BACK ON TRACK: CARSON MACEDO AND THE JJR #41 BOYS WERE FAST DURING THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE INDEPENDENCE SPECTACULAR AT CEDAR LAKE, RACING HOME WITH A RUNNER-UP FINISH ON FRIDAY NIGHT

NEW RICHMOND, WISCONSIN (June 27, 2025) – It was time for Carson and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team to get back to business after all the dust settled following the intense four-night Huset’s Hustle and High Bank Nationals event last weekend. The team worked hard all week and loaded their Maxim Racing equipment up at the shop in Rocky Mount, Missouri before pointing their Border International towards New Richmond, Wisconsin – destination Cedar Lake Speedway. Following their almost 600 mile trek the team arrived at the three-eighths mile dirt oval nestled in this part of the country for the two-day Independence Spectacular event in The Badger State. It had rained quite a bit, but track officials did a miraculous job dealing with adversity so the show could go on. There were 23 race teams signed in at the pit gate with the teams all busy preparing for a night of speed and entertainment under ominous skies World of Outlaws (WoO) style. It was time to get things started at Cedar Lake Speedway!

Each driver drew a number in the Eloy Gutierrez Pill Draw at the Command Center which decided where they would go out for their time trial laps in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. For the forty-one team that positioned them as the 14th car out on the track to compete against the fast-moving clock. Carson climbed into his office and buckled into his Crow Enterprizes safety belts ready to put himself through the speed test. When Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing #1s finished his second lap, the push truck assisted Carson to fire his Kistler Engines power plant through the staging lane. When it rumbled Carson knew exactly what he needed to do . . . create speed aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/K1 Race Gear/Team Jack Foundation #41. With his right foot planted he took off as he raced under the waving green flag to start his opening lap. Hustling through the first set of turns and down the back straightaway he entered turn three before blasting off turn four. When he rolled by the flagstand at speed to end his first lap the clock displayed 11.086 seconds. Carson stayed on the hammer looking to pick up any speed he may have missed the last time around. This time when he exited turn four the flagman was waving the black and white checkered cloth to end his time trial session. Carson’s second lap was a little better than the first one coming in at 11.025 seconds. The better of his two speed attempts ended the night second quick overall. The wheelman with the quickest lap of the night though was fellow Californian Giovanni Scelzi in the KCP Racing #18 as the only driver in the ten second bracket with a lap of 10.976 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.

The WoO Timing and Scoring Officials immediately went to work to build out the starting lineups for each of the three 10-lap Heat races. They used each driver’s best lap time in qualifying to slot them into their qualifying race and starting positions. When perusing the posted lineups, Carson would get his quest to secure one of the transfer positions up for grabs in each race in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/High Performance Lubricants/Fuel Safe Racing Cells #41 Maxim from the pole position in Real American Beer Heat Race #2. He would pull to the inside of the defending series champ David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 in the front row pacing in front of Garet Williamson in the Fischer Body Shop #23 and hometown favorite Bill Balog in the Anderson Pure Maple Syrup #17B. Christopher Thram #24T and Brooke Tatnell #14 were side-by-side in row three with Luke Nellis #74N and Jy Corbett #25 together in row four.

It was ‘go time’ and off turn four the action went full throttle with Carson jumping into the early lead before Gravel crossed over and drove underneath him for the lead as he buzzed into the top spot on lap one. Gravel was in clean air as Carson stayed right on his tail with nine laps to go.

With three laps in the books, the yellow flag came out when Luke Nellis spun in turn two. David Gravel chose the outside lane for the restart and Carson got a good start when they went back to green flag racing. But Gravel stayed patient and drove back into the top spot by the time the lap was completed.

The driver of the Big Game Motorsports #2 would lead the remainder of the race taking the win by 1.826 seconds over Carson with Garet Williamson, Jy Corbett, and Luke Nellis rounding out the top five.

As a bonus for the top two finishers in each of the qualifying races, they each were now eligible to race against each other for their starting position in the 8-lap Toyota Dash. With their starting positions for the Dash being determined by random draw at the WoO Command Center, the starting grid found Carson Macedo and the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 on the pole as the SPA Technique #1 Redraw recipient. He shared the front row with Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink #17 with Buddy Kofoid #83 and David Gravel #2 behind in row two. Pacing from the final row of the Dash Logan Schuchart #1s and Giovanni Scelzi #18 in positions five and six. This was not an exhibition race. The finishing order would set the starting grid of the first three rows in the feature.

As the polesitter Carson stomped on the gas to get this thing started with Sheldon Haudenschild staying right there as they headed into the first set of turns. Haudenschild had the edge, but Carson was fast and dove under the NOS Energy Drink #17 to retake the lead at the end of the first lap.

He now was making tracks and not looking back. The margin out front was still slim, but Carson was adding to it with each passing lap. He led from wire-to-wire to take the Dash win by 1.687 seconds ahead of Haudenschild with Gravel coming home third, Kofoid fourth, with Schuchart and Scelzi rounding out the finishing order.

All the qualifying was now completed as there was no need for the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS). The only thing remaining on the card was the opening night 30-lap Independence Spectacular feature event. There were no fireworks on Friday night due to the saturated grounds, but there was a cool $12,000 paycheck awaiting the winner in victory lane. Each of the drivers and teams were laser focused so they could position themselves to be in the mix, so they were the one’s depositing the winner’s share of the purse into their bank account on Monday morning. It was time to complete at Cedar Lake Speedway!

Carson would get his money and trophy chase started from the pole position on the inside of the front row in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Boltz Family/Prime Composite Innovations #41. There he paced alongside Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink #17. The two speedsters were followed by David Gravel in the JRC Transportation #2 and Buddy Kofoid in the Toyota/Mobil 1 Roth Motorsports #83 in row two. The Drydene/Take5/Shark Racing #1s of Logan Schuchart and the Aspen Aire/KCP Racing #18 of Giovanni Scelzi were paired up and ready in row three.

Carson and Sheldon paced the field slowly as they worked their way over to turn four to start the race. Carson lowered his right foot and darted into the lead down the front straightaway with the green flag waving. The yellow lights turned on quickly when the race officials determined that the polesitter of the race, who is responsible for starting the race, getting starting too soon before the chalk stripe docking Carson one row and moving Sheldon Haudenschild to the pole with David Gravel to his outside in row one.

When the action restarted it was David Gravel using the outside lane to drive into the lead followed by Haudenschild, Schuchart, and Macedo. With one lap in the books, the yellow flag was back out for Christopher Thram #24T who was off the pace in turn four and heading to the work area.

David Gravel would get them back up to speed with Haudenschild, Schuchart, Macedo, and Kofoid all in hot pursuit. The racing up front and throughout the field was close as these racers were putting on a show. Buddy Kofoid moved the Roth Enterprises #83 by Carson on lap four relegating Carson back to the fifth position. Kofoid continued to move forward taking over the third spot seven laps later when he moved by Logan Schuchart.

On lap 13, the yellow flag was out, this time for Sheldon Haudenschild who was running in the second position after it appeared he made contact entering turn one trying to race by a slower car causing damage to his front end. The Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing team did a magnificent job putting in a new front end within the two minute time allotment in the work area.

With 17 laps to go, David Gravel brought the field back up to speed followed by Buddy Kofoid, Logan Schuchart, Carson Macedo, and Hunter Schuerenberg. Kofoid moved into the second position as he raced by Schuchart before the yellow flag was displayed again for Skylar Gee #99 who was into the wall in turn four ending his night.

This time when they restarted, Gravel maintained the top spot with Schuchart moving into the runner-up position and Carson taking over the show position. Kofoid was now running in fourth place with Giovanni Scelzi moving into the top five.

With only eight laps remaining, Carson was on a mission as he took the runner-up position way from Logan Schuchart. He quickly began to make a run on the leader as the leaders raced through lapped traffic, but he would never be able to get close enough to create a threat. David Gravel raced to his tenth win of the season by 1.605 seconds ahead of Carson Macedo in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 with Buddy Kofoid finishing third. Logan Schuchart ad Giovanni Scelzi completed the top five in preliminary night actin at Cedar Lake.

The frustrated but composed driver of the JJR #41 spoke to Conner Wade. He calmly explained, “Ultimately, I’m not going to stand here and make excuses and blame anyone other than myself for losing the race tonight.” He continued, “The (JJR) guys did a good job. They obviously gave me a car capable of winning. I was closing back on the 2 (Gravel) late in the race. It’s tough. When the track is that fast, a little bit of track position goes a long way. It is what it is.” A good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

They will be back at it Saturday night at Cedar Lake in the finale of the Independence Spectacular with an incredible fireworks display planned on the card if Mother Nature plays nice. If you will not be in New Richmond at Cedar Lake to watch these stars in person, tune in on DIRTVision to catch all the action.

Back in the Badger State for the Independence Day Spectacular at Cedar Lake Speedway! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

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; 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.