AN AFTERNOON DRIVE IN MINNESOTA: AFTER RAIN DELAYED THE START OF RACING ACTION, CARSON MACEDO SETS A NEW TRACK RECORD AND DRIVES TO A RUNNER-UP FINISH IN OPENING ACT OF THE JACKSON NATIONALS

JACKSON, MINNESOTA (August 20, 2022 – Day) – After Mother Nature seized night one resulting in a cancellation and then continued to create havoc by postponing night two’s festivities until Saturday afternoon. Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team were more than ready and eager to get on the track in The North Star State of Minnesota for the 44th running of the AGCO Jackson Nationals at the beautiful Jackson Motorplex. This event that was originally scheduled to take place over 3 days, now was truncated down to two races in a single day with the teams doing double duty. This is a race that is circled on the team’s calendar each year. The reason is the facility is fantastic and the best-of-the-best in sprint car racing are present. The teams also look forward to tackling the unique format for the event, but because of the rainouts officials elected to use the traditional World of Outlaws (WoO) format for the race. So the drivers, along with their teams, knew they had to be on their game every time they hit the track in order to maximize their performance against a stout field of competitors. Philip Dietz, Clyde Knipp and Nate Repetz were all focused, engaged and working hard on the Albaugh #41 entry so they could give their driver a strong Maxim Racing car to compete this afternoon. The blue clear skies were still hidden behind the large grey and ominous clouds as the track crew prepared the racing surface for an entertaining afternoon of racing at Jackson Motorplex’s racy 4/10-mile racing venue. There were 40 race teams lining the pit area at high noon ready to get their wheels rolling in Minnesota.

By random draw, which is normal and customary, the time trial order for My Place Hotels Qualifying was established. With a daytime surface, but protected under overcast skies, where the driver goes out was going to be important when measured against the rolling numbers on the stopwatch. The racer from Lemoore, California, aboard the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Liquid Trucking/Schoenfeld Headers #41 Maxim,would be the 16th driver to fire his engine in Group A to take his two laps at speed. With a tap on his rear nerf bar, his Kistler Engines power plant came to life. The Bell Athlete flipped down the shield on his helmet. Carson got up to speed and motored towards the green flag. He set the car into turn one to set up a speedy exit from turn two. He cruised like a missile down the backstretch and into the last set of turns. Carson made quick work of those two turns. When he exited turn four he saw the white flag waving. When he crossed the start/finish line, the clock measured his first lap in 12.572 seconds, which was a New Track Record (NTR). The talented racer was already working on his lap two performance that was being timed down to the thousandths of a second. When Carson raced under the checkered flag to end his time trial qualifying opportunities, his lap two result was recorded at 12.741 seconds. The better of his two circuits would end the afternoon not on quick time in Group A, but also overall when Sye Anderson ended time trials for Group B. It was Carson’s and the JJR #41’s team ninth quick time in WoO competition during the 2022 season so far, a series best to this point of the season.

The timing and scoring officials used each driver’s fastest lap in time trials to arrange the heat race lineups for the four 8-lap heat races. The fastest drivers in heat race would start from the front row. That meant Carson would get started from the pole position in the first and fastest heat race aboard the Team Jack Foundation/Factory Kahne Shocks/CR Racing #41 Maxim where he shared the front row with Matt Juhl. The front row drivers would be followed closely behind in row two by the formidable tandem of Sheldon Haudenschild and Brad Sweet. Christopher Thram, Brady Forbrook, Bill Rose, Noah Gass, Tim Kaeding and JJ Hickle filled in the remaining starting spots in the field for first of four heat races. The front row drivers hit the chalk stripe in turn four filling the Midwestern air with the sweet sound of sprint cars. It was Carson droving the Albaugh #41 off the bottom and into the lead bringing Sheldon Haudenschild with him by Matt Juhl as they entered turn one. Macedo was on a mission as the sun finally broke through the clouds and shined over the Jackson Motorplex. With each passing lap it was Carson Macedo crossing the finish line first as he extended his lead over Sheldon Haudenschild who was followed in third by Brad Sweet. Carson would not be denied as he took the win over Haudenschild by 2.571 seconds as Brad Sweet, Brady Forbrook and Matt Juhl locked down the final three transfer positions to the afternoon feature.

Next up for the Lemoore, California wheelman was the draw for starting spot in the 6-lap DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash as he made his way to the WoO command center in the pit area in order to keep the show moving along. The drivers took turns sticking their hands into the oversized NOS Energy Drink can trying to get the lowest number available. It was Carson’s 27th appearance in the WoO dash this season. He would be the first driver to pull and number and it was the number six. That meant Carson would get started in the Tarlton and Son/Mr. Jim’s Racing/Buckwalter Trucking #41 Maxim from the outside of row three beside Sheldon Haudenschild. The front row would be made up of Jacob Allen and Brian Brown with Logan Schuchart and Donny Schatz in row two. The final row to start the dash would be Kasey Kahne and Giovanni Scelzi. The finishing order would set the starting lineup in the first four rows in the feature. The eight drivers lined up side-by-side and the green lights illuminated around the track. Jacob Allen drove the Shark Racing #1a into the lead at the drop of the green with Carson wheeling the Albaugh #41 into the fourth position from his outside starting spot. Allen was embroiled in a 3-car battle for the lead with Donny Schatz and Logan Schuchart for the lead. Jacob Allen maintained the lead as Logan Schuchart to command of the runner-up position ahead of Donny Schatz who held down the third position. Jacob Allen went on to earn the win over Schuchart and Schatz, with Carson Macedo coming home fourth. Sheldon Haudenschild finished fifth ahead of Giovanni Scelzi, Brian Brown and Kasey Kahne.

The daytime 25-lap feature lineup was set and it was time to go racing at the Jackson Motorplex for the $10,000 winner’s share of the purse. After the track crew did a little track prep, Carson would line up aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Gerber Racing Components/BR Motorsports #41 from the fourth starting spot in row two to the outside of 10-time WoO champion and 11-time Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz. It was an all Shark Racing front row with Jacob Allen on the pole and Logan Schuchart to his right. The fans were ready to see the drivers go out it and they did just that when the green flag waved over the field. Logan Schuchart drove into the top spot as Carson Macedo followed him past Jacob Allen down the backstretch. It was Schuchart leading Macedo and Allen to complete lap one before a yellow flag came out for an incident involving Matt Juhl and Spencer Bayston. Schuchart elected to start on the outside for the restart, which positioned Macedo on the inside of the front row. Logan Schuchart used the high side to drive back into the lead over Macedo as the front two were getting after it. On lap 3, James McFadden and Brad Sweet made contact bringing out the caution and sending the Roth Motorsports #83 to the work area. When they got back up to speed it was again Schuchart leading Macedo extending his lead each lap building to over a second and a half by lap 5. The next lap though Carson cut a second off of that lead and was closing in on the Shark Racing #1s. A yellow on lap 14 eliminated any difference between competitors and regrouped them for a double file restart. They got back going and Schuchart his teeth firmly planted in the lead with Carson battling. On lap 16 though another caution came out, this time for Kasey Kahne, giving Carson another shot at Schuchart on the restart. He took advantage of the opportunity and when they went back to green, Carson drove the Albaugh #41 into the lead over Schuchart. The daytime track surface was starting to take a toll on the tires, but these professionals were still showing speed around the Jackson Motorplex. Carson was closing in on lap traffic and Schuchart was closing. With one to go, Schuchart was chomping at the bit and entered turn one high as Macedo got stuck behind Noah Gass on the bottom. Schuchart drove off turn two with the last lap pass and took the win over Macedo and Shark Racing teammate Jacob Allen with Donny Schatz coming home fourth and Sheldon Haudenschild rounding out the top five. Another great run for the forty-one!

Carson Macedo Opens the Jackson Nationals with a Runner-Up Finish in the First Half of the Double Header on Saturday at the Jackson Nationals! Photo Credit: Trent Gower

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

To stay up-to-date with Carson Macedo and his success journey on and off the track, as well as to purchase his gear and merchandise directly, visit www.carsonmacedoracing.com.