JOSTLING IN JACKSON: A COMPETITIVE FIELD SHINES IN THE NORTH STAR STATE OF MINNESOTA PUTTING ON A HIGH SPEED SHOW AT THE FENDT SHOWDOWN WITH CARSON MACEDO FINISHING ON THE PODIUM WITH A THIRD PLACE RUN

JACKSON, MINNESOTA (August 22, 2026) – When the surroundings in upstate Minnesota quieted around Ogilvie Raceway early Saturday morning, after a three hour long rain delay where Sheldon Haudenschild drove to victory in the 2026 edition of the Big O Showdown, the race teams loaded up wearied eyed and headed down to the beautiful Jackson Motorplex. Carson Macedo was on the podium at Ogilvie Raceway after driving the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 to a runner-up finish along with Garet Williamson who raced home third. The California native was excited to go racing again in Minnesota. The teams had a 220 plus mile drive to spend time together, reflect, and discuss performance and goals in preparation of getting back on a racetrack Saturday night. This 4/10-mile black clay oval opened back in 1934 on the Jackson County Fairgrounds hosted their first World of Outlaws (WoO) race 39 years ago back in 1987. Most were incredibly entertaining. The high speed WoO stars were back in town at the Jackson Motorplex for the FENDT Showdown eager and ready to entertain by doing what they love – competing against each other night-in and night-out. There were 37 race teams locked and loaded parked throughout the pits for an exciting night of high speed entertainment – World of Outlaws style.

After getting a few laps on the black clay surface to evaluate their setups and speed, Carson established the quickest lap to earn the Race//Ready Hottest Lap of the Night honors. He along with the other winged car drivers began to stage in the pit area for their two qualifying laps in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Based on the car count there would only be one group for time trials as they came up one car shot for a split field. Carson would be the 19th speed chauffeur to hit the track aboard the Durst Inc./Border International/Winters Performance Products #41 Maxim. With the late summer sun still hovering overhead in the distance behind the water tower, Carson inched closer to the front of the line. When Mark Dobmeier in the Buffalo Wild Wings #13 completed his go fast ‘rounds at Jackson it was Carson’s turn. The Californian rolled onto the track off turn two and quickly accelerated down the backstretch and through turns three and four en route to the waving green flag on the front straightaway. When he whizzed by the flagstand he was officially on the clock. He hit his marks. He appeared fast. He was hustling. But the clock was the ultimate judge of his first lap performance and measured it in 13.343 seconds. Given a second chance, Carson was looking to improve. The numbers were rambling by on the stopwatch with lap two coming in slightly better at 13.334 seconds. The best of his two laps in the race against time stood tall as the eighth fastest overall lap of the night with Kasey Jedrzejek in the Bill Rose Racing #6 setting quick time around Jackson Motorplex in 13.186 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.

The next event on the racing agenda for the night was the four 8-lap Heat races where the top five finishers earned transfer spots into the money paying feature at the end of the showcard. With the starting lineups posted, Carson would get his multi-car competition started in Golf Cart Services Heat Race #4. He pulled the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Wilwood Brakes/Pro Powder Coating (PPC) #41 to the outside of the front row for the start of the race alongside Logan Schuchart in the DuraMAX/Shark Racing #1s. Those two racers paced in front of row two starters Steven Snyder Jr. #51 and Kelby Watt #3 with Ashton Torgerson #45X and Scott Winters #23W neatly behind in row three. Assigned to row four were Conner Morrell #28M and Cameron Martin #4 with Dominic White #11D situated alone ready to go in the fifth and final row.

The nine cars paced nose-to-tail as the flagman showed them the one-to-go flag with the yellow lights around the track being shut off. The time for the 410 cubic inch music to start was about to begin and off turn four the flagman allowed them to turn the volume up and the Minnesota air filled with the sweet sound of horsepower. Logan Schuchart hustled into the lead down the frontstretch with Macedo and Snyder Jr. in tow. The track had grip with patches of slick as they made their way around this place lap after lap. There was equal space between the race leader and each position behind him as they were all running roughly the same speed.

On lap 6, with Schuchart in command out front, the yellow flag displayed when Scott Winters spun entering turn three after banging wheels with Ashton Torgerson as they were racing for the final transfer spot. That would pull the field nose-to-tail for the restart giving Carson a shot at the leader.

The green flag displayed and the driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 seized the moment driving underneath Schuchart for the lead off turn two. He held the top spot when they raced under the white flag, but Schuchart carried his speed around the top through turns one and two. The driver of the Shark Racing entry had speed off the turn as Macedo drifted up to thwart his momentum maintaining the lead.

Carson was the first driver to race underneath the checkered flag taking the Heat race victory over Schuchart who would join him in the Toyota Dash. Steven Snyder Jr. raced home third with Kelby Watt and Ashton Torgerson completing the top five to secure the last three transfer positions out of this qualifying race.

After all the numbered pills were randomly drawn to determine each driver’s starting position in the Toyota Dash, Carson would start seventh. He would line up to the inside of David Gravel #2 in row four. Just ahead of them in row three for the six lap Dash was Skylar Gee #16c and Sheldon Haudenschild #18 with Donny Schatz #15 and Christopher Thram #24T in row two. Leading the field to the green flag on the front row were two hammers Logan Schuchart #1s and Emerson Axsom #27. The driver of the Shark Racing speed machine chomped his way into the top spot when the green flag waved with Axsom, Schatz, and Haudenschild just behind. Carson got shuffled back into the eighth spot behind Gravel but the second four cars in the running order were close enough to each other where anything could happen. ON the fourth circuit that opportunity evolved when fifth running Christopher got out of shape. Carson seized the moment gaining two spots and was running right on fifth place running Skylar Gee’s rear nerf bar. The next time by he passed the driver who hails from Canada and now had his sights set on fourth place running Donny Schatz. He ran out of time to complete his mission as Logan Schuchart raced under the checkered flag with Axsom, Haudenschild, and Schatz following him across the finish line. Carson brought the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 home fifth with Gee, Gravel, and Thram completing the finishing order.

This entertaining night of racing in Jackson, Minnesota seemingly flew by. As the old saying goes, “Time flies when you are having fun!” and so far this night had met and exceeded expectations. Up to this point of the night, the racing had been terrific. The 24 drivers who earned starting spots in the field for the 30-lap FENDT Showdown feature battled their way into the purse paying race with $12,000 set aside for the race winner. The two drivers on the front row, Logan Schuchart #1s and Emerson Axsom #27, earned those starting spots by finishing first and second in the Toyota Dash. They were followed on the starting grid by Sheldon Haudenschild #18 and Donny Schatz #15 in row two, Carson Macedo #41 and Skylar Gee #16c in row three, with David Gravel #2 and Christopher Thram #24T making up row four.

Sitting comfortably in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Sander Engineering/KSE Racing Products #41 Maxim Carson move into his fifth starting spot in row three. This track is always racy with multiple lanes that makes passing a viable option. Macedo was ready to showcase his speed ripping around Jackson Motorplex in front of these packed grandstands.

It was time to go racing again in Minnesota for the second night in a row. The polesitter would be the first driver to get on the gas when the front row starters arrived in turn four. The race was on down the front straightaway in Jackson and continued through the first set of turns. When they completed the first lap it was Logan Schuchart leading the race as Donny Schatz surged into the runner-up spot with Emerson Axsom and Sheldon Haudenschild just behind him as Carson dueled from the fifth position.

With 10 of the 30 laps recorded it was Logan Schuchart out front with Schatz, Haudenschild, Axsom, and Macedo dicing behind him for position. Carson was hard at work trying to move by Axsom for position and accomplished the task at hand at the halfway point of the race.

Carson was now in fourth place behind Schuchart, Schatz, and Haudenschild, but the driver of the NOS Energy Drink #18 was closing in quickly on the top two. On lap 18, Sheldon drove his hot rod by Schuchart into the race lead as they navigated through the slower cars at the back of the field. The top four cars in the running order were close enough to each other to exchange sign language messages. That tight racing continued as the laps began to dwindle down.

On lap 26, Logan Schuchart had his wing back and was fast ripping back by Haudenschild to reclaim the race lead. Schatz and Macedo were right behind them hoping to become factors in the equation for the win. The fans in the packed grandstands were on their feet enjoying the entertainment cheering for their favorite drivers.

Macedo and Schatz continued to battle for the last step on the podium. Carson would dive underneath Schatz into turn one on the last lap and exited turn two in third place. Logan Schuchart held off Sheldon Haudenschild by 1.112 seconds to earn the win with Carson bringing the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 home third, Schatz fourth, and Emerson Axsom completing the top five. Earning the KSE Hard Charger honors and coming home in sixth place after charging from his 18th start spot was Buddy Kofoid. David Gravel finished seventh with Garet Williamson, Kasey Jedrzejek, and Spencer Bayston rounding out the top ten at the Jackson Motorplex. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

With the weekend of racing completed in Minnesota, Carson and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team turned their attention and focus ahead to a trio of races on the World of Outlaws schedule in the great state of North Dakota next weekend. Why is North Dakota great you ask? Well, of course, because it is home to ten-time World of Outlaws champion Donny Schatz and the Schatz family for starters. But the state’s status is also elevated because the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series stars were set to come to three towns inside the borders for three straight nights starting at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks on Friday (8/28), then moving to Fix It Forward Speedway on Saturday (8/29), before wrapping up the entertaining weekend at Nodak Speedway on Sunday (8/30) in an event that was postponed back on May 31st. #NorthernTour2

Navigating Around the Track at the Jackson Motorplex During the FENDT Showdown! 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.

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

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