BACK AT THE TRACK: THE ENGINES RE-FIRED AT I-55 FEDERATED AUTO PARTS RACEWAY FOR THE OPENER OF THE SPRING CLASSIC AFTER A BRIEF SCHEDULE HIATUS WITH CARSON MACEDO CROSSING THE FINISH LINE WITH A SECOND PLACE RUN IN THE FORTY-ONE

PEVELY, MISSOURI (April 10, 2026) – After charging forward at 81 Speedway back on March 28th, gaining 18 positions to finish in fourth place, Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team enjoyed the Easter break last weekend but were ready to get back on track Friday night. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series schedule conveniently kept them close at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park in Pevely, Missouri for the two-day Spring Classic. This high-banked, quarter mile bullring is simply a circle of pure excitement and formidable entertainment. The fans were bustling out in the merchandise area loading up on the favorite driver’s goodies as the race teams were hard at work preparing down in the pit area to shake the rust off in the “Show-Me State” for the second time this season. There were 37 winged sprint cars sitting behind their trailers ready to battle it out on the opening night of the Spring Classic.

With 37 competitors set to go on a beautiful night south of St. Louis, one entry shy of the required number for split qualifying, the field of cars would qualify in one group for Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. When perusing the lineup, Carson was set to be the second car out on the track aboard the Pro Powder Coating/LogoDaddy/Boltz Family #41 Maxim. He pulled the straps of his Crow Enterprizes safety belts tight one last as the push vehicle pulled up to his rear nerf bar to assist his Kistler Engines power to come to life just as the Artemis II Orion space capsule was plugging into the Pacific Ocean. He rolled up onto the track in turn two and dropped his right K1 Race Gear boot on the speed maker. Moving off turn four he saw the flagman waving the green flag and knew he was about to be on the clock. His elbows were high as he made his way around the demanding bullring making speed. At the end of lap one the clock read 11.089 seconds. Before the numbers could even pop up on the scoreboard for his first lap he was already racing out of turn two on his final lap. His Hoosier Racing Tires gripped the surface as he dug out of turn four and raced towards the checkered flag to end his second lap in 11.004 seconds. Carson ended up seventh quick overall based on the faster of his two attempts in time trials to open the Spring Classic. Time Trial ace David Gravel motoring in the Big Game Motorsports #2 sat at the top of the speed charts to earn his sixth Simpson Quick Time Award this season with an impressive lap around I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park at 10.695 seconds.

The lineups for each of the four 10-lap Heat Races posted featuring the Tarlton and Son/Sander Engineering/Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions #41 in the second starting position in WIX Filters Heat Race #3. Carson would line up on the outside of the front row alongside Ashton Torgerson in the Shark Racing #1a as they paced in front of Bill Balog in his Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup #17B and Conner Morrell in the Tub O’ Towels #28M in row two. Will Armitage #7A and Scotty Thiel #16C were together in row three with Howard Moore #40 and Jack Potter #15J paired up in row four. Alone in row five was Riley Goodno #22 ready to get rolling. There were five transfer spots available for the drivers to compete for when the green flag dropped in each qualifying race. The Heat race winners and runner-up finishers also gained access into the Toyota Dash to compete for one of the top eight starting positions in the first four rows of the feature later in the evening.

With a lot of important stuff on the line for the racers the field of cars lined up for the third Heat race. Polesitter Ashton Torgerson immediately got on the hammer as he drove off the bottom of turn four trying to be the first driver into the first set of turns. But Carson was on the gas too and used his momentum around the top side of the speedway to race into the lead. He led the opening lap followed by Torgerson and Balog.

Carson built a comfortable lead over Torgerson before the caution lights turned on at the halfway point of the race for Scotty Thiel who spun in turn one after slight incidental contact with Conner Morrell while racing for the fifth and final transfer spot.

When the field of speed stars got back up to speed, Carson hustled the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 back into the lead and immediately started to put some distance between himself and the remainder of the field. He led wire-to-wire to take the Heat Race win, his fourth of the 2026 season, crossing the finish line by 1.611 seconds ahead of Ashton Torgerson with Bill Balog, Will Armitage, and Conner Morrell locking down the remaining transfer position out of the third qualifying race.

The top two finishers in each of the four Heat Races moved into the Toyota Dash where they would race for their starting spots in the feature event. Where they would start in the Dash was determined by random draw. When all the numbers were pulled the starting lineup featured Spencer Bayston #17 on the pole with Buddy Kofoid #83 to his outside. Carson rolled onto the outside of row two. When the green flag dropped, Kofoid blasted into the lead followed by Bayston as Carson moved the Border International/Vortex Racing Products/Walker Performance Filtration #41 Maxim into the show position. Kofoid had the Roth Motorsports/Mobil 1/Toyota TRD #83 moving and led from start to finish to take the win over Spencer Bayston with Carson cruising home third ahead of Sheldon Haudenschild #18. Cole Macedo #2c finished fifth with Kasey Jedrzejek #6 coming home sixth as David Gravel #2 and Ashton Torgerson #1a rounded out the finishing order for the Dash.

The 24 eligible drivers who earned a spot in the 40-lap Spring Classic opening night feature made some final preparations before climbing into their high speed offices to get to work on the high banks of this bullring. The front row was made up of Buddy Kofoid and Spencer Bayston with Carson Macedo and Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink/Royal Flooring #18 close behind in row two. Cole Macedo in the TwoC Racing entry and Kasey Jedrzejek in the Bill Rose Racing #6 side-by-side in row three with two-time World of Outlaws champion David Gravel #2 and Ashton Torgerson #1a anxiously pacing in row four.

Carson pulled the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation/Team Jack Foundation #41 Maxim into his third starting position in row two with Wooster, Ohio’s Sheldon Haudenschild to his outside. This field of refined and talented speed technicians were about to put on a high speed show at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park.

After the traditional four-wide salute to the fans in the stands, as well as those tuning in on DIRTVision, the driver in position one stepped on the accelerated and the race was on in Missouri. Buddy Kofoid led the opening lap as Carson Macedo moved the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 Maxim into the runner-up position moving by Bayston in turn three.

On lap 3, the first caution flag of the feature came out for Bill Balog who spun in turn three after getting into a slowing Sheldon Haudenschild. The driver of the NOS Energy Drink #18 was off the pace after he and Cole Macedo made contact in the first set of turns sending both into the outside wall in turn two. Haudenschild entered the work area and rejoined the field.

Buddy Kofoid was on the point and led the field back up to speed with Carson right behind. At these speeds it does not take long for the leaders to catch up to the rear of the field. That occurred quickly enabling Carson to close in on the race leader. But the action came to a stop on the eighth circuit when Ashton Torgerson and Kasey Jedrzejek got together on a failed slide job that resulted in the Shark Racing #1a getting upside down.

With 32 laps to go, the Penngrove, California chauffeur was showing way while being tracked down by the tenacious driver from Lemoore, California. Carson was doing his best to patiently wait for an opportunity to race with the leader as they began to close in on the slower cars once again. The driver of the forty-one used this part of racing to put himself right in the mix racing hard with Kofoid for the lead.

As the action was heating up at the front of the pack between the two left coast racers, right at the halfway point of the race, the caution flag waved again this time for Kasey Jedrzejek who shredded his left rear tire leaving Sheldon Haudenschild nowhere to go resulting in front end damage. They both went to the work area with the KCP Racing #18 team doing an incredible job to get their driver fixed up and back out again.

When they went back to green flag racing sprint car chaos ensued with David Gravel and Logan Schuchart touching at speed down the front straightaway sending them both flipping wildly into turn one collecting a few other cars including Bill Balog who flipped as well. Both Logan Schuchart and David Gravel had mangled cars, but their crew members along with some help from some of the competitor’s teams did an amazing job fixing the cars so they could rejoin the field after the Open Red was completed.

Carson got back on the gas hoping he would get another opportunity to race with Kofoid for the lead. The green light around the track turned back on and the race was on! Kofoid led Macedo with a battle of the NOS Energy Drink cars – Spencer Bayston and Chris Windom – behind them. They were able to get a series of green laps completed as the leaders were once again wheeling and dealing in lap traffic.

Carson was able to keep the leader in sight but was never able to position himself where he could seriously contend for the top spot on the scoreboard. He continued to race hard and was giving it everything he had when the caution flag flew again on lap 34, this time for tenth running Carson McCarl #88 who slowed to a stop off turn two.

There were six laps remaining. Buddy Kofoid powered up to speed with Carson in tow. The driver of the Roth Motorsports #83 was cruising out front in clean air building up a sizable lead again over the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. The white flag was finally out indicating there was only a quarter mile of racing remaining. But that all changed when the red flag flew for Cole Macedo, whose TwoC Racing entry was laying on its side in turn four after tipping over as he attempted to avoid a hazardous and ill-timed slide job attempt by a fellow competitor.

This set up a green-white-checkered restart resulting in the feature being extended by one lap. Did Carson have anything for your race leader? Only time would tell. Buddy Kofoid was back on the accelerator staying in the lead and would not be denied as he raced to the win with Carson securing a runner-up finish as Spencer Bayston rounded out the podium. Donny Schatz and Ryan Timms rounded out the top five with Garet Williamson, Sheldon Haudenschild, Chris Windom, David Gravel, and Scott Bogucki all finishing in the top ten.

Another great run for Macedo and the forty-one! With one night of racing in the books at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park, the race teams were set to be back at the same place for the finale of the Spring Classic on Saturday night. Another night of bullring excitement. Be sure to come out to see the action live or tune into DIRTVision so you do not miss a lap of World of Outlaws action and entertainment.

Bold Moves Around the Bullring at I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park! 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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