BETTER DAYS AHEAD: ON A NIGHT WHERE THE FULL MOON WAS IN EFFECT, THE JASON JOHNSON RACING (JJR) #41 TEAM TRIES THEIR BEST ALL NIGHT TO OVERCOME ADVERSITY TO NO AVAIL AT THE 41ST ANNUAL KINGS ROYAL

ROSSBURG, OHIO (July 20, 2024) – Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team were back at “The House that Earl Built” – Eldora Speedway – on Saturday night for the 41st Annual Kings Royal. This race is truly one of the biggest races of the year and fans from everywhere flock to the cornfields of northwest Ohio to see the best sprint car drivers in the work race for a chance to sit in the throne and be bestowed as a king adorned with a crown. It never gets old. In fact, the race each year continues to get better and better drawing huge crowds and a pit area full of sprint cars elite. As the drone flew over the pits it covered 62 race haulers lined up throughout the infield around the state-of-the-art infield care center. There were kings who already earned royalty status that would trade in their crown for helmets – Donny Schatz, Tyler Courtney, Kyle Larson, Brent Marks, and Brad Sweet – while others were looking to earn tonight’s crown. It was King’s Royal night at Eldora Speedway – Let’s go racing!

The format for this event is tough. The time trial format for this special event deviates from the normal Sea Foam Qualifying format with the World of Outlaws where the field is split into two separate groups if there are 38 or more cars. Every driver times as part of the same qualifying group no matter how many cars are entered to race. With a slight twist this year, rather than inverting the top 36 qualifiers for the heat races that would be determined by the Wheel of Misfortune before the heat races. There would be two cars on the track for each time trial session with Carson Macedo pushing off 53rd for his two laps with the #101 of Kalib Henry. As the driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 made his way towards the front of the push off lane he was ready to go. The official gave him the signal that it was his turn as the push truck gave him a tap on the rear nerf bar that he needed to start his Kistler Engines power. He rolled up the banking and starter to build up his speed down as he drove the backstretch. When he passed the flagstand to take the green flag he was hard at work. Carson circled around Eldora the first time in 13.595 seconds with one more lap to go to try and deliver any improvement. He was digging hard and trying to make quick work of the high speed joint. When Carson powered off the last turn he saw the white and black checkered cloth waving overhead. When he crossed the finish line, the numbers for his second lap appeared on the jumbo screen scoreboard displaying 13.782 seconds. The quicker of Carson’s two timed laps was only good enough for 47th quick overall. Rico Abreu, driving the Abreu Vineyards #24, though was the fastest driver of the night clocking in at 12.933 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.

Another change from the normal WoO format was on deck in the six 10-lap heat races. The Wheel of Misfortune was spun and landed on a number four. That meant only the four fastest drivers in each heat races would be inverted with the top three finishers locking down a starting spot in the prestigious and high paying feature later in the night. The heat race winners would start in positions one through six in the feature. The runner up finishers would start behind them in positions seven through twelve, with the third place finishers occupying starting spots thirteen through eighteen. The fastest two time trial qualifiers not finishing in one of these top three positions in the heat races would then advance to the feature locking into starting positions nineteen and twenty.

Talk about having to be up on the wheel from the drop of the green all the way through the checkers. There was absolutely no time to lollygag for each of the racers as there was a lot on the line. The driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Tarlton and Son/Winters Performance Products #41 Maxim was slated to go off from the eighth starting spot in the fifth heat race where he pull beside Brock Zearfoss in the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3z in row four. The starting lineup featured Tyler Courtney and Landon Crawley on the front row with Devon Borden and Kraig Kinser pacing behind in row two. Buddy Kofoid and Daison Pursley were rolling in row three. Bill Balog and Jordan Ryan tucked in behind the row four starters to fill the starting grid.

The engines were respectfully rumbling, but off turn four they became much more ambient as the field roared down the front straightaway heading to turn one. They turned left with Tyler Courtney driving his NOS Energy Drink #7BC into the lead directly in front of Landon Crawley.

Carson got pinched on the initial start and was waiting for some space to open up in front of him. He was able to move around and gain a few position on a surface that was not enabling much passing. Unfortunately, after running the full race he was sitting on the outside looking in as he finished eighth. Tyler Courtney won the race as Buddy Kofoid and Landon Crawley locked down the final two transfer positions out of heat five.

Relegated to the C-Main, Carson would start back in the eleventh starting spot beside Bryce Lucius. The pressure was on to race forward in order to capture one of the six slots needed to move into the B-Main. Danny Sams III and Joel Myers Jr. were staged on the front row with Kerry Madsen and Greg Wilson in row two. On the opening lap, Carson raced forward and was in seventh place.

He moved up one more position into a transfer position and was now pushing Brenham Crouch to get a spot in the top five. The two made contact entering turn one knocking down the front win on the forty-one. Carson also suffered a blown right rear tire, so he headed to the work area where the crew would put on some new rubber. HE rejoined at the back of the pack hoping to make a run forward. They went back to green flag racing and he started to march forward. On lap 9, the new right rear tire blew sending him hard into the outside wall in turn four. He flipped landing on top of Gary Taylor’s #50YR. Carson’s night was over as he was scored with a 15th place finish and there are no provisional starting spots awarded under this race format.

A disappointing night all around for Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team. But they will regroup and be back at a track near you soon. Their next stop is in the Keystone State at BAPS Motor Speedway on Wednesday, July 24th.

Congratulations to David Gravel on winning the 41st Annual Kings Royal!

Adversity for the Forty-One at the 41st Annual Kings Royal! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich – CS Productions

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners: 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); RaceDiecast.com; 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; Buckwalter Trucking; CASM Safety Products; C&R Racing; ChalkStix; Crow Enterprizes; CS Productions; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; Indy Performance Composites (IPC); ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Premium Coach Group; Saldana Racing Products; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; 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.

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