenty twenty-five!
As is normal and customary, each driver would get their chance to test their skills as well as the car’s speed against the clock in two separate groups in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Carson would roll to the staging lane nestled aboard the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Tarlton and Son/Vortex Racing Products #41 as the Lemoore, California native would be the third competitor out in Flight 2. He waited patiently for his shot at creating speed. When it was Carson’s turn to wind it up out on the track, he mashed the gas pedal and quickly began to build his speed as he headed towards the flagstand situated on the frontstretch. Carson took the green flag before maneuvering his Maxim Racing machine through the first set of turns and down the back straightaway. He carried his speed off turn four and stopped the clock in 13.592 seconds. He stayed focused as he worked around the half-mile oval for the second time hoping to pick up some small incremental time here and there. HE tried a different line and when he raced under the waving checkered flag to end his session the clock recorded his second lap in 13.974 seconds. The better of his two laps was fourth quick overall in Flight 2. Brian Brown, driving the Casey General Stores #21, sat at the top of the speed charts for Flight 2 with a lap time of 13.476 seconds. However, the quickest driver overall on the night came out of Flight 1 from Emerson Axsom #27 with a fast lap in 13.449 seconds.
The lineups for the four 8-lap heat races were completed and posted. Only the top five finishers in each race would advance to the feature event, so it was “go-time” at Volusia Speedway Park. The starting lineups for each heat race were arranged using each driver’s best lap time in qualifying with the quicker competitors towards the front of the pack. For Carson, that meant he would get the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Prime Composite Innovations/CS Productions #41 starting from the outside of the front row alongside Christopher Bell in the famous Kreitz Racing #69K. Behind them in the second row was Brady Bacon #16T and Tyler Courtney #7BC with Giovanni Scelzi #18 and Danny Dietrich #48 in the third row. Chris Martin #44 and Brad Sweet #49 made up row four with Sheldon Haudenschild #17 and Cole Macedo #2c in the fifth row.
Side-by-side these daredevils of speed slowly paced in anticipation of taking the green flag off turn four. When they arrived at that destination, the engines roared with excitement as they produced the power that carried the drivers down the front straightaway. Christopher Bell led the first lap of the race just ahead of Carson Macedo and Tyler Courtney. The leaders started to put some distance between himself and the forty-one by the halfway point of the race. The white flag flew, but was soon replaced by a yellow one when Cole Macedo’s #2c slowed to a stop on the top side of turn two with rear end issues.
It would be a green-white-checkered restart for the remaining cars with Christopher Bell leading them back up to speed. He raced into turn one with Carson Macedo on his rear nerf bar. Exiting turn two, he pulled away. This time when the white flag flew the completed the last half mile of the race as Christopher Bell raced under the checkered flag with Carson Macedo coming home second. Those two drivers would advance to the Toyota Dash. Tyler Courtney came home third, Brad Sweet finished fourth after a late race slide job, and Brady Bacon locked down the fifth finishing position.
All of the heat race winners and runner-up finishers headed to the front stretch for the first Dash draw of the season. When all of the numbers, one through eight were drawn, the starting lineup for the 6-lap Toyota Dash were set. Carson was the last driver to pull a Dash pill and the #1 was the only number remaining putting him on the pole. He also received the S.P.A. Technique #1 Redraw Award, a new sponsorship feature on the tour this year. Carson was joined on the front row for the start of the Dash by fellow Californian Buddy Kofoid in the Roth Motorsports #83 with Logan Schuchart #1s and Justin Peck #26 in row two. Pacing behind the first four starters in row three was Emerson Axsom #27 and Christopher Bell #69K with David Gravel #2 and Brian Brown #21 in the fourth and final row.
When the green lights came on around the track, Carson got up to speed racing into the lead ahead of Kofoid and Schuchart. The forty-one was fast and the driver was using the clean air to his advantage out front. He continued to build his lead as each lap was recorded as he extended his lead over Kofoid. He would be uncontested as he collected his first Dash victory of the season with Buddy Kofoid coming home second followed by Logan Schuchart and Christopher Bell right behind as Justin Peck rounded out the top five. David Gravel, Emerson Axsom, and Brian Brown completed the finishing order.
The 25-lap feature field for the opening night of the 54th Annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals was set. The drivers were ready to go. Who would earn the chance to wave checkered flag at the end of night before receiving their own small gator trophy? Only time would tell after twelve and a half miles of high-speed, green flag action at Volusia Speedway Park.
Carson would start his pursuit aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Xtreme Body & Paint/T-Fab Custom Metal Fabrication #41 Maxim from the pole position with Buddy Kofoid sharing row one with him. Logan Schuchart and Christopher Bell were right behind in row two. It was time to go racing at Volusia Speedway Park to open the World of Outlaws 2025 season of speed!
The flagman showed the field the one-to-go sign and when Carson arrived over in turn four he did not waste any time driving into the lead. Buddy Kofoid was tracking him from the second position with Christopher Bell and sixth starting David Gravel stalking behind.
Carson was in control out front early when the first race slow down occurred on the fifth lap. The caution flag displayed for Christopher Bell’s #69K that slowed to a stop on the back straightaway after contact with the wall flattened the right rear tire.
The restart order with 20 laps to go was Carson Macedo in the Albaugh #41, Buddy Kofoid #83, David Gravel #2, Logan Schuchart #1s, and Kyle Larson #57. Carson had lane choice for the restart and chose the top side. He used that to his advantage to remain in the lead when they got back up to speed. David Gravel moved the Big Game Motorsports #2 by Kofoid to take command of the second position with Larson and Schuchart battling in the top five.
On lap 12, Carson was still out in front of the pack and now meticulously started to make his way through lap traffic. David Gravel was closing on the leader, so there was no time to lollygag. Carson cleanly slid the forty-one in front of Daison Pursley #13 as he continue his trek forward over the next ten laps.
On lap 22, the red flag was out. Buddy Kofoid got tight up in turn four sending him down into the oncoming Logan Schuchart. Kofoid’s Roth Motorsports #83 flipped and came to rest on the frontstretch where he safely climbed out of the car.
There were three laps remaining with Macedo leading a very talented group including David Gravel, Kyle Larson, Logan Schuchart, and Brad Sweet. It would be a single file restart. Carson was at the point and brought the field of competitors back up to speed. Larson was pressuring Gravel for the runner-up position with the defending World of Outlaws champion holding him off.
Carson Macedo would not be denied capturing the first win of the season on the opening night of the 54th Annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals. It was Carson’s 48th career World of Outlaws victory and Jason Johnson Racing’s 72nd World of Outlaws win.
Opening Night Victory for Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) Team to Open the DIRTcar Nationals! Photo Credit: World of Outlaws
JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners for 2025: 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; 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; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Prime Composite Innovations; Saldana Racing Products; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; Smiley’s Racing Products; 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.
Check out ShopJJR.com to buy all your new Carson Macedo and JJR gear and merchandise.