MOVING INTO THE KEYSTONE STATE: AFTER TRUCKING FROM THE WEST COAST TO THE EAST COAST, CARSON MACEDO AND THE JJR #41 TEAM BATTLED HARD THROUGHOUT THE PRELIMINARY NIGHT AT THE 64TH ANNUAL J&S CLASSICS NATIONAL OPEN
MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA (October 2, 2026) – Throughout the course of a full racing season these teams battle each other for supremacy and checkered flags on small tracks to the larger half mile ovals. In between the action though they travel tens of thousands of miles with their haulers away from all the fanfare as they make their way from one racetrack to another to entertain at speed. After the races were over on the smallest racetracks on the tour’s schedule, Ventura Speedway, last Saturday night the teams loaded up and made the 2,700 plus mile journey across the entire country. On Friday night those same teams pulled into the pit area at the historic Williams Grove Speedway half-mile oval for the opening night of the 64th Annual J&S Classics National Open. From the beaches of California to the cornfield of Central Pennsylvania in less than a week, this is World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series racing. A sincere thank you and kudos to all the teams and truck drivers. There were 56 race teams registered and ready to roll at Williams Grove Speedway on the first of two nights of racing at the 64th Annual J&S Classics National Open. It was time to get the tires turning on these 900 plus horsepower beasts at “The Grove” – World of Outlaws style!
With greater than 38 cars registered and lined up throughout the backstretch and frontstretch pit areas, the field split equally into two groups – Flight A and Flight B – for qualifying. After Race//Ready Hot Laps the cars in Flight A began to stage in the push lane in the frontstretch pit area to commence Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Based on the number randomly drawn at the World of Outlaws Command Center earlier in the evening, the Durst Inc./Boltz Family/Winters Performance Products #41 Maxim with Carson Macedo behind the wheel would be the 16th car out on the track in Flight B. The Californian would be joined in the two-car speed session by Ayden Hare #4. They each had almost a full lap to generate speed before taking the official green flag to begin their race against time. Carson powered his way by the flagstand and through the sweeping first set of turns before sailing underneath the historic backstretch pedestrian bridge that crosses above the track. He ended lap one in 16.714 seconds before venturing around this place the second time in 16.746 seconds. Carson’s best time trial lap was the first one which placed him fifth overall in Flight B. The fastest driver in that session, Flight B, was Chase Dietz #23D with a lap of 16.472 seconds. But getting around this place the quickest on the opening night was none other than Buddy Kofoid in the Roth Motorsports #83 in Flight A at 16.421 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.
The drivers out of Flight A made up the starting grids in the first two Heat races with the wheelman out of Flight B populating the lineups for Heat races three and four. The distance was eight laps with only five transfer spots to the feature available in each race. This place is tough and locking down one of those coveted five spots is not easy. With the starting lineups posted, the “41” of Carson Macedo was set to get their qualifying race started from the inside of row two beside Bill Balog in the Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup #17B in WIX Filters Heat Race #3. They pulled their speed chariots in behind front row starters Chase Dietz #23D and Justin Peck #26 with Brock Zearfoss #3Z and Dylan Norris #17 looking at their tail tanks from row three. Side-by-side in row four were Brent Marks #19 and Austin Bishop #11A with Sheldon Haudenschild #18 and Cole Macedo #2c ready to battle forward from row five.
Moving slowly by the flagstand on the frontstretch, the yellow lights dimmed as the drivers anticipated the green flag flying the next time by. When the front row starters arrived at the temporary chalk stripe laid down across turn four, the engines roared as the drivers pointed them towards turn one. Chase Dietz led the opening half mile of racing with 3.5 miles (7 laps) to go. The red hot Keystone State driver was followed by Peck and Balog who ducked underneath the forty-one entering turn one with Carson scored in fourth place.
It did not take long for the field to fan out in single file order and space themselves apart. Lap after lap the gap between the speed machines continued to expand with very little to no passing for position. The white flag was out for the race leader, Chase Dietz, who was over two seconds ahead of second place running Justin Peck. The driver of the Stehman Motorsports #23D dominated the race to take the qualifying race win over Peck and Balog with Carson coming home fourth and Dylan Norris locking down the fifth and final transfer spots.
Following the completion of the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS) and the traditional fireworks show, officials blasted their air horns throughout both pit areas to notify the crews and drivers they had eight minutes left before staging on the track for the $12,000-to-win, 25-lappreliminary feature at the 64th Annual J&S Classics National Open. This historic half mile oval is fast, technical and demanding. Those drivers and teams that figure it out first tend to finish near the front of the pack if luck is on their side, while others struggle to find and maintain speed from start to finish. Figuring out the challenge is all part of the equation to determine their success or shortfall.
On the front row, the Big Game Motorsports #2 of series point leader David Gravel paced from the pole position on the front row after winning the Toyota Dash with Justin Whittall #67G flanking his right side. Anthony Macri was back in the seat of the J&S Classics #39M representing the Pennsylvania Posse lined up in the third spot with Justin Peck #26 sharing row two with him as Chase Dietz #23D and Cameron Smith #1a positioned themselves beside each other in row three. Sharing row four were Buddy Kofoid #83 and Donny Schatz #15 with Freddie Rahmer #51R and Bill Balog #17B following close behind them in row five.
Carson zipped up his K1 Race Gear firesuit and climbed into his Maxim Racing office aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Schoenfeld Headers/CS Productions #41. After a quick fist bump with Robby McQuinn, Carson finalized his early race strategy because he was starting for the outside of row seven. The start of the race is so important because it can make or break a team’s night and dictate the result. These drivers need to balance courage with caution but cannot be too laid back or they create a lot of hard recovery work for themselves as they get mired back in dirty air.
The starting field was set. The fans were vocal . . . especially the spirited fans over in the popular Beer Hill and those standing throughout the infield in turns three and four. They routinely exchange playful pleasantries like “Beer Hill Sucks!” only to hear back in response “Infield Sucks!” All in fun as they are avid and knowledgeable sprint car fans.
When the green lights around the track lit up, the race was on at Williams Grove Speedway. Outside front row starter, Justin Whittall, raced into the early lead with David Gravel looking to make him uncomfortable as he peeked around his right side through the first set of turn. Racing through dirty air, Carson battled mid-pack and settled into the 14th starting spot racing with Logan Rumsey, Donny Schatz, and Brent Shearer for position.
Up front, Justin Whittall still was showing the way, but the black number two was in stalk mode. On lap 9, Gravel drove under Whittall to take the lead. He wasted no time as he set sail and stretched his legs out front. Not too far behind was Anthony Macri known as the “Concrete Kid.” A few laps later the talented Pennsylvania driver moved into the runner-up spot hoping to track down Gravel.
Carson was still in the same battle. He made some passes for positions, but the drivers he passed returned the favor a few laps later. Before you knew it the white flag waved with David Gravel leading the least lap to collect the win over Anthony Macri with Justin Peck earning the show position. Buddy Kofoid came home I fourth place in the non-stop race with Chase Dietz rounding out the top five. Carson settled for a 14th place finish with limited passing opportunities throughout the race at Williams Grove.
Carson climbed out of the cockpit and debriefed with Philip, Robby, and Adam before heading back into the trailer following the feature. The crew would be back at the track that opened back in 1939 and hosted so many high profile races to compete in the last traditional Crown Jewel race of the 2026 season – the $75,000-to-win 64th Annual J&S Classics National Open. With crisp Fall weather in the forecast, grab a sweatshirt and make plans to come out to the track for this event. Otherwise, be sure to tune into DIRTVision so you can at least watch all the intense racing action unfold. #NationalOpen
Patiently Speeding Around Williams Grove Speedway’s Paperclipped-Shaped Oval! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich – CS Productions
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.
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