BULLRING BANGER: EXCITING LATE RACE ACTION IN NORTH DAKOTA ON THE FIRST LEG OF THE NORTHERN TOUR COMMENCES WITH THE DON MACK CLASSIC AT RIVER CITIES SPEEDWAY WITH CARSON MACEDO TRUCKING TO VICTORY LANE

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA (May 29, 2026) – The busy month of May began to wind down for Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 sprint car team as they headed North. Throughout the fifth month of the year the team visited six different states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, and South Dakota with a journey into North Dakota to end the month. The competition and schedule have been good to the team with the driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 picking up his second win of the World of Outlaws season at Jacksonville Speedway while earning two consecutive KSE Hard Charger honors last weekend during the Stars and Stripes Salute doubleheader at Knoxville and Huset’s and an additional one at Williams Grove earlier in the month. Carson has passed a lot of cars and looked to end the month of May on a high note in “The Peace Garden State” of North Dakota. The driver of the forty-one team signed into the pit area as a serious contender in the 1st Leg of the Northern Tour starting with the Don Mack Classic at River Cities Speedway. It was race day for the 31 traveling tour speed chauffeurs joined by the local teams at the Grand Forks Fair’s bullring along with the WISSOTA Late Models situated adjacent to Happy Harry’s Bottle Shop on North Columbia Road. Let’s get this party started!

Prior to 1999, River Cities Speedway was known as Grand Forks Speedway. No matter what the name of the track has been though the racing at this place has historically, and consistently, been simply incredible! The first drivers began to roll out onto the track in the initial group for their Race//Ready Hot Laps. After just a few laps on the gas each driver slowed down and quickly shifted their attention to time trials in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Two laps. No margin for error. All guts. Stopwatch ticking. Slated to be the first driver out on the sticky racing surface for his two timed laps, Carson flipped the shield down on his Bell Helmet and grasped the steering wheel with his K1 Race Gear gloves. With a slight tap from the push truck on his rear nerf bar the Kistler Engines power came alive as he entered the arena of speed. He pedaled down with his right foot to build his momentum up before taking the green flag to start the clock behind the wheel of the Scott Boyd Family/FK Rod Ends/Mr. Jim’s Racing #41 Maxim. He circled the bullring during the first lap in a stellar 10.112 seconds following that up the next time around in 10.046 seconds. The better of Carson’s two time trial attempts cemented him as the ninth quickest driver overall in time trials with David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports circling River Cities Speedway the fastest time to earn his tenth Simpson Quick Time Award of the season with an impressive lap of 9.861 seconds.

Carson’s 10-lap qualifying race would begin under overcast skies from the third position on the starting grid in NOS Energy Drink Heat Race #1 with Emerson Axsom #27 sharing row two with him. Focused and ready to go, the California racer finalized his early race strategy rolling around the track in front of the packed grandstands. David Gravel #2 and Andy Pake #64 paced the field from the front row with Chris Windom #7s and Spencer Bayston #17 in row three. Starting on the inside of row four was Laela Eisenschenk #15L with Colton Young #4 to his right side anticipating the green flag the next time by.

When they arrived at the chalk stripe laid down at the exit of turn four polesitter David Gravel pounced on the throttle and was off to the races followed by Pake and Macedo. But Andy Pake got a great start and used the outside line to drive through the first set of turns and into the race lead by the end of the first lap. Gravel was second with Carson in the mix running in third.

Andy Pake was on a mission. He had speed and was not missing any of his marks in the process of building his lead. It did not take long for him to catch up to the back of the pack though and he masterfully started to navigate the slower traffic. That same congestion allowed Carson to close in a bit on the Big Game Motorsports #2 to pose a fight for the runner-up position to get a shot to move into the Toyota Dash.

Felton, Minnesota’s Andy Pake put on a heck of a show to take the win as David Gravel followed him across the finish line. Those two drivers advanced onto the Toyota Dash out of this qualifying race with Carson Macedo driving the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Factory Kahne/Sam I Am #41 to a third place finish. Chris Windom and Emerson Axsom locked down the final two transfer positions with top five finishes.

The 24 drivers that made the A-Main field began to climb into their speed chariots before staging around the track in preparation for the 40-lap Don Mack Classic feature. LeGrange, Ohio’s Kasey Jedrzejek in the Bill Rose Racing #6 and David Gravel in the Billion Automotive/ShopHuset’s.com #2 earned the right to start on the front row by finishing first and second in the Toyota Dash. Following closely behind their rear nerf bars from row two were Bill Balog in the Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup #17B and Andy Pake in the TDS Trucking/STP #64 with Cole Macedo in the TwoC Racing #2C and Sheldon Haudenschild in the KCP Racing/Aspen Aire #18 side-by-side in row three. Aligned together in row four were Garet Williamson in the Fischer Motorsports/S and S Insurance #23 and Conner Morrell in the Tub O’ Towels #28M with Carson settled into the ninth starting position aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Border International/Durst, Inc. #41 Maxim beside Mark Dobmeier in the Buffalo Wild Wings #13.

No more talking. No more planning. No more lollygagging. It was time to go racing at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota presented by SLS Promotions! The green flag was out and immediately the on track action triggered a sensory overload caused by all the 410 excitement these entertainers create. Kasey Jedrzejek led the opening circuit with Gravel and Balog trying to keep him within striking distance. Scored in the eighth position at the end of lap one, Carson was battling with Sheldon Haudenschild for the seventh spot in the running order.

On lap 3, fifth place running Andy Pake got up over the cushion and the edge of the track in turn two moving Carson into sixth with Garet Williamson clearly in his sights. The forty-one was on point and so was the driver. It took him three more trips around River Cities Speedway to gain the spot, but he moved by Williamson into the top five with 34 laps remaining in the race for the winner’s trophy.

The first caution of the race came out on lap 14 for Spencer Bayston who slowed in the NOS Energy Drink #17. It would be a double file restart with Kasey Jedrzejek and David Gravel side-by-side out front followed by Bill Balog, Cole Macedo, Carson Macedo, and Sheldon Haudenschild.

The green flag was back out with 26 laps to go with David Gravel powering his way into the lead over Kasey Jedrzejek. Cole Macedo trucked the TwoC Racing machine by Balog into the show position. Carson Macedo and Sheldon Haudenschild were trading the fifth position like kids exchanging baseball cards and gum over the next few laps with the driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 eventually coming out ahead in the battle on lap 16. He was not done yet though as there was a lot of racing left to compete and improve his place in the running order.

On lap 17, Spencer Bayston got up and over the berm in tourn two to bring out the second unassisted caution which ended his night of racing as he headed pit side. David Gravel would fire back off with Cole Macedo driving around Jedrzejek into the runner-up position. The driver of the TwoC Racing entry was fast and tracking down the Big Game Motorsports #2. Carson stuck with the front two as he moved into fourth after a pass on Bill Balog.

With 10 laps to go, Carson moved up another spot as he raced by Kasey Jedrzejek into the third position behind David Gravel and Cole Macedo. The next time around he moved into second when Cole Macedo fell victim to the turn two edge at River Cities as he got up over the berm and came back onto the track in seventh place.

Now there was 1.5 seconds between Carson Macedo and the leader David Gravel who was out front navigating lap traffic at speed with Kasey Jedrzejek in third. That gap between the two was shrinking lap after lap though and with five laps to go Carson was close enough to read the color code for the paint off Gravel’s fuel tank.

The next time around River Cities Speedway, Carson drove off the high side in turn four and underneath Gravel at the start/finish line. Scored as the leader, the driver of the forty-one had speed and momentum but Gravel continued with an all-out assault. The Connecticut born racer was not about to just rollover and accept second place as the outcome. The two talented racers exchanged the top spot multiple times throughout the next quarter mile with the driver of the black and green entry relentlessly fending off Gravel to regain the lead.

When the flagman unleashed the double checkered flags the winning honors went to Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team who earned the Don Mack Classic victory and the $12,000 winner’s check. David Gravel raced home second with Kasey Jedrzejek finishing third to collect his first World of Outlaws podium in Grand Forks. Chris Windom crossed the finish line fourth with Sheldon Haudenschild completing the top five. Positions six through ten were Buddy Kofoid, Cole Macedo, Donny Schatz, Garet Williamson, and Bill Balog.

Carson drove a terrific race and gained eight spots throughout the event to take the win. The confident and pleased driver climbed out of the cockpit to celebrate with his team under the falling confetti that goes to the victor. He spoke with Conner Wade from Victory Lane as he stated, “It’s pretty special to win here with Scott Boyd, one of our partners at SLS Promotions. Everything at River Cities, it’s always a packed house.” He then focused his attention to Philip Dietz and his JJR teammates as he explained, “Honesty this was just a Phil Dietz racecar right there. Every once in a while you get one of those and it’s just absolutely unbelievable. He killed it here tonight. Honestly, I felt a little off in time trials and really good in the Heat race. And I feel like we made a lot of gains as the track got faster.” After describing the events throughout his journey to the front in the feature, he stated, “Philip Dietz is just incredible. Robby McQuinn and Adam Zimmerman, they work really hard. We have been really good in the features lately, just struggling in qualifying. They are smart. They will figure it out and I need to get better, too.” It was Carson Macedo’s and the team’s third win of the season in 26 races to this point of the season. Another incredible run for Macedo and the forty-one!

Carson and the JJR #41 team will stay in North Dakota for the next race on tap at Nodak Speedway, located in Minot, for the Gerdau Metal Recycling Magic City Showdown on Sunday night. Tune into DIRTVision to catch every lap of every World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series race. #MagicCity Showdown

Elbows Up in North Dakota Around River Cities Speedway with Carson Macedo Races to the Don Mack Classic Victory! Photo Credit: Tyler Carr

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.

To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) and Carson Macedo go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.

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