DOUBLE TROUBLE: COMBINING COURAGE AND SPEED TO MOVE FORWARD AT ELDORA WHILE ACCUMULATING POINTS IN HIGH LIMIT’S DOUBLE DOWN DUEL$ RESULTS IN A TOP FIVE RUN FOR THE MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION (MVT) #41

ROSSBURG, OHIO (July 16, 2025) – After crossing the finish line and collecting the win on Tuesday night in World of Outlaws competition at Attica Raceway Park in the 37th Annual Brad Doty Classic, Carson and the JJR #41 team made their way down to Rossburg, Ohio for four nights of incredible sprint car action. Over the course of the next 96 hours there was a full high stakes race agenda at Eldora Speedway all of which began with the Double Down Duel$ on Wednesday night at the famed half-mile oval that Earl and Berniece Baltes built. Carson would use his second allowable “free pass” of the season to race outside of the World of Outlaws scheduled events in the Kubota High Limit Series race. At the end of the day, it really does not matter what series promotes and officiates these events during the teams’ time here at Eldora in July because the driver roster, racing action, promotions team, track officials, and entertainment value are virtually the same at one of the greatest racing forums in sprint car racing. Fans from all over the country, and some welcomed visitors from around world, streamed into the venue excited for the first of four entertaining nights of racing in the Double Down Duel$ put on by the Kubota High Limit Racing Series. There was 62 race team parked throughout the infield pit area ready to battle it out. It was now time to go racing at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway!

All the drivers entered to race would compete in one of the $12,000-to-win, preliminary night Twin 25 features. They would collect points each time they hit the track using the Every Lap Matters points format. The enormous field of cars were equally split and at the end of the evening the points earned would be combined to assist in seeding the drivers for the C-Mains, B-Mains, and A-Main for the $100,000-to-win, $4,000-to-start Joker’s Jackpot on Thursday night. Carson was assigned to Group B for the night of action.

For Capitol Custom Trailers Qualifying, the drivers would duel it out against the other competitors in their group only in a race against time. The time trial order was established through a random pill draw with the drivers who had drawn the lowest numbers going out early and the highest numbers going out late. Carson Macedo would be the second speedster to roll onto the Eldora’s banking in the Sander Engineering/Jansen Transportation/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads #41 Maxim for his two laps in Qualifying Group B. Joining Carson out on the track was the #23L of Jimmy Light in two-car qualifying. When it was the driver from Lemoore, California’s turn he did not hesitate to pound the loud pedal. Carson was up to speed down the backstretch, carrying his momentum into turn three and off turn four with the green flag waving to start his time trial session. His elbows were up high, and his eyes focused on hitting his marks so he could minimize the amount of time that passed on the clock each lap. Carson completed his first lap in 13.772 seconds. His right foot continued to press the speed button as he made his way through the banking in turns one and two before heading down the backstretch for the second time. He certainly looked fast, but only time would tell if our eyes were telling a true story. When he raced under the checkered flag, lap two came in slightly slower at 13.922 seconds. The better of his two laps was third quick overall in Qualifying Group B to collect 96 Every Lap Matters points. When time trials ended for both groups concluded, Kyle Larson in the RotoRooter/JVI Group #57 was the fastest driver of the night coming out of Group A with a lap time of 13.327 seconds. Sitting at the top of the speed charts in Group B was David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 at 13.616 seconds.

The timing and scoring experts quickly went to work to build out the starting lineups for the four 10-lap Heat races for each of the qualifying groups (a total of eight races overall). There would be an inversion of 6, 7 or 8 for each qualifying race determined by where the dreaded Wheel of Misfortune stopped when the fastest driver of the night spun it. Kyle Larson had the honors of assessing his luck at the wheel. He spun it and when the wheel made its final click and stopped rolling it ended on the “6” putting the fastest cars in each heat back on the outside of row three. That would certainly make things more interesting in these qualifying races with only five transfer positions available in each race. It also requires a track to be prepped that allows for passing.

After the four Group A Heat races were completed and unexpected deluge of rain started to fall on Eldora causing and extended rain delay as the track crew was hard at work recovering the surface. There were still four Heat races for the qualifiers in Group B remaining and after an hour and a half delay the track was again ready for racing. It would be narrower making passing a bit more difficult for most.

As the third quickest qualifier in Qualifying Group B, Carson pulled the Scott Boyd Family/Durst Inc./Greber Racing Components (GRC) #41 Maxim to the outside of row three sharing the space with Pennsylvania Posse driver Danny Dietrich #48 in BR Motorsports Heat #3. Tim Shaffer #17GP sat on the pole position in the front row with Brent Marks #19 to his outside. Brock Zearfoss #3z and Tanner Holmes #18T shared row two with Creed Kemenah #15K and Ryan Timms #10 together in row four. Timms crashed hard in hot laps and would not start the Heat race.

Only the top five finishers earned automatic transfer spots into the feature with finishers six through nine heading to the B-Feature. The drivers maintained the points they earned in time trials and would have an opportunity to add to their point totals accumulating more Every Lap Matters points in the qualifying race.

When the green flag waved controlled calamity at speed broke out as everyone was looking to move forward early to claim a spot with a lower number and a higher point total on the heavy and narrow track. Rico Abreu in the previous Heat race found a way as he went sixth to first to grab the win, so everyone was hoping to do the same. Tim Shaffer led Brent Marks when they crossed the finish line at the end of the first lap with Carson sitting in sixth place after going three wide at the start and making slight contact with the outside wall on the front straightaway. From that point forward it was a high-speed game of follow the leader as all the cars were running the same speed. Tim Shaffer took the win by 2.253 seconds over Brent Marks with Brock Zearfoss coming home third, Tanner Holmes fourth, and Danny Dietrich securing the fifth and final transfer position.

Following his heat race where Carson finished sixth, he added another 185 points to bring his accumulated total at this point of the show to 281 Every Lap Matters points following all qualifying action, but Carson was relegated to the B-Main for Group B.

Carson would start from the pole position aboard his Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 in the 12-lap Winters Performance B-Main with Christopher Bell #69K to his outside with Ashton Torgerson #1a and Emerson Axsom #27 behind in row two. Chase Randall #9R and Joel Myers Jr. #51 paced in row three with Creed Kemenah #15K and Jimmy Light #23L in row four. Row five was made up of Chris Andrews #15C and Brandon Spithaler #22 with Ryan Timms scheduled to be the lone starter in row six, but he was a scratch for the night. When the two drivers on the front row roared off turn four, they were side by side with Christopher Bell gaining a slight advantage down the front straightaway. But entering turn one, Carson drove the forty-one hard into the turn on the low side and came off turn two with the lead. He stayed on the gas and led the entire distance to win the B-Main over Bell, Torgerson, and Axsom. Those four drivers transferred to the A-Main and filled the starting positions in rows eleven and twelve in the second Double Down Duel for Group B.

The night of action had been filled with tension, weather/delays, drama, speed, excitement, and an entire range of emotions up until this point of the race card for both the drivers and the fans. The top ten drivers in points who advance out of their Heat races were eligible for the inversion that would again be determined by that fateful Wheel of Misfortune. There were only three numbers it could land on – eight, nine, or ten. When the high point driver at this point of the night, Rico Abreu #24 out of Group B, spun the oversized carnival style wheel it stopped on the number “9” which set the inversion.

With the top nine drivers inverted for the start of each of the Twin 25-lap Double Down Duel$ features it was bound to be exciting when the green flag dropped. There was a beautiful trophy and a $12,000 paycheck for each of the winners perched in the decorated victory lane. The first five rows of the second Twin 25-lap A-Main would feature Corey Day #14BC and Tanner Holmes #18T in row one followed by Bill Balog #17B and Justin Peck #26 rolling in row two. Garet Williamson #23W and Tyler Courtney #7BC were pacing in row three with Danny Dietrich #48 and David Gravel #2 following close behind in row four. The high point driver for Group B, Rico Abreu in the Whiskey Myers #24, would start ninth and share row five with Cale Thomas #49X.

Carson’s was gripping his steering wheel with his K1 Race Gear gloves as he prepared to rip around Eldora. Primed and ready to go from deep in the field, Carson was ready to let it all hang out piloting his Albaugh – Your Alternative/CS Productions/Fibreworks Composites #41 Maxim from the 21st starting spot.

Corey Day did not waste any time keeping the number one spot when the green flag came out to start the race. He vaulted into the lead with Tanner Holmes in tow. Carson went to work too as he gained one spot on the opening lap and was eagerly looking for more. He had to be aggressive and was doing it responsibly. His efforts were rewarded as he was running in 16th place by the end of the third lap.

On lap 5, the yellow flag slowed the action. The field of remaining cars regrouped and when they went back to green flag racing the red lights came on quickly when Justin Peck got into the turn one fence flipping hard into the fence stopping abruptly after hitting the safety signal pole. Tyler Courtney did a masterful job avoiding hitting Peck’s open cage in a brilliant maneuver to avoid direct contact. Another reminder these drivers are the ultimate professionals.

Carson would restart in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 thirteenth behind Hunter Schuerenberg, Kasey, Kahne, Brock Zearfoss, Garet Williamson, and Danny Dietrich ready to get back to work. Corey Day revved his motor a ripped back into the lead with David Gravel moving into the runner-up position with a pass of Tanner Holmes. Carson used his Kistler Engines power and the low line to work his way forward and by the end of lap 6 was running in the eighth position directly in front of Danny Dietrich and just behind Cale Thomas.

These three drivers were in a battle. The next lap Dietrich passed both relegating Carson back to ninth place with 21 laps to go. It would take him three laps to work his way by Cale Thomas into the eighth position with his sights now sets of the painted #48 on Dietrich’s tail tank.

Corey Day was still out front with David Gravel closing and Tanner Holmes comfortably in the mix. Carson had speed and closed on Dietrich. On lap 11, he moved by the driver of the Weikert’s Livestock/Speedway Cars #48. He had the forty-one in the seventh position running behind Bill Balog, Rico Abreu, and Tyler Courtney.

Carson continued to push the pace as Abreu and Courtney moved by Balog for position. The laps were running out as the flagman showed the double sticks indicating two laps to go. Carson was closing in fast on Balog looking to gain one more spot before the race ended. He accomplished that feat on the very last lap to cross the finish line in sixth place from his twenty-first starting position. Corey Day took the win ahead of David Gravel. Tanner Holmes, and Rico Abreu with Tyler Courtney completing the top five. What a great display of driving and perseverance.

Following the High Limit Racing’s post-race tech inspections, runner-up David Gravel was disqualified by race officials for the nose wing being too far forward relegating him to the 24th finishing position. That moved everyone up one position resulting in Tanner Holmes officially being second, Rico Abreu third and Tyler Courtney fourth with Carson raising to fifth place in the final rundown.

With his fifth place run in his portion of the Double Down Duel$, Carson earned an additional 284 points for his performance in the feature to bring his accumulated Every Lap Matters point total to 565. That total was eighth overall following the Double Down Duel$ which locked the team into the Joker’s Jackpot A-Main on Thursday. Carson is slated to start on the outside of row four in the eighth starting spot in the A-Main.

The Double Down Duel$ Go Off the Rails with Drama and Excitement at Eldora Speedway with Carson Macedo Charging Home With a 5th Place Finish! 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.

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