ROCKY ENDING IN COLORADO: AN UNFORTUNATE LAST LAP INCIDENT WHILE RACING UP FRONT FOR THE LEAD DERAILS A GREAT RUN FOR THE FORTY-ONE AT EL PASO COUNTY RACEWAY IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN RUMBLE

CALHAN, COLORADO (September 14, 2026) – Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) owner and crew chief, Philip Dietz, climbed behind the wheel of the team’s Border International after the races ended on Saturday night at Dodge City Raceway Park to head down the highway. He piloted the hauler for five plus hours and 308 miles across the plains of Kansas and Colorado as they headed westward for some more captivating World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series competition on Monday night. When the team arrived in Calhan, Colorado, which is located to the East of Colorado Springs and roughly halfway between Denver and Pueblo from a North and South perspective, they rolled the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 out of the hauler and took a deep breath looking around in awe at the Rocky Mountains way off in the distance. Calhan is at an elevation of 6,535 feet above sea level making it the highest non-mountain town in the United States. It is also home to the El Paso County Raceway quarter mile bullring which is located on the grounds of the El Paso County Fair. The team has fond memories of this place as Jason Johnson won the last time they visited here back on September 14, 2016. With 27 teams registered to compete in the Rocky Mountain Rumble, along with the Warriors division competitors, the crews were busy working on their setups and engine tuning for the night at elevation. It was time to go racing in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains – World of Outlaws style.

The drivers began climbing into their cars to head out onto the track for a few spins during Race//Ready Hot Laps. The drivers and teams use this opportunity to check their setup and explore the track before Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying begins. Each team randomly drew a numbered pill at the World of Outlaws Command Center earlier in the evening. The lower the number they selected, the earlier they would hit the track for their two timed laps around El Paso County Raceway. Carson would be the 20th driver out on the racing surface in the Scott Boyd Family/Sander Engineering/BR Motorsports #41. When Fort Collins, Colorado’s own Austyn Gossel #16G ended his timed session, the driver from Lemoore, California was next up. His Kistler Engines power plant came to life as he pedaled down to make it work. He sprinted past the waving green flag in his race against time. After a clean first lap, the numbers on the stopwatch read 12.443 seconds. Hammer down, Carson stayed focused and turned another determined lap the next time at 12.373 seconds. The fastest of his time trial attempts ended the night third quick overall with Buddy Kofoid in the Roth Motorsports #83 laying down the best lap of the night to set a New Track Record (NTR) at 12.153 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award. A total of twelve drivers broke the previous record set by Brad Sweet back in 2016.

With the smell of the food cooking at the concession stands wafting through the air, the cars began to stage for the opening 10-lap Heat race. The engines fired. A few of the fans waiting in line for food started to sweat a little. They were compromised. Do they wait in line and risk missing the start of the first race? Or do they take a chance and just wait to buy some vittles and a drink before heading back to their seat? As race fans we have all been there. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Next up though was the first of three qualifying races with the top six finishers in each race securing transfer positions into the A-Main later in the night. Carson waited in line to push off for WIX Filters Heat Race #3 where he would get started from the inside of the front row driving the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/High Performance Lubricants/Greber Racing Components (GRC) #41 Maxim. Garet Williamson pulled his Fischer Motorsports/Eagle Stop Phillips 66 #23 alongside Carson ready to light it up when the green flag waved. Bill Balog #17B and Donny Schatz #15 rolled side-by-side in row two with Garrett Benson #27B and Bryan Gossel #6G exchanging addresses in row three. Focused and ready to go in row four were Zach Blurton #2J and Alex Pettas #2W with Bradley Cox #45 being the lone wheelman in row five.

The flagman was surrounded by a lot of different colored textile flags. He chose the green one and rolled it up and started shaking it at the drivers indicating it would be unraveled the next time by when they exited turn four. Polesitter Carson Macedo was the first driver to see it as he stomped on the loud pedal. He seized the moment dashing off the bottom whizzing by the covered grandstand on the frontstretch to lead the opening lap with Williamson and Balog in tow.

The running order stayed consistent lap after lap as the remaining laps began to wind down quickly. Up in the flagstand, the official now turned around to pick up the flag with the black and white blocks sewn together on it after waving the white one. This time when the race leader, Carson Macedo, came out of turn four it was waving. Following him across the finish line in second place was Garet Williamson with Bill Balog right behind in third place. Finishing fourth was Donny Schatz with Garrett Benson rounding out the top five with Zach Blurton locking down the sixth and final transfer spots. Those six drivers assured themselves a spot in the A-Main with the top two finishers moving onto the Toyota Dash.

Following the redraw for their starting spots in the 8-lap Toyota Dash, the six eligible drivers climbed into their 900 horsepower rockets and rolled out to race for their starting positions in the A-Main. Lady Luck was not on Carson’s side at this point of the night as he had drawn the highest pill in the can, the six pill, and would line the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 up on the outside of Spencer Bayston #17 in row three. David Gravel #2 and Buddy Kofoid #83 paced the field from the front row with Garet Williamson #23 and Sheldon Haudenschild #18 sandwiched in between in row two. When the green flag alerted them to start the race it was Gravel to the lead over Kofoid and Haudenschild followed by Williamson, Bayston, and Macedo. There was not a lot of passing, but on the third lap Carson was able to wrestle his way by Bayston to take over the fifth spot in the running order. David Gravel secured the Dash victory over Buddy Kofoid with Sheldon Haudenschild coming home third. Garet Williamson secured the fourth position ahead of Carson and Spencer Bayston.

The four-wheelers started to fire up for the crew members as they escorted their drivers and cars out onto the track to stage for the 35-lap Rocky Mountain Rumble feature at El Paso County Raceway. The stage was set in Colorado. The drivers were ready. The grandstands were absolutely packed. It was that time. The engines began to rumble as the fans in the stands all stood up as the drivers pulled into their starting spots in the two-by-two formation.

The current World of Outlaws point leader and two-time defending champion, David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2, was in the pole position on the front row after winning the Toyota Dash with Buddy Kofoid in the Roth Enterprises #83 to his outside. Behind them in row two were Sheldon Haudenschild #18 and Garet Williamson #23 with Carson Macedo #41 and Spencer Bayston #17 in row three. Staring ahead at their rear nerf bars from row four were Chris Windom #7s and Cole Macedo in the TwoC Racing #2c followed by Bill Balog #17B and Steven Snyder Jr. #51 in row five.

Carson buckled into his high speed office aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/FK Rod Ends/Motor State Distributing #41 Maxim prepared to valiantly battle for supremacy in Colorado. He shared row three with the driver of the NOS Energy Drink #17 as the lights around the fairgrounds track glistened off these sharp looking machines.

From his perch on the frontstretch, the flagman showed them the green flag as the race was on at El Paso County Raceway. David Gravel led early but a gaggle of hungry competitors were all right behind him that wanted what he had – the lead position.

Carson was back and forth between the seventh position and the sixth position early on as he was in an on track fight with Chris Windom for position. The driver of the forty-one eventually wrestled the lower numbered position away and set his sights on more. The Big Game Motorsports driver maintained the lead, but Kofoid was fast and now nipping at his heals.

On lap 3, Buddy Kofoid seized the top spot from Gravel with Carson closing in on Bayston for the last spot in the top five. The next time around El Paso County Raceway the Lemoore, California driver took that position from Bayston and now focused on another NOS Energy Drink car as he tried to track down the KCP Racing #18 of Sheldon Haudenschild.

The leaders were weaving in and out of lap traffic with precision as the laps continued to complete. On lap 17, the first caution of the race came out for Sheldon Haudenschild who was racing with Carson and Windom for position when he fell off the pace slowing in turn four with a mechanical issue at the rear of the car. He headed to the Federated Car Care Work Zone as his crew went to work to make the necessary repairs for him to rejoin the tail end of the lead lap.

The green flag was back out, and the race was on again with Buddy Kofoid leading David Gravel. Carson worked his way by third running Garet Williamson on the restart to take control of the show position with half the race remaining. He had the top two within striking distance with ten laps to go and his Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 racecar was fast.

Things were starting to get tighter up at the front of the pack with five laps to go. On lap 32, David Gravel worked his way underneath Buddy Kofoid to take the lead back. Carson was right on their rear nerf bars looking to enter the mix for the race lead. The next time by with the two laps to go, Carson moved by Kofoid to take over the runner-up position and had Gravel firmly in his sights. Buddy Kofoid stayed with him, and it was again a three car battle for the lead with one lap to go!

The leader entered turn one on the final lap and drifted up across the track contacting the lap car of Bryce Lucius sending Gravel flipping into the air. He was ok as the tow truck quickly put the car on the hook and headed to the work area for repairs. Buddy Kofoid was able to turn underneath Gravel barely missing him as Carson and Garet were on the brakes hard and had their cars completely sideways entering turn one trying their best to avoid contact. They were successful but got into each other as they rolled to a stop just shy of Gravel stopped car. Officials assigned both Macedo and Williamson to the back of the lead lap cars with Gravel for the restart. Carson headed to the work area as the crew expeditiously replaced the drag link before sending him back out. Lady Luck again was not too kind to Carson and the leaders, except for Kofoid, at the front of the pack.

Buddy Kofoid led the final green-white-checkered laps to capture his WoO series leading 14th victory over Steven Snyder Jr. and Chris Windom. It was Steven Snyder Jr.’s first podium finish with the National Touring series. Congrats! Donny Schatz came home in fourth place with Spencer Bayston rounding out the top five. Occupying positions six through ten were Logan Schuchart, Emerson Axsom, Adam Trimble, Cole Macedo, and Sheldon Haudenschild.

Carson officially came home with a 15th place finish in the forty-one, which certainly was not reflective of his and the team’s speed and effort on this night at El Paso raceway Park. Disappointed but not defeated, the JJR team lifted the back door of the hauler to close it as they locked the last latch. Next stop? Home for Carson as they headed to the Central Valley in California for five nights of racing in “The Golden State” over the next two weeks. The first scheduled race is one that honors a true contributor and legend of the sport of sprint car racing in the two-night Dennis Roth Classic at Stockton Dirt Track in Stockton, California. This is an event you will not want to miss, but if you can catch the race in person tune in to watch every twist and turn on DIRTVision. #DennisRothClassic

Disappointment Late While Racing for the Lead with One-to-Go at El Paso County Raceway! 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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