BATTLING IN THE BUCKEYE STATE: CARSON MACEDO DRIVES THE TARLTON AND SON #41 TO A SIXTH PLACE FINISH THROUGH A STACKED FIELD OF TALENT AT ELDORA SPEEDWAY TO KICKOFF THE #LETSRACETWO WEEKEND

ROSSBURG, OHIO (May 5, 2023) – The corn has just begun to sprout and push up through the soil in northwestern Ohio, but the Earth was about to shake as the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series were in town at Eldora Speedway for the two-day #LetsRaceTwo weekend along with the stars of the USAC Sprint Cars. The haulers lined up at the pit gate as they waited their turn to pull across the backstretch and down the banking into the infield pit area to pull into their pit stalls. At the same time the fans were traveling in from all over to see the best in the business take on the exciting high banked oval at top speed. The Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team was eager to roll the black with green and silver striped Albaugh – Your Alternative speed machine out of the trailer. It was race day at Eldora Speedway and there were 46 high powered 410 cubic inch sprint cars ready to put on a show at “The House that Earl Built” in Rossburg, Ohio!

With the pit area loaded with talent, the World of Outlaw entrants would be split into two separate groups for time trials in Low-E Insulation Qualifying on Friday night. The order for each group was based on the pill they had drawn at the WoO Command Center earlier in the evening. For Carson Macedo, that meant he would be the tenth driver to go out for his high speed adventure in Group A aboard the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Greber Racing Components (GRC)/Sam I Am #41 Maxim. The talented racer climbed into the cockpit of his Maxim Racing machine and pulled on his K1 Race Gear gloves as he prepared to do battle around Eldora Speedway against the clock. When it was his turn to fire his engine, the pit official motioned for the push truck to roll and the Kistler Engines power came to life as Carson drove up the banking in turn one. He wasted no time getting the car up to speed as he wisped through turns three and four and pedaled down as he raced under the waving green flag. His elbows were up and he was using his KSE Racing Products to steer smoothly around the fast half-mile. Only time would tell how well he did and the stopwatch read 13.219 seconds after lap one. The second hand restarted and began to measure the next circuit for the Lemoore, California racer as he buzzed through the first set of turns and hustled through the last set. When the numbers came up on the scoreboard for lap two it was 13.108 seconds. When the final qualifier in Group A, Michael “Buddy” Kofoid, completed his time trial laps, Carson’s best lap positioned the Albaugh #41 9th quick overall in his group. The fastest driver of the night though came out of Group B and was Logan Schuchart with a lap that timed in at 12.916 seconds.

Using each driver’s best lap out of each of the qualifying groups, the World of Outlaws Timing and Scoring Officials posted the lineups for the four 8-lap heat races with the top five finishers locking down spots in the feature from each race. After perusing the lineups, Carson Macedo would get started from the fifth position in the first and fastest heat race. He would share row three with Jacob Allen in the Shark Racing #1a. The heat race was stacked with talent as Brad Sweet and Tyler Courtney paced the field from the front row with Kyle Larson and Zeb Wise rolling in row two. Justin Peck and Michael Kofoid were behind Macedo and Allen in row four with Kraig Kinser, Travis Philo, J.J. Hickle and Bill Rose occupying rows 5 and 6. The heat race field was set and they rolled slowly side-by-side into turn three. They hit the chalk stripe and powered down the frontstretch into turn one. When they exited the first two turns Carson Macedo was running in the last spot of the top five driving the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Meyers Constructors/Durst #41. Brad Sweet was showing the way at the front as he was leading Tyler Courtney and Kyle Larson. The racing action was halted when Kyle Larson and Zeb Wise got together sending Wise into a violent series of flips and causing some damage to Larson’s #57 sending him to the work area. Wise climbed out of his car and Larson was disqualified as he failed to stop under red flag conditions on the way to the work area. When they got back to racing Sweet was rolling at the front with Courtney still chasing. Carson was now tracking down Courtney’s NOS Energy Drink #7BC in an attempt to steal the runner-up position. With a few laps to go Macedo was in striking distance and when he saw an opening he took advantage of it in the Albaugh #41. Brad Sweet raced to the win with Macedo stealing the runner-up position ahead of Courtney to earn a spot in the dash by a mere 0.200 seconds. Jacob Allen brought his Shark Racing entry home fourth with Justin Peck locking down the fifth and final transfer position.

Each of the eight drivers who finished in the top two positions in there heat races had the opportunity to draw a pill to find out where they would start the 6-lap Toyota Dash. Rico Abreu would start from the pole position with Brad Sweet flanking him on the outside. Ten-time WoO champion Donny Schatz would get started from the inside of row two with Logan Schuchart on the outside, as Sheldon Haudenschild and Brock Zearfoss rolled from row three. Row four was an all-California, high number picking row with Giovanni Scelzi and Carson Macedo set to get started from the seventh and eighth starting position respectively. When the field exited turn four Sweet powered off the bottom into the lead as Carson Macedo drove the Tarlton and Son #41 between Zearfoss and Scelzi into the sixth position. For the remaining 5 laps though Macedo and Scelzi would battle California style as they swapped the sixth position multiple times. One lap it was Macedo ahead of Scelzi. The next time around it was Gio over Carson. All while racing each other cleanly and with respect. Brad Sweet would continue his strong night as he raced to the dash victory over Abreu and Schuchart with Schatz and Haudenschild rounding out the top five. At the end of the battle between the #18 of Scelzi and the #41 of Macedo it was Scelzi coming home sixth with Macedo earning seventh and Zearfoss completing the finishing order in eighth. Their finishing spots were where they would get started in the feature to end the night.

The air horn sounded as the teams completed their last minute work for the Friday edition of the 30-lap NOS Energy Drink #LetsRaceTwo feature and pushed out onto the track using the nearest opening in the pit area to enter the track. Brad Sweet would lead the field to the green flag in the NAPA Auto Parts #49 with Rico Abreu eager to compete with the 4-time WoO champion at Eldora Speedway. Carson was patiently rolling from his seventh starting position aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Boltz Family/T-FA Custom Metal Fabrication #41 Maxim. He was ready to go at Eldora Speedway!

After the smoke from the always impressive pyrotechnics to start the show at Eldora, the drivers were ready to shake the ground in Rossburg, Ohio. The green flag was out and third starting Logan Schuchart hustled into the early lead as he passed Abreu and rolled by Sweet when he stumble on the cushion in turn two. Carson was shuffled back to the ninth position as David Gravel and Brock Zearfoss were able to get by him as they got up to speed.

Carson stayed focused and slowly started to work his way forward again in the Albaugh #41. The smooth operator from Lemoore, California allowed his car to come to him as he Kistler Engines power was moving him forward. He was picking up a position here and there and before you knew it was running just outside the top five.

Logan Schuchart was keeping his speed and momentum up racing around the top as Rico Abreu and Brad Sweet were working different lines closer to the inside wall versus the outside one. By lap 10 the leaders were not only battling with each other but also navigating the slower traffic at speed. Meanwhile, Carson kept methodically working in the forty-one closing in on his next competitor to race for position.

The laps were winding down with Schuchart still leading Abreu, but Rico was working the bottom hard and with the white flag waving the leaders were side-by-side. Schuchart used a lap car to his advantage and raced to the win over Abreu with Donny Schatz charging home third to earn a podium finish as Brad Sweet and David Gravel rounded out the top five.

Carson Macedo stayed the course and brought the Albaugh #41 home with a sixth place finish, his 19th top ten in 19 races in 2023, ahead of Jacob Allen, Giovanni Scelzi, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Kyle Larson who was the hard charger of the night racing forward from his 22nd starting position.

Another 2023 Top Ten in the Books as Carson Macedo Opens the #LetsRaceTwo Weekend with a 6th Place Finish! Photo Credit: Patrick Grant Photography

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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.