BADGERING NIGHT: CARSON MACEDO SETS A NEW TRACK RECORD AT CEDAR LAKE SPEEDWAY AS HE SPARRED FOR TRACK POSITION ALL NIGHT IN THE INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECTACULAR BEFORE BRINGING HOME A TOP FIVE

NEW RICHMOND, WISCONSIN (June 29, 2024) – After torrential rain postponed the last three nights of the big money races at Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota last weekend, Philip Dietz and the JJR #41 team loaded up at the team’s shop back in Missouri and pointed their Border International towards the state of Wisconsin. They were traveling to “America’s Dairyland” and were eager to get back on the track to go racing. Unfortunately, upon arrival the team would have to wait an extra day because Mother Nature again washed out the opening night of the Independence Day Spectacular at Cedar Lake Speedway on Friday night. Carson Macedo and the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series traveling tour of stars would finally get a chance to race on Saturday night on some new dirt. From the yellow painted walls here to the heart shaped pond in the infield, it just screams excellence. It was race day in Wisconsin! While the fans were showing up and searching for their favorite driver’s merchandise, 25 competitive race teams were busy preparing to put on a high performance show at Cedar Lake – World of Outlaws style!

Time trials are an important part of each night of racing when competing with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. Each driver gets two timed laps against the clock in Sea Foam Qualifying. Their slot to get out on the track is determined by random draw before the night starts. That meant Carson, driving the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Greber Racing Components (GRC)/Walker Performance Filtration #41 Maxim, would be the sixth car out on the track to show off his speed. The California driver wasted no time showing off his horsepower as he came off turn four with a full head of steam to take the green flag. Carson was determined to make short work of this 3/8-mile oval as his Hoosier Racing Tires gripped the surface. When he crossed the start/finish line the first time, the clock caught him in 10.829 seconds. Without hesitation, the clock reset and was rolling again to accurately capture his second lap time. Meanwhile, Carson was busily working inside his Maxim Racing office trying to cultivate more speed. When he raced down the frontstretch for the last time, he maneuvered across the finish line in 10.721 seconds. The second lap was the quicker of his two attempts, in fact the fastest ever turned at Cedar Lake Speedway as he established a New Track Record (NTR). No one would top that time and Carson was the quickest driver of the night in time trials to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award – his seventh of the season and 40th in his young career.

After a brief pause in action, the cars began to line up in the staging area for the first of three 10-lap heat races. Carson would began his qualifying race from the pole position in the first heat race driving the Scott Boyd Family/Xtreme Body & Paint/C&R Racing #41 Maxim. Sheldon Haudenschild would join him on the front row with Buddy Kofoid and Donny Schatz in row two. Californian Landon Brooks and Minnesotan Gage Pulkrabek made up row three with Luke Nellis, Justin Jacobsma, and Todd King filling the row in behind them.

When the green flag came out it was a drag race to turn one between Macedo’s Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 and Haudenschild’s NOS Energy Drink #17. Sheldon entered and turned to diamond off the corner and raced off turn two with the lead. Carson was right behind on the lightning fast racing surface. Buddy Kofoid was up on the wheel of the Roth Motorsports #83 and was constantly dogging Macedo for the runner-up spot with Donny Schatz in third.

The laps were counting down as Haudenschild had built a pretty big lead over Macedo and the field. When he came off turn four for the last time, he raced under the checkered flag 1.360 seconds ahead of Carson who locked down the runner-up spot. Buddy Kofoid came home third, Donny Schatz fourth, with Landon Brooks and Luke Nellis securing the final two transfer positions available in the first heat race.  

Making his way into his 23rd Toyota Dash this season, Carson headed trackside to draw for his starting position. This hasn’t been his strong suit so far this season as he has drawn many more high numbers than lower ones, but heck you just have to keep on trying. There were six numbered pills and he pulled the ‘5’ pill. That positioned him on the inside of row three alongside the #24D of Danny Sams III for the start of the 8-lap Dash. Directly in front of those two in the second row were Sheldon Haudenschild and Christopher Thram. Logan Schuchart and David Gravel sat in the front row. With the lights turned on and shining around the track as the sun began to sink below the horizon, the green flag was out with Logan Schuchart darting into the lead in the Shark Racing #1s. Sheldon Haudenschild was battling with David Gravel for second with Gravel ultimately seizing it. Gravel was still right behind Schuchart with Haudenschild pressing him for the better spot on the scoreboard. Early on in the race, Carson used the bottom lane to sneak into fourth as he passed the #24T of Christopher Thram during the opening lap and closed in quickly to compete with Haudenschild for third. After the initial few laps there was not much passing as Schuchart dominated and took the win by 2.074 seconds over David Gravel to earn the pole position for the feature. Sheldon Haudenschild was third, Carson Macedo was fourth aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 with Danny Sams III and Christopher Thram completing the finishing order.

With cooler temps and an incredibly fast race track, the cars were unusually consuming more fuel than normal. Race officials made the decision to reduce the originally scheduled 35 lap feature down to 30 laps. The now 30-lap, $12,000-to-win Independence Day Spectacular feature finale was on deck as the drivers were called to the track. Escorted by ATVs driven by one of their crew members, the competitors arrived to the battleground ready for war. From the front row to the back row really good talent could be found throughout the field. Carson would began the race from his fourth starting spot in row two where he rolled in beside Sheldon Haudenschild. Logan Schuchart and David Gravel were perched in row one.

With the smoke from the incredible pyrotechnics and fireworks show still lingering after the four-wide salute to the fans, the drivers moved back into their starting positions. The front row of Schuchart and Gravel paced the field to the green and up to speed. It was Schuchart in the Take 5 Oil Change #1s continuing his strong night as he raced into the lead with Gravel, Haudenschild, and Macedo right behind him in the early laps.

Carson was methodically working his fast Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Bandy & Associates/Sander Engineering #41 Maxim hotrod around the bottom while most were up top. He was closing in on third running David Gravel and peeked underneath him on lap 3, but couldn’t make the pass. The first yellow flag of the night came out the next time around slowing the action. The caution was for Christopher Thram who slowed on the track.

Logan Schuchart would bring them back to the green flag with 26 laps to go as David Gravel raced by Sheldon Haudenschild to reclaim the second position. Buddy Kofoid wrestled the fourth spot away from Carson who was running in the fifth position. That would set up a multiple lap swapping of the fourth position between the two California born speedsters. The next time around Carson had it. But, the driver of the Mobil 1 Roth Motorsports #83 was not going away and stole it back.

At the halfway point of the race it was Logan Schuchart out in front of David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild with Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo rounding out the top five. Donny Schatz was mysteriously lurking in the sixth position ready to pounce on any opportunity as he raced forward.

On lap 18, the red flag was thrown when Scott Winters flipped out of the ballpark in turn two after getting up and over the cushion while racing in the twelfth spot in the running order. The driver was ok and when the accident scene was cleared the engines re-fired. It would be Schuchart, Haudenschild, Gravel, Kofoid and Macedo when they went back racing, but the yellow was quickly out again when Christopher Thram spun into the infield.

They would try again with Logan Schuchart maintaining the lead with 12 laps to go. The driver of the Shark Racing #1s was hungry and was not about to be challenged for the top spot, but right behind him were Haudenschild and Gravel. Behind them there was not a three car tussle for the fourth spot between Kofoid, Macedo, and Schatz. With two laps to go, Donny Schatz raced by both of them into fourth relegating Carson back to one spot out of the top five. Carson was still up on the wheel and with one to go raced under Buddy Kofoid to take over the fifth spot.

Logan Schuchart raced to his first World of Outlaws win of the season as he crossed the finish line at Cedar Lake Speedway 3.585 seconds ahead of Sheldon Haudenschild with David Gravel rounding out the podium. Donny Schatz was fourth with Carson Macedo locking down the final spot in the top five. It was Carson’s and the JJR #41 team’s 24th top five of the season – a 72.73% top five success rate. Another good run for the forty-one!

Fast in the Finale of the Independence Day Spectacular at Cedar Lake Speedway! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

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