UPHILL BATTLE ALL NIGHT: DIGGING FOR TREASURES IN SOUTH DAKOTA CONTINUED TO BE DIFFICULT DURING THE PRELIMINARY NIGHT OF THE BILLIONAUTO.COM HUSET’S HIGH BANK NATIONALS AS THE TEAM STRUGGLED

BRANDON, SOUTH DAKOTA (June 19, 2026) – After racing home at Huset’s Speedway with a 15th place finish in the finale of the Hefty Seed Huset’s Hustle on Thursday night, Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team locked in for another night of competitive racing on Friday night. The chatter around the pit area was a mix surrounding Wednesday and Thursday night’s race winner Buddy Kofoid in the Roth Motorsports #83 who celebrated his $150K triumph under the falling confetti in victory lane with emergent thoughts focused on who possibly in the field could dethrone the Roth Motorsports #83 driver on the preliminary night of the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals at Huset’s Speedway. With more opportunity and money on the line, $20,000-to-win and $1,500-to-start, for all the race teams at the “Bullring of Dollars,” which kept its part of the promise to the sport – great racing and big paychecks – the drivers and race teams continued to gear up and ready to go. The pit area was packed tight with 53 cars on hand. Each one of the teams focused on the exact same thing – performance optimization. It was race day at Huset’s Speedway for the third consecutive night in a row. Buckle up and let’s go racing in Brandon, South Dakota!

Following Race//Ready Hot Laps the huge field of competitors split into two groups for Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Carson climbed into the cockpit of his Maxim Racing machine and locked in his JOES Matador Steering Wheel tight for his timed speed session around the 1/3-mile bullring. After pulling the ‘77’ pill Macedo was slated to be the 23rd driver out on the track in Flight B. Carson sat quietly in the staging area awaiting his turn. When Justin Henderson in the Mike McGhee & Associates Swimming Pool & Spa Contractor #11 raced through the timing stripe to complete his eligible qualifying laps, the Lemoore, California born racer welcomed his shot in the race against time. Carson stood on the gas pedal as he built up his momentum in route to the waving green flag. Upon arrival at the starting line the numbers on the stopwatch began to sprint in full motion, and Carson was on the move. Throughout his first lap he made speed and evaluated the limits, both the tracks and his, while completing the lap in 12.026 seconds. Hard at work, Carson continued his journey throughout the second lap around Huset’s searching for more speed and pushing the limits. This time when he drove under the waving checkered flag the numbers that recorded his lap popped up on the scoreboard read 11.992 seconds. The lower of his two times ended up being 16th quick overall (170 points) in Flight B with Spencer Bayston in the NOS Energy Drink/Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing #17 sitting at the top of the speed charts for that group. The quickest speed chauffeur out of the next group was David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 who whipped around Huset’s bullring in 11.015 seconds earning his twelfth Simpson Quick Time Award for the fastest lap of the night overall out of Flight A in time trials.

A few minutes after Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying concluded, the starting grids for the six 10-lapHeat races posted based on each driver’s best time in time trials. These races invert the top six drivers putting the fastest driver back on the outside of row three with important preliminary points on the line every time the drivers hit the track. Race officials assigned the drivers in the Flight A qualifying group to one of the first three Heat races with the drivers from Flight B directed into the fourth, fifth, or sixth Heat race. For Carson that meant he would get his qualifying race started aboard the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Pro Powder Coating (PPC)/PWR Advanced Cooling Technology #41 Maxim from the pole position in Golf Cart Services Heat Race #4. He shared the front row with Brookings, South Dakota’s Dominic Dobesh #9D. The duo that paced behind front row starters were Cole Macedo #2C and Jy Corbet #25 in row two with Giovanni Scelzi #77 and Spencer Bayston #17 rolling alongside each other in row three. The starters in row four were Blaine Stegenga #96 and Ashton Torgerson #51 with the lone starting spot in row five was inhabited by Riley Goodno #16 as he tagged the rear of the field.

Primed and ready to go, these drivers focused on their goals when the lights turned off around the track and the flagman showed them the one-to-go signal. They were racing for position and points. The better they finished, the higher their point total would end up, which would be used to lock the highest point earners into the A-Main.

As the front row starters came out of turn four the green flag was out and fluttering in the wind. It was a messy initial start to the race and the flagman threw the yellow flag instructing the drivers through their one-way radios to clean it up the next time by on the restart.

The tried it again and the race was on in the fourth Heat race with Carson Macedo driving into the clean air aboard the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/FK Rod Ends/Ben Cook Race Car Products #41 followed by his younger brother Cole Macedo in the Rod End Supply/TwoC Racing entry with Dominic Dobesh falling back to third.

Behind them Giovanni Scelzi started to make his way forward digging from the fourth spot with Jy Corbet holding down the last scored position in the top five. Carson was cruising out front with no one with earshot of him.

The driver of the forty-one hustled to victory by 1.643 seconds ahead of Cole Macedo (97 points) with Giovanni Scelzi (94 points) working his way up to finish third as Dominic Dobesh (91 points) and Spencer Bayston (88 points) rounded out the top five in the finishing order. Jy Corbet (85 points) came home sixth, Ashton Torgerson (82 points) seventh, and Riley Goodno (79 points) in eight as Blaine Stegenga (76 points) raced under the checkers in ninth place.

When combining his points earned in time trials and his qualifying race, Carson cumulative point total sat at 270 points, which was 13th highest overall in Flight B, which relegated the forty-one to the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS).

There was a total of twenty-two drivers in the 12-lap Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS) starting grid vying for the last four starting spots in the A-Main. Daison Pursley #9 would start from the pole position with Jy Corbet #25 to his outside on the front row. Sam Henderson #83JR and Kasey Jedrzejek #6 shared row two with Emerson Axsom #27 and Carson Macedo behind the wheel of the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Border International/ Durst Inc. #41 Maxim in row three. Row four found Dayne Kingshott #3 and Christopher Thram #24T with Jacob Hughes #8 and Dominic Dobesh #9 peaking out of row five.

When the flagman waved the green flag, polesitter Daison Pursley took the lead ahead of Henderson, Corbet, and Axsom. Carson got shuffled back one spot and was running in the seventh position behind Jedrzejek, and Kingshott in the running order. The next time around Huset’s, Carson got into the rear nerf bar of Dayne Kingshott before tagging the outside wall hard coming down the front straightaway falling back to ninth place. That all occurred before the red flag came out for Kaleb Johnson #22K who flipped after getting up and over Justin Henderson’s right rear tire entering turn one.

Leader Daison Pursley stood on the gas and got the field back up to speed. He was showing the way around this speed arena with all the action occurring behind him as five drivers were all battling for one of the three remaining transfer positions. Carson stayed in the hunt but was battling an ill handling car as he maintained the ninth spot in the running order.

On lap 10, the red flag was back out in the LCS, this time for Gage Pulkrabek #G5 who made heavy impact with the frontstretch wall flipping hard. He was ok, but his car was destroyed ending his night.

The drivers would restart with Daison Pursley, Emerson Axsom, Jy Corbet, and Sam Henderson holding the coveted four transfer position with Carson still running in ninth place. They all raced under the white flag indicating one lap to go, but the yellow flag came out for Scott Winters who spun in turn one.

It would be a green-white-checkered finish with Pursley showing the way. He raced to the win with Emerson Axsom coming home second, Jy Corbet third, and Andy Pake stealing the fourth and final transfer position out of the LCS. Christopher Thram came home fifth followed by Dayne Kingshott in sixth. Carson passed two cars late to finish seventh with Kasey Jedrzejek, Chris Martin, and Kerry Madsen completing the top ten.

With no Toyota Dash as part of the event format, the teams worked feverishly on their speed chariots in preparation for the feature. After a brief respite in the racing action, the air horn sounded throughout the pit area summoning the teams to the track for the start of the 35-lap BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals preliminary night, $20,000-to-win A-Main. The top ten in points from each group locked into the top twenty spots in the feature with the top four finishers in the B-Main joining in rows eleven and twelve (positions 21-24). The starters in the first four row gained the right to begin the last race based on where the number they drew in the Toyota Redraw. That put Logan Schuchart #1s and Bill Balog #17B up front with Conner Morrell #28M and Donny Schatz #15 pacing behind in row two. Side-by-side in row three were Sheldon Haudenschild #18 and Giovanni Scelzi #77 with Spencer Bayston #17 and David Gravel #2 together in row four. After battling all night, Carson unfortunately recorded his first Did Not Start (DNS) of the season and would not race in the A-Main on Friday night.

After going four-wide in front of the packed house here in South Dakota, the drivers finalized their early race strategies as they zoomed back into their positions in the two-by-two starting formation. It was time to get down to business at Huset’s Speedway. It was time to stand on the gas. Polesitter Logan Schuchart accelerated out of turn four and in milliseconds the field was up to racing speed and working through the first set of turns.

Hanover, Pennsylvania driver led the opening lap as he set the pace. Schuchart would lead 29 of the 35 laps before surrendering the lead away to Sheldon Haudenschild in the KCP Racing/Royal Flooring/NOS Energy Drink #18 with six laps to go. Sheldon led the remaining laps, but the last one was exciting as he held off the hard charging Donny Schatz in the CJB/Hi-Plains Building Division #15 by just a half a car length at the finish line. Logan Schuchart came home third, David Gravel fourth, with Spencer Bayston darting across the finish line to complete the top five. Sixth place through tenth place were Giovanni Scelzi, Buddy Kofoid (KSE Hard Charger at +13), Tyler Courtney, Garet Williamson, and Chris Windom.

After finishing the LCS in seventh place Carson earned more event points (162 points),which brought his cumulative preliminary night event point total to 432 points. That point total was 28th overall after the dust settled and the engines quieted, which would place him in a row three starting position in one of the six Heat races on Saturday night where only three transfer spots are available out of each competitive race. Carson and the JJR #41 team had some heavy lifting to do on Saturday night in South Dakota.

After Friday night’s action ended and the fans mingled throughout the pit area to get their favorite driver’s autograph, the drivers and race teams turned one hundred percent of their attention to Saturday night BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals $300,000-to-win finale. If an outsider invaded and wins the race they would pocket an additional $100,000 Bounty Bonus. Quite the incentive to race at this impressive place located just outside Brandon, South Dakota. Do not miss a lap of intense racing action. Either come out to Huset’s Speedway or tune in on DIRTVision! #HighBankNats

Humbling Night to Open the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals Event! 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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