KICKING IT AT KENNEDALE: CARSON MACEDO CONTINUES TO PRODUCE GOOD OUTCOMES CORRALING ALL THE HORSES TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE AT KENNEDALE SPEEDWAY PARK WITH A PODIUM FINISH TO OPEN THE COWTOWN CLASSIC
KENNEDALE, TEXAS (March 13, 2026) – The team’s time in the south continued Friday night as they traveled to Texas to continue the 2026 season at Kennedale Speedway Park for the two-day Cowtown Classic. They trek to The Lone Star State each year at this time when the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Series tour schedule brings them to town. This state-of-the-art race 3/10-mile dirt oval facility is beautiful and has produced great racing in the past. There were 33 travelling and local speedsters with their cars rolled out behind their haulers preparing for a night of high speed entertainment – World of Outlaws (WoO) style! It was race day at Kennedale Speedway Park in the Cowtown Classic opener!
First on the race card was the individual portion of the event beginning with each driver taking time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. The drivers began lining up in the staging area for single car qualifying. Slated to be the 25th competitor out on the track, Carson sat in his secured office space envisioning his laps as he monitored the other driver’s qualifying attempts waiting for his turn to race against the clock for two laps. When the push truck pulled behind and tapped the rear nerf bar of the Albaugh -Your Alternative #41, he flipped the shield down on his Bell Helmet as the Kistler Engines power came to life. With the track slowing down Carson immediately went to work doing what he loves to do . . . going fast in a 410 sprint car. When he raced across the starting line the numbers on the stopwatch were in full motion and so was the native of Lemoore, California aboard the Tarlton and Son/ BMRS (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions)/Maxim Racing hotrod. Carson completed the first circuit in 12.890 seconds and continued digging during the entire duration of his second attempt. His official time on lap two came in at 12.610 seconds, which was the better of his two time trial laps for the night placing him 15th quick overall in the final speed listing. Earning the Simpson Quick Time Award at Kennedale Speedway Park was none other than Kasey Jedrzejek in the Bill Rose #6R with a solid lap coming in at 12.172 seconds.
As the crew members were bustling around their driver’s speed chariots preparing them for qualifying race action, World of Outlaws officials built out the starting lineups for each of the four 10-lap Heat races. There would be at least eight cars in each of those qualifying races with one of the races adding an additional car all vying for one of the five coveted transfer positions available. Based on his best qualifying lap, Carson would get his race journey started from the fourth position as he pulled the Scott Boyd Family/ Saldana Racing Products/Mr. Jim’s Racing #41 Maxim up alongside John Carney II in the ELGi #2B in row two. The drivers paced behind front row starters Rees Moran #45x and Scotty Thiel #16C. The remaining starting lineup for WIX Filters Heat Race #3 found Dalton Stevans #99X and Ashton Torgerson #1A in row three with Cole Macedo #2C and Conner Morrell #28M holding down the positions in row four.
The driver’s pulled their safety belts tight one last time. Their hands positioned exactly right where they like them on the steering wheel. And their right feet were ready to drop so they could pick up the pace. The green flag was out with Rees Moran getting on the gas too early, bringing out the yellow flag resulting in race officials docking him two starting spots for the restart.
Now Scotty Thiel and John Carney II led the field back to the green flag with Carney bolting into the early race lead. Carson was up on the wheel in a three car battle for the runner-up spot from the get-go. He drove the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 between Thiel and Moran to move into the second position with Carney out front showing the way.
Carson stayed on the gas and began closing the gap between himself and the leader with each completed lap. Just before the halfway point of the race he was right on Carney’s tail tank. Macedo looked underneath Carney and was digging hard off turn four. The two cars almost made contact on exit but stayed clean and clear of each other as the Carson raced into the lead at the line on lap 5.
The next time around, lap 6, the yellow lights came on for Carney who slowed on the low side and turned into the infield with mechanical issues ending his strong run in the qualifying race.
Carson would summon his Kistler Engines power and get back up to speed out in front of the field with Thiel, Moran, and Torgerson behind him. The race for the key positions was tight with wheel-to-wheel action. That close racing resulted in the Shark Racing #1a getting up over Rees Moran’s right rear tire entering turn three, sending Ashton Torgerson flipping hard with the red flag waving. He was ok.
With four laps remaining it was pedal down time again. Carson led Scotty Thiel, Rees Moran, and Cole Macedo with Dalton Stevens running in the fifth and final transfer spot. Carson had speed and led the remaining laps to take the win by 2.336 seconds ahead of Scotty Thiel with Rees Moran, Cole Macedo, and Dalton Stevens collecting the last three transfer positions. It was Carson and the JJR team’s third Heat race win of the 2026 season, ironically all while racing in WIX Filters Heat Race #3 so far.
The first and second place finishers in the Heat races would draw for their starting positions for the 8-lap Toyota Dash at the World of Outlaws (WoO) Command Center. When all the numbered pills were gone Buddy Kofoid would be on the pole in the Roth Motorsports #83 with Christopher Thram #24T to his outside. Carson Macedo would start third in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 with Bill Balog #17B sharing row two with the Californian in the fourth spot. Sheldon Haudenschild #18 and David Gravel #2 were together in row three with Emerson Axsom #27 and Scotty Thiel #16C in row four ready for the start.
When the green flag flew it was Christopher Thram motoring into the lead with Buddy Kofoid stuck right to his rear nerf bar. Thram raced hard through turns three and four and drifted up on the exit. The Roth Motorsports driver was flying and carrying his speed around the outside of the track exiting the last turn. The two drivers made slight contact with Thram racing across the start/finish line with the lead while Kofoid had to get on the brakes to check up to avoid an adverse event allowing Balog by him briefly. The talented driver out of Penngrove, California kept the eighty-three going in the right direction but had some catching up to do. He would reclaim second from Balog as he looked towards the leader.
Racing behind them in the fourth spot, Carson was hustling with Bill Balog directly in front of him now as Haudenschild and Gravel battled hard for the fifth spot just behind him.
Christopher Thram set sail and took the Toyota Dash victory over Kofoid who charged back to finish second. Bill Balog came home in third position with Carson scored fourth. David Gravel crossed the finish line fifth followed by Haudenschild, Axsom, and Thiel.
The air horn sounded throughout the pit area as the drivers began to climb into their racecars for the 35-lap Cowtown Classic opening night feature. Everything each driver and team had worked for up to this point of the night positioned them in one of the 24 starting grid positions that made up this talented field at Kennedale Speedway Park. It was now time to go trophy and money chasing in Texas just outside the Dallas and Fort Worth area. Carson was ready to go and pulled the Albaugh – Your Alternative/KSE Race Products/T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication #41 into his fourth starting spot in row two paired up with Bill Balog in the Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup #17B.
After finishing first and second in the Dash, a talented set of drivers – Christopher Thram #24T and Buddy Kofoid #83 – were on the front row. David Gravel #2 and Sheldon Haudenschild paced together in row three behind Balog and Macedo, with Emerson Axsom #27 and Scotty Theil #16C tucked in behind in row four anxiously waiting to get on the gas.
The action went from slow paced to fast paced instantaneously when the green lights turned on around Kennedale. It was exciting from the start as Buddy Kofoid raced into turn one and exited turn two with the lead with Christopher Thram and Bill Balog staying right in the mix up front with Carson Macedo and David Gravel watching it all unfold right in front of them.
The next time by the flagstand Christopher Thram raced into the lead with Balog and Kofoid now in pursuit mode. The top three were still all together swapping positions and racing hard. At the end of lap three there was another new race leader. This time it was Bill Balog who was now out in front of Thram and Kofoid with Macedo and Gravel getting a free show before the red flag came out for a two car flip in turn four involving Howard Moore #40 and Ryder Laplante #88R.
The race stoppage allowed the fans in the stands to relax for a moment after the entertaining first three circuits while the drivers caught their breath. Once the accident scene cleared and race officials turned the yellow lights back on, the field re-aligned for the restart. It would be Balog and Thram leading an all-California row two with Kofoid and Macedo primed and ready to go.
The green flag was back out with Bill Balog out front. He was smooth as syrup in the lead with Kofoid, Macedo, and Gravel all scooting by Christopher Thram once they got a few laps recorded in the books. Carson was running on the high side trying to make speed and used that momentum to move into the runner-up position on lap 8 just ahead of Kofoid with Gravel and Axsom rounding out the top five.
On lap 9, the yellow flag was out for Scott Bogucki who spun out in turn one right in front of the leader. Everyone avoided him as they slowed down and were mentally preparing for the next restart. Balog lowered his right foot and within seconds was up to speed with chaos occurring behind him. Carson got shuffled back to fourth place but received a little luck when the red flag was thrown before a lap could be completed for a four car melee involving Cole Macedo #2C, Garet Williamson #23, Scott Bogucki #51, and Dalton Stevens #99X.
This time it would be a single file restart with Balog still showing the way out front in clean air with Macedo, Gravel, Kofoid, and Axsom all motoring behind him. The drivers of the Big Game Motorsports #2 and Roth Motorsports #83 were mired in an all-out war for the third position creating more excitement for the fans to watch lap after lap. They swapped the better position back and forth a few times before Gravel secured it keeping the leader set within his sights.
With 11 laps to go though Buddy Kofoid was rolling around the top side of the track though and closing in quickly on the two drivers at the front of the pack. Carson was fast and closing too as he wanted to be part of the mix in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41.
With 5 laps to go, Buddy Kofoid used his speed and drove the Mobil 1/TRD/Roth Motorsports #83 around the outside of Balog and Gravel into the lead. Kofoid’s time in the top spot was short lived as the cushion on the top side was razor thin and bit him. Entering turn three he caught the wall with his right rear tire causing his front end to get sucked into the wall ending with an abrupt stop after hitting the catch fence pole. He was ok, but his night of racing hard was over resulting in a 20th place finish.
Bill Balog inherited the lead back with David Gravel and Carson Macedo right behind. Sheldon Haudenschild and Logan Schuchart were now both in the top five hoping to battle with the top three for the winner’s check. When the green flag waved again Balog took off and put some distance between himself and second place running Gravel. Carson was right behind in third when the white flag waved. At this point it appeared like Bill Balog was going to collect the win, but Gravel had different ideas. He dove low into turn three and when Balog exited turn four he caught the wall with Gravel scooting under him with a last lap, last corner pass as he crossed the finish line first. Balog held on for second with Carson securing the final spot on the podium with a third place finish. Logan Schuchart made a late race move to get by Haudenschild as the two talented racers finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Another entertaining race – World of Outlaws style! It was also another good run for Carson Macedo and the forty-one as it was his sixth top four finish in seven races with the lone one outside the top five being his seventh place run last week at the Talladega Short Track.
There is no rest for the weary as the World of Outlaws teams get right back at it Saturday night in the finale of the Cowtown Classic at Kennedale Speedway Park. If you do not plan to come out to the races, be sure to tune into DIRTVision to catch every lap of entertainment and speed.
Carson Macedo had Fun Racing in Texas in the Opener of the Cowtown Classic as he Circled Kennedale Speedway Park Finishing in Third Place! Photo Credit: World of Outlaws
JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners for 2026: 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); 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; Crow Enterprizes; CS Productions; Dale “Mickey” Snyder; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Greber Racing Components (GRC); 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; PWR Advanced Cooling Technology; 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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