SLINGIN’ DIRT ON MEMORIAL DAY: GETTING AFTER IT ON A RACY BULLRING DURING THE DELAYED STARS AND STRIPES SALUTE FINALE AT HUSET’S SPEEDWAY TO WRAP UP THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WITH AN 11TH PLACE RUN
BRANDON, SOUTH DAKOTA (May 25, 2026) – The first part of the Stars and Stripes Salute weekend began at Knoxville Raceway on Saturday night ended with Aaron Reutzel in victory lane aboard the Power Plus!/Folken Brothers Trucking #87. Carson Macedo performed well with his incredible drive forward in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 charging from his twenty-second starting position to a ninth place finish in the race. The race teams then made the 350+ mile drive up to Huset’s Speedway for the finale on Sunday night at Tod Quiring’s beautiful 1/3 mile, high-banked dirt oval that sits in the southeast corner of “The Mount Rushmore State” of South Dakota. But Mother Nature moved in pushing the show back 24 hours to Monday. This racing facility always brings the action and overall entertainment value to a new level when the traveling tour of speed stars come to town to race against the always tough and formidable Huset’s regular competitors. There were 33 410 sprint cars parked beside each other in the pit area located outside the track on the back straightaway. Joining the WoO stars was a strong contingent of Late Model Street Stocks for the show. It was race day in South Dakota – World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink style!
Each group of drivers got a few laps at speed during Race//Ready Hot Laps before they had to go out officially against the clock in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Terry McCarl still holds the track record here at the track that he established back on May 10, 2009, when he raced around this bullring in 10.317 seconds. That was the high pace mark these drivers were shooting to match or beat on this night. Set to be the 31st car out for his high speed adventure around Huset’s Speedway, Carson was behind the wheel of the Scott Boyd Family/Motor State Distributing/Smith TI #41 Maxim. After Felton, Minnesota’s Andy Pake #64 completed his laps, the Lemoore, California-born native was next up on the clock. He mashed the gas and was up to full song by the time he exited turn four to take the green flag on his first attempt. Carson had his elbows up and worked his way through both sets of turns at opposite ends of the track before crossing the timing stripe in 10.985 seconds. He kept his right K1 Race Gear boot planted on the loud pedal looking for everything and anything more his Kistler Engines powerplant could provide. This time when he crossed the start/finish line to end his second lap, the numbers on the scoreboard were higher coming in at 11.000 seconds flat. His first lap, which was the fastest of his two attempts, was 16th quick overall. Topping the speed charts was Sheldon Haudenschild in the Royal Flooring/NOS Energy Drink #18 turning a lap in 10.745 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.
The backstretch gate opened from the pit area as the cars in the first of four Heat races rolled onto the track. Each race would be ten laps at speed with all drivers racing for just five transfer positions. Slated to start from the fourth position in the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/High Performance Lubricants/Vortex Racing Products #41 in Golf Cart Services Heat Race #4, Carson climbed into the cockpit of his Maxim Racing hotrod. Starting to the inside of the forty one was Ryan Timms in the Hampel Oil/Mystik Lubricants #10 in row two with David Gravel #2 and Aaron Reutzel #87 directly in front of them on the front row. Ashton Torgerson #51 and Mark Dobmeier #13 comprised row three with Kaleb Johnson #22K and Skylar Gee #16C pacing together in the fourth and final row.
With the sun still shining, the speedometers would have quickly escalated if they had them when the green flag waved. David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 pedaling into the early race lead ahead of Aaron Reutzel with Carson was manhandling the Albaugh – Your Alternative machine from the third spot.
Mark Dobmeier moved into fourth and was looking to make the pass underneath Carson Macedo. The next time by he moved the Buffalo Wild Wings #13 into the third spot with Carson in fourth trying to hold off Ryan Timms who was now looking to scoot underneath the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 too. Timms moved by the forty-one with Ashton Torgerson trying to take the fifth and final transfer position away from Macedo. Carson got up over the cushion in turn two and Torgerson pounced on the opportunity to drive by into fifth place. The Lemoore, California racer was now running sixth one position out of a transfer spot.
The ten laps flew by as David Gravel raced by the black and white cloth securing the win over Aaron Reutzel and Mark Dobmeier with Ryan Timms and Ashton Torgerson rounding out the top five. Each of those drivers earned transfer spots into the A-Main feature at the end of the night with the balance of the field having to try to earn their way into the feature by securing one of the four remaining transfer positions available in the Last Chance Showdown (LCS). Carson finished sixth which meant he would have to work some more to gain his spot in the feature.
There were only four more transfer positions available, and they would need to be earned through the 12-lap Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS). Carson would have to race hard for one of those positions from his sixth starting spot with Kasey Jedrzejek #6 sharing row three with him on the inside. Matt Juhl #14H and Conner Morrell #28M led the field from the front row with Emerson Axsom #27 and Gage Pulkrabek #G5 in row two. Other starters in rows four on back were Weston Olsen #27W, Andy Pake #64, Kaleb Johnson #22K, Riley Goodno #16, Jacob Peterson #80P, Lee Good Jr. #17G, Skylar Gee #16C, Koby Werkmeister #31, and Cole Vanderheiden #81.
The pressure was on as the yellow lights were turned off. Out of turn four the green flag waved with Matt Juhl jumping into the lead with Conner Morrell, Emerson Axsom, and Gage Pulkrabek racing in the leader’s tracks. Just behind them though Kasey Jedrzejek got sideways off turn four just missing contacting Carson to his outside allowing Weston Olsen to move into the fifth position ahead of the forty-one.
Carson regained that lost position on lap 3 as he continued to search for speed as he was still one spot out and looking in at a transfer position. By the hallway point of the race he had caught up to Gage Pulkrabek who was holding down the fourth and final transfer spot. Carson looked low and eventually drove around the outside of Pulkrabek through the first set of turns into that coveted fourth position. He immediately turned the car down to the bottom looking to gain another spot from Conner Morrell. He passed him and was now sitting in the third position with three laps to go.
Emerson Axsom wrestled the lead away from Matt Juhl with two laps remaining and raced to the win by 0.700 seconds over Juhl. Carson crossed the finish line in third with Conner Morrell locking down the last transfer position into the A-Main feature out of the LCS.
The time finally arrived when these professional sprint car stars could put on a show in the 35-lap finale of the Stars and Stripes Salute at Huset’s Speedway. The starters in the first four rows earned those spots based on where they finished in the Toyota Dash. That meant ten-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz #15 and Aaron Reutzel #87 were in the catbird seats on the front row with Sheldon Haudenschild #18 and Bill Balog #17B following them in row two. Justin Henderson #11 and Austin McCarl #88 were perched alongside each other in row three with Buddy Kofoid #83 and David Gravel #2 eager to pound the accelerator from their positions in row four.
Masked underneath his Bell Helmet Carson had his game face on. Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman just wrapped up their final setup installation and safety check before pushing him back away from the hauler to escort him onto the track to stage in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/FK Rod Ends/Walker Performance Filtration #41 Maxim where he would start from the inside of row twelve. He had a lot of work to do on this fast racing surface at Huset’s Speedway.
When all the pomp and circumstance concluded as the stars of the sport went four-wide to salute the fans they hustled back into their spots in starting formation. The excitement was evident. The anticipation inside the cockpit and throughout the stands was palpable. It was time to go racing World of Outlaws style at Huset’s Speedway!
The green flag was out with the driver of the Power Plus!/Folken Brothers Trucking #87 claiming the top spot through the first set of turns. He led the opening lap followed by Donny Schatz and Bill Balog who was mired in a serious battling for third with Sheldon Haudenschild. Further back, but already making his way forward, Carson gained five spots early and was scored in 18th place.
On lap 2, the caution flag flew for Cole Macedo in the TwoC Racing #2C who got sideways and spun to a stop in turn two. When the drivers got back on the gas the green was only out for an abbreviated period before being replaced by the red flag as Ryan Timms #10 hooked the cushion off turn four and flipped down across the front straightaway stopping at the inside wall. He climbed out disappointed but was ok.
Aaron Reutzel would bring the remaining competitors back to green flag racing with Schatz, Kofoid, and Balog pushing the limits. Carson restarted from the 16th position and gained two spots in the running order as he continued his forward assault running just inside the top 15. Buddy Kofoid began to shine though as he was on the move aboard the Roth Motorsports/Mobil 1 #83. He hustled past Donny Schatz into the runner-up position and on lap 13 seized the lead from Reutzel as they raced through slower traffic. To no one’s surprise the Roth Motorsports #83 was fast at Huset’s Speedway . . . again.
Carson was battling Mark Dobmeier for the 13th spot and would make the pass for that position just after the halfway point of the race. Up front Buddy Kofoid began to check out but behind him Sheldon Haudenschild was now making his way forward as he passed Reutzel for the runner-up position with 11 laps to go.
It was Kofoid, Haudenschild, and Reutzel out front with Schatz and Balog staying close behind. Carson was battling with Logan Schuchart, Justin Henderson, and Emerson Axsom for positions eleven through fourteen on the scoreboard as the racing continued to be intense from the front of the pack to the back of the pack. The action here at Huset’s is amazing. Lap after lap these high speed daredevils make it look easy. This is quality entertainment World of Outlaws sprint car style.
The laps were winding down as the flagman held his hand out with all five fingers extended. This indicates to the drivers there are only five laps remaining in the race. If they had something left in the tank they needed to show it and show it now. Buddy Kofoid was still out front followed by Sheldon Haudenschild, Aaron Reutzel, David Gravel, and Donny Schatz all trying to stay in contention for the win. Carson was running in the 12th position as he just earned the spot by moving around Emerson Axsom with two laps to go.
Buddy Kofoid earned the big $20,000 check crossing the finish line in first with Sheldon Haudenschild coming home second and Aaron Reutzel rounding out the podium. David Gravel finished fourth with Donny Schatz completing the top five in the Stars and Stripes finale. Carson was the twelfth car to finish the race but was officially scored as the 11th place finisher when Chris Windom #7s got docked two spots in the finishing order for jumping on a restart. Carson again passed a lot of cars, twelve to be exact on this night, for the second night in a row to earn the KSE Hard Charger honors.
The traveling tour stays in the Dakotas next weekend as they continue north for two nights in the “The Peace Garden State” of North Dakota with stops in Grand Forks at River Cities Speedway (5/29) and Minot for the Magic City Showdown at Nodak Speedway (5/31). #DonMackClassic (Friday) #Magic City Showdown (Sunday)
Throwin’ Dirt and Showin’ Grit at Huset’s Speedway in the Finale of the Stars and Stripes Salute! Photo Credit: Tyler Carr
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