DIGGING IN THE CALIFORNIA DIRT: THE DENNIS ROTH CLASSIC KICKED OFF AT THE STOCKTON DIRT TRACK ON FRIDAY NIGHT WITH CARSON MACEDO CHARGING TO A THIRD PLACE FINISH IN THE ALBAUGH – YOUR ALTERNATIVE #41 MAXIM
STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA (September 18, 2026) – The journey to the West Coast started in Kansas and made its way through Colorado before arriving in “The Golden State” of California. After running in the top three until a last lap incident relegating him to a 15th place finish on Monday night in the Rocky Mountain Rumble at El Paso County Raceway, Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team arrived at the Stockton Dirt Track for the two-day Dennis Roth Classic. Mr. Roth has been an influential and unwavering supporter of the World of Outlaws as an elite owner since 1995 and is currently fielding a car for Buddy Kofoid who is red hot and second in the season-long point standings. His passion for sprint car racing has been driven by his deep natural competitive disposition and genuine love for the sport. Dennis Roth entered the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (NSCHoF) in 2022 as a member of the thirty-second induction class. A well-deserved recognition and honor for a true legend. There was an impressive field on hand Friday night to honor him with 35 sprint car teams registered and ready to compete at the Stockton Dirt Track on the first of two nights at the Dennis Roth Classic. They were joined in the pit area by the competitors from the Bay Cities Racing Association (BCRA) Midgets Super Series. It was time to go racing in Stockton, California – World of Outlaws (WoO) style!
After each driver made a few laps around the 3/8-mile dirt track to evaluate their setup in Race//Ready Hot Laps, it was time to get down to the serious business starting with Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. The order in which each driver would hit the track was based on the random draw when the teams arrived. Carson drew the ‘21’ pill which put him out on the track as the 13th driver for his two laps at speed. He was confident he had speed and looked forward to racing against time. When Skylar Gee #16 and Steven Snyder Jr. #51 finished, it was Carson’s turn to show his speed in the Tarlton and Son/Bandy & Associates/BR Motorsports #41 Maxim. He pressed down on the power button and streaked towards the waving green flag to start his first lap out there with fellow Californian Shane Golobic in the NOS Energy Drink/Matt Wood Racing #17W. Carson had his elbows up and bullied his way around this place in 11.528 seconds on lap one. The next time around he was looking to pick up small increments of time to better his position which would not be easy. When the Lemoore, California born racer concluded his second lap, 11.837 seconds illuminated on the scoreboard. The quickest of his two attempts stood as the third fastest time overall when time trials ended. After turning in an unmatched time of 11.327 seconds, Buddy Kofoid in the Toyota Racing/Mobil 1/Roth Enterprises #83 was the Simpson Quick Time Award recipient for the night.
On Friday night for the first time there would be multiple powerful sprint cars out on the track competing for those five prized transfers spots available in each of the four 10-lap Heat races. Carson on the pole in the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/AutoMeter/T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication #41 Maxim in WIX Filters Heat Race #3 rolling from alongside current World of Outlaws point leader David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2. They paced ahead of row two starters Kaleb Montgomery #3 and Chris Windom #7s with Seth Standley #7 (scratched) and Garet Williamson #23 set to roll side by side in row three. Row four found Dylan Bloomfield #7c and D.J. Netto #88N fidgeting as they were ready to get on the gas with Conner Morrell #28M set to start from the back in row five.
The drivers were set to put on a show. The yellow lights faded as the green ones came on. The race was on out of turn four with Carson embracing the opportunity as he raced into the early lead ahead of Gravel and Montgomery before the red flag flew on the opening lap for Chris Windom. Windom was racing with Kaleb Montgomery down the backstretch looking to duck under him entering turn three. The two fierce competitors made contact sending Windom into a wild series of flips. He was ok.
When they went back to green flag racing, Carson battled his way around this Northern California facility from the front of the field with Montgomery, Gravel, Williamson, and Netto behind. Carson used the clear track to make speed as he laid down solid laps extending his race lead over Montgomery each time they passed the flagstand.
Carson led from start to finish to take the qualifying race win, his 19th of the 2026 season, as Kalbe Montgomery raced a good race to come home in second place. Those two advanced into the Toyota Dash as David Gravel came home third, Garet Williamson fourth, with D.J. Netto grabbing the fifth and final transfer spots.
After extensive track work, the drivers who randomly drew for their starting position in the 8-lap Toyota Dash began to climb into their high speed offices to race for their starting spots in the A-Main. Where they finished the Dash is where they would start the feature. On the front row was 16 year old Jett Yantis #31 along with Bill Balog #17B as Max Mittry #2XM and Buddy Kofoid #83 neatly tucked in behind in row two. James McFadden #21 and Carson Macedo #41 shared row three with Kaleb Montgomery #3 and Cole Macedo #2C peacefully together in row four. The track was heavy when the green flag came out with Balog assuming the top spot ahead of Yantis, Kofoid, and Mittry. Carson fell in line in sixth place aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 between his younger brother who was running seventh and McFadden in fifth place. Each driver ripped around this place, but there was minimal passing as the action was fast and furious. Bill Balog led wire-to-wire to earn the pole position in the A-Main. He was followed across the finish line by Yantis, Kofoid, and Mittry with McFadden coming home in fifth place. Carson raced home in sixth place followed by Kaleb Montgomery and Cole Macedo.
The crew members working on the 26 cars that made the field, which included two provisional starters – Emerson Axsom and Skylar Gee – who would tag the rear of the field, began wrapping up their work for the opening night, 35-lap Dennis Roth Classic feature event. The front row starters, Bill Balog #17B and Jett Yantis #31, earned those premier spots in the lineup by finishing first and second in the Toyota Dash. Pulling in behind them in row two were two Californians Buddy Kofoid #83 and Max Mittry #2XM with James McFadden #21, Carson Macedo #41, Kaleb Montgomery #3, and Cole Macedo #2C in rows three and four, respectively. Row five featured Austin Wood #2a and Justin Sanders #2X with a row filled with champions David Gravel #2 and Donny Schatz #15 beside each other in row six.
Carson looks forward to racing at home each year in front of family, friends, and the home state crowds. The Tarlton and Macedo families are some of the best, top shelf people you will ever meet and have a robust history in this grassroots form of racing throughout California and across sprint car racing. The Central Valley born racer out of Lemoore, California was set to start from the sixth position aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Wilwood Racing/PWC Advanced Cooling Technology #41 Maxim. Carson shared the row with the Tarlton #21 and was ready to go.
After flaring out into the tradition World of Outlaws four-wide salute, the drivers hustled back into their two-by-two starting formation for the start of the race. It was time to go racing at Stockton Dirt Track and off turn four the sweet, muffled sound of 410 sprint car engines brought audible joy to the fans in the stands.
Bill Balog stomped on the gas and assumed the early race lead on the initial start and led the opening lap with Yantis and Kofoid in hot pursuit. The forty-one of Carson Macedo lit up on the scoreboard in the sixth spot as he dueled with Max Mittry and Cole Macedo for track position.
They got two laps in the books before the first of many race interruptions occurred when the red flag displayed for Austin Wood #2a who flipped outside of turn one. He was ok, but his night was over. They would try to get back up to speed again with Balog commanding the lead and showing the way.
On lap 3, Carson picked up a spot as he moved by Mittry into the top five. They completed three more laps before the yellow flag came out for D.J. Netto who got over the banking in the last set of turns coming to a stop. At the time, the top five in the running order were Bill Balog, Jett Yantis, Buddy Kofoid, James McFadden, and Carson Macedo.
The driver of the Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup #17B led the field back up to speed but it was short-lived as the yellow flag came out just as quickly as the green flag did. The caution on the track was for a three car melee involving Dominic Gorden, Emerson Axsom, and Landon Brooks over in turn four.
They would try again to get back up to speed in single file formation with Balog leading Kofoid and Yantis with McFadden and Macedo in full pursuit mode. It would take a few laps to build up momentum and get in sync before James McFadden moved by Yantis into the show position with Carson hanging in the fifth spot.
On lap 12, Buddy Kofoid navigated by Balog in traffic to take over the race lead with Balog, McFadden, Yantis and Macedo right behind. Carson made the pass on Yantis for the fourth position through turns one and two. Yantis then looped it around in turns three and four to bring out the caution flag again.
The driver of Roth Motorsports #83 was out front, a familiar place for him this season, with Bill Balog hungry to take first place back as James McFadden, Carson Macedo, and Justin Sanders focused right behind the top two. The green flag waved again but again was immediately replaced by the yellow flag with twelve laps in the books. The caution was for Jett Yantis and Steven Snyder Jr. after the driver of the Three Stooges Racing #51 got over the left rear tire of Kaleb Montgomery getting him sideways with nowhere to go for Yantis.
There was a lot of non-racing laps recorded, so race officials made the decision to throw and “Open Red” for teams to refuel and make minor adjustments to their speed chariots in preparation for the last 23 laps of racing. Buddy Kofoid dictated when they stepped on the gas again when the green flag waved. James McFadden moved by Balog to take over the runner-up position with Justin Sanders sneaking by Carson for fourth place using the outside lane on the restart.
On lap 14, the red flag was back out as the action stopped when Spencer Bayston made heavy contact with Cole Macedo sending the TwoC Racing #2c driver hard into the outside wall at the exit of turn four sending sparks flying as his rear nerf bar contacted the cement barrier. The wrecked car came to a rest on the frontstretch. Cole was ok, but the car was too badly damaged to continue.
They would try this again as the flagman, whose arm was tiring from all the work, waved the green flag again to restart the race. Buddy Kofoid showed the way again with Balog working by McFadden to regain second place. Carson also gained a spot when he hustled back by Sanders into fourth place.
On lap 20, you guessed it, another race interruption with the caution flag waving over the field this time for Bill Balog who momentarily lost the handle and got sideways over in turns one and two but kept going. The “blend rule” was utilized putting Balog back to fourth place behind race leader Buddy Kofoid who was followed by James McFadden and Carson Macedo now.
There was still a lot of the race remaining, 15 laps, and the flagman turned the action back on with Kofoid leading McFadden and Macedo. They finally were able to get consecutive laps in place as the drivers began to find a rhythm at speed. That cadence enabled the leader to catch the cars at the back of the field. Buddy now had lap traffic to contend with McFadden and Macedo closing in quickly. The race was about to get even more exciting. These racers masterfully navigated traffic at speed like New York City taxi drivers.
On lap 30, James McFadden ducked underneath Kofoid entering turn one to take the lead with Carson right there too. They completed the lap before Suisun City, California’s Chance Grasty #X1 got upside down in turns one and two stopping the action yet again.
The restart order when they would go back to racing was James McFadden out in front of Buddy Kofoid with the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 of Carson Macedo in third. Bill Balog would get going again from fourth place with David Gravel in the fifth spot. The green lights turned on again with the driver of the Tarlton and Son #21 dropping the hammer and setting sail.
James McFadden led the most important lap, the last one, enroute to victory on the opening night of the Dennis Roth Classic. Buddy Kofoid followed him across the finish line in second place with Carson coming home third. David Gravel finished fourth as Bill Balog rounded out the top five. Positions six through ten at the end of the race were held by Justin Sanders #2X, the KSE Hard Charger Shane Golobic #17W (from 24th to 7th), Tim Kaeding #0, Sheldon Haudenschild #18, and Kaleb Montgomery #3. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!
Carson Macedo and the travel tour of stars with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series are right back here at the Stockton Dirt Track on Saturday night for the $83,000 Dennis Roth Classic finale. It will be another entertain night of high speed sprint car competition – California style! Do not miss it. Make plans, or change your plans, to be here. For everyone else, you are in luck because you can catch all the action live on DIRTVision! #DennisRothClassic
Drawing Circles at Speed at Stockton Dirt Track During the Dennis Roth Classic Opener! 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.