SPINNING UP TOP: CARSON MACEDO DEPARTS HARTFORD SPEEDWAY IN MICHIGAN WITH AN 11TH PLACE FINISH COMPETING AND RALLYING BACK AFTER LOOPING THE MVT #41 IN TURN THREE DURING THE PURE MICHIGAN SHOWDOWN

HARTFORD, MICHIGAN (July 9, 2026) – With four wins recorded so far in the 2026 season, with the most recent one in Wisconsin back on June 7th at Angell Park Speedway, Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team set their GPS to take them East side of Lake Michigan to start a busy stretch of racing beginning at Hartford Speedway. After the originally scheduled date for Pure Michigan Showdown rained out back on June 5th, World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series officials worked with SLS Promotions leaders to find and reschedule a date to return to this track. The race would start a three race weekend through Michigan and Wisconsin to commence the busy, and important, month of July. The mid-summer journey for the team was set to start in Michigan on Friday night at Hartford Speedway’s dirt oval for the Pure Michigan Showdown. Located in the southwest corner of the state that looks like a mitten, just off the shores of Lake Michigan, this racetrack is dubbed as Michigan’s Widest 3/8 Mile Oval! The racing surface encourages passing and bravery. When the pit gates opened at the track 30 competitive sprint car teams pulled their haulers into the pit area as they found a space to park and call home for the night of action. It was race day in “The Great Lakes State” of Michigan – World of Outlaws style!

Following Race//Ready Hot Laps, the drivers began to stage for Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Time Trials are an important part of the racing format each night because each driver gets to assess their speed unincumbered out on the racing surface as they chase the lowest number on the stopwatch. To accomplish the best time each speed athlete must bring together the power of the engine and the traction of the tires together with their driving skills and courage to push the limits. The High Performance Lubricants/Motor State Distributors/CASM Safety Products #41 Maxim with Carson Macedo behind the wheel would be the 29th car out on the track after pulling the ‘58’ pill. The Kistler Engines power under the hood awoke with the assistance of a push truck and Carson was on the move. Joining him in the race against the clock in two-car qualifying what Shark Racing’s Logan Schuchart #1s. Carson raced under the green flag and through the first set of turns with his entry plan into turn three top of mind. He exited turn four with the flagman dropping the white flag overhead. The driver of the forty-one completed the first lap in 13.787 seconds. He hit his marks again the second time around Hartford Speedway this time triggering the clock to stop in 13.892 seconds. The quicker of his two laps was sixth quick overall in the run down when the last qualifier completed his circuits. With a lap of 13.541 seconds becoming the New Track Record (NTR), David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 was the Simpson Quick Time Award recipient to start the night at Hartford Speedway.

The order in which each driver finished during time trials, top to bottom, was used to establish the starting lineups for each of the three 8-lap Heat races at Hartford Speedway With only six transfer spots up in each of these qualifying races the drivers must be up on the wheel from the drop of the green flag to the waving of the checkers. Carson’s sixth quick effort in time trials put him on the outside of the front row alongside red hot Sheldon Haudenschild #18 for the start of WIX Filters Heat Race #3. The talented duo paced in front of Chris Windom #7s and Skylar Gee #16 in row two with Kasey Jedrzejek #6 and Zane DeVault #14 side-by-side in row three. Rolling together in row four were Ricky Peterson #98 and Brad Lamberson #10RR with Jason Blonde #10BR and Jason Ferguson #33F holding down the final two starting positions in row five.

The field in the third qualifying race crawled through turns three and four but upon exited accelerated up to speed as the green flag fluttered in the wind. The driver of the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink #18 led the opening lap with the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 driver following in his tracks. Carson had the Border International/Walker Performance Filtration/Wilwood Racing hotrod moving as he laid down clean laps.

The leader used his speed to make some room on the racing surface early with Macedo trying to keep him within his sights. Chris Windom was running third followed by Skylar Gee and Kasey Jedrzejek. There would not be any interruptions to their speed patterns throughout the entire race with Sheldon Haudenschild racing under the checkered flag 2.327 seconds ahead of Carson. Those two drivers advance onto the Toyota Dash with Windo, Gee, Jedrzejek and Peterson earning the last four transfer spots out of the final Heat race.

The starting lineup for the 6-lap Toyota Dash would be determined based on the number drawn when they stuck their hand into the oversized NOS Energy Drink can and pulled a pill. Carson would know his fate by the time it was his turn to speak with Conner Wade as there would only be one number left in the can. That was the number four, which put the Albaugh – Your Alternative/FK Rod Ends/Smith TI #41 on the outside of row two with a familiar foe, Sheldon Haudenschild #18, to his inside. Those two talented racers would follow front row starters Bill Balog #17B and David Gravel #2 with Logan Schuchart #1s and Buddy Kofoid #83 in row three. The “North Pole Nightmare” Bill Balog seized the race lead at the drop of the green flag with Haudenschild, Gravel and Schuchart in tow. Kofoid moved by Macedo to take over fourth with Schuchart behind Carson in sixth with one lap in the books. They were racing for their starting positions in the feature, so they all stood on the gas. The Shark Racing #1s passed Carson during lap two and settled into the fifth spot. The Dash went green-to-checkers with Balog taking the win over Haudenschild and Gravel with Kofoid, Schuchart, and Macedo rounding out the finishing order.

The starting grid in the first three rows at the front of the pack for the 30-lap Pure Michigan Showdown were all gained based off where they finished in the Toyota Dash. That put Bill Balog #17B and Sheldon Haudenschild #18 on the front row with David Gravel #2 and Buddy Kofoid #83 behind them in row two. Populating row three were Logan Schuchart #1s and Carson Macedo #41.

Carson nestled into his Fibreworks Composites carbon fiber seat with a custom Sharp Advantage seat insert as he prepared for a Michigan type battle in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Bandy & Associates/Engler Machine & Tool, Inc. #41 Maxim. It was time to get down to business at Hartford Speedway, World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series style, around the proclaimed widest 3/8-mile dirt oval.

Sheldon Haudenschild did not waste any time at the start of the race moving into the lead on the opening lap ahead of Balog and Gravel with Carson scored into the sixth position. In between them though Buddy Kofoid showed early speed and pressured David Gravel for the show position making the pass on the second circuit. The Roth Motorsports #83 was fast and by lap 6 he moved past Bill Balog into the runner-up spot and was nipping on the tail of the leader just 0.158 seconds behind.

Carson continued to fight from the sixth position racing between David Gravel and Garet Williamson #23. Just before the halfway point of the race, Gravel moved into fourth overtaking Bill Balog for the position with the forty-one still running in sixth. Carson and Balog swapped the last spot in the top five, but on lap 16 Carson got up over the shelf into the dusty stuff entering turn three resulting in him spinning around. He kept going but was required to restart from the back of the lead lap cars.

When the race restarted, Sheldon Haudenschild continued to show the way out front with Kofoid, Schuchart, Gravel, and Balog just behind. Carson maneuvered back into the op fifteen before a red flag brought an abrupt halt to the racing action when Kasey Jedrzejek #6 and Darin Naida #2MD had a nasty flip in turn three. Both drivers were ok.

When racing resumed, the KCP Racing #18 was out front again with Carson moving into 14th place behind Ricky Peterson and Spencer Bayston. With ten laps to go, the caution flag was out again this time for Cole Macedo in the TwoC Racing #2c entry as the ninth place running driver slowed to a stop out of turn four.

The green flag was out on lap 21 with Haudenschild and Kofoid making tracks out front. Carson raced past Ricky Peterson into twelfth place, quickly turning his attention towards Skylar Gee running in the last spot outside the top ten. The next time around, Carson hustled by the Canadian-born sprint car chauffeur into eleventh place. Carson spent the remaining laps chasing the NOS Energy Drink #17 of Spener Bayston for the last spot in the top ten but came up one spot short rallying back for an 11th place finish at Hartford Speedway.

Sheldon Haudenschild led every lap to collect his fifth World of Outlaws win of the season followed across the finish line by Buddy Kofoid with David Gravel rounding out the podium. Garet Williamson and Logan Schuchart held down the last wo positions in the top five. With Balog, Windom, Schatz, Danny Sams III, and Bayston completing the top ten.

After graciously greeting the fans in the pit area after the races, the crew pushed the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 back into the trailer as Adam Zimmerman programmed Wilmot, Wisconsin into the GPS to take them over to the Wilmot Raceway for the two-day World of Outlaws O’Reilly Auto Parts Larry Hillerud Memorial Badger 40 that was set to fire up on Friday night. The racing at this track is great, so if you do not have plans to come out to Wilmot Raceway be sure to tune into DIRTVision to watch all the exciting action unfold in Wisconsin. #HillerudMemorial

Rallying in Michigan Around Hartford Speedway at the Pure Michigan Showdown! 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.

Go to ShopJJR.com to look at all our offerings and buy your new JJR and Carson Macedo gear and merchandise.