BUCKEYE BATTLE – TAKE TWO: THE WoO STARS WERE FAST AND FEISTY PUTTING ON AN ENTERTAINING SHOW AT ATOMIC SPEEDWAY WITH MACEDO CIRCLING AROUND TO COLLECT ANOTHER PODIUM RUN IN THE ALBAUGH – YOUR ALTERNATIVE #41

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO (May 25, 2024) – With one night of fast paced action already in the books in Ohio, the World of Outlaws race teams had to quickly turn the page and focus as there was another full show that lied just ahead on Saturday night at Atomic Speedway in the Xtreme Chillicothe Classic. Connecticut’s David Gravel collected his eighth victory of the season on Friday night with two California natives, Carson Macedo and Buddy Kofoid, behind to complete the podium. Carson Macedo raced hard all night and brought the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 across the finish line in second place, the JJR team’s fifth podium in a row and twelfth consecutive top five finish. For the Xtreme Chillicothe Classic race finale at Atomic Speedway there were 29 powerful 410 sprint cars back in the pit area on Saturday night eager to compete. The teams were applying any lessons they learned Friday night to their race setups to hopefully help improve their performance and drive better results. It was again race day at Atomic Speedway with some of the best in the business ready to deliver more entertainment – World of Outlaws style!

One of the differentiators for each of the competitors that may contribute to whether it is a good night or a bad night all starts with Sea Foam Qualifying. In time trials, the measurement by the clock which separates most of the top performers from one another is such a fine line, sometimes as little as a mere hundredths or thousandths of a second, as these professional race teams are just so good and so close. That is why time trials matter and are an important part of every World of Outlaws show. Each team has to perform in each competitive part of the event – time trials, heat races, the dash if they qualifying for it, and ultimately the feature. Carson Macedo would guide the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/FK Rod Ends/Smith TI #41 Maxim out on the track 14th for his two lap speed showcase.  He would be joined on the track for tie trials by Creed Kemenah, the talented young Ohio racer with a deep family racing lineage. When it was his time to perform Carson stepped up and mashed the gas. By the time Carson reached the flagstand he had the Albaugh – Your Alternative speed machine digging. He tripped the timing light and was now on the clock. The talented California speedster was aggressively attacking the track throughout his first circuit trying to find the fastest way around Atomic. His efforts were rewarded with a lap of 11.813 seconds. The fierce competitor kept his white K1 Race Gear shoe planted on the loud pedal as he hustled the forty-one around Atomic Speedway a second time. When he raced under the waving black and white checkered cloth to end his session, lap two came in at 11.631 seconds. The better of his two attempts positioned him fifth quick overall when time trials concluded. The fastest driver on night two at Atomic though was David Gravel again in the Huset’s Speedway #2 at 11.483 seconds. His fast moving efforts earned him his sixth Simpson Quick Time Award of the season.

With the solo speed portion of the show in the rearview mirror, it was now time for some wheel-to-wheel high speed action in the three 8-lap heat races. The top six finishers in each race would transfer to the feature with the winners and runner-up finishers advancing to the Toyota Dash. After track officials groomed the racing surface the first heat was called to the staging lane.

Carson would be in Milton Hershey School Heat Race #2. It would be an all-California front row. Carson would get the Border International/Winters Performance Products/Schoenfeld Headers #41 started from row one where he would pace beside polesitter Buddy Kofoid in the Roth Motorsports #83. Pennsylvanians Logan Schuchart and Brock Zearfoss would be in row two with Brady Bacon and Nathan Skaggs in row three. Row four was made up of Kraig Kinser and Jacob Dykstra with Nate Reeser and Ashley Tackett in row five.

The caution lights were turned off . . . it was ‘go time’ in heat race two at Atomic Speedway. Off turn four all of the formal order turned into a chaotic high speed chase. It was kind of like in the Dukes of Hazzard when Boss Hogg would send the sheriff, Rosco P. Coltrane, and the “Dipstick” Cletus Hogg out in an attempt to catch Bo and Luke Duke in the General Lee #01. The field just scattered as Carson was on the extreme outside with Kofoid hugging the bottom and everyone behind them all over the place. Race officials did not like the start and radioed down to throw the caution flag out for the field to try the start again.

This time when the green cloth flew overhead it was Carson working the outside lane again in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 to race out in the front of the pack at the Ross County oval in Ohio. He was moving and grooving with Buddy Kofoid and Brock Zearfoss in hot pursuit.

The early action was slowed after lap one when Nathan Skaggs stopped on the backstretch. Cooter Davenport, better known as Crazy Cooter the tow truck/mechanic extraordinaire in Hazzard County, was only needed to push Skaggs back off as he was able to rejoin the field. It would be Macedo, Kofoid, Zearfoss, Schuchart and Dykstra bringing them back to the green with 7 laps to go.

When the field went back to green flag racing it was Carson to the lead again with Kofoid right behind. The Lemoore, California native was enjoying the clean air as he was running out front with the air flowing smoothly over his Vortex Racing Products wings. The driver of the forty-one was determined and began tracking down the rear of the field with a lap to go.

When the checkered flag ended the second heat race, Carson Macedo was the first driver to cross the finish line ahead of Buddy Kofoid. It was Carson and the team’s 11th heat race victory of the season. Those two drivers would move onto the dash. The next four finishers that completed the top six were Brock Zearfoss, Logan Schuchart and Brady Bacon, with Kraig Kinser securing the sixth and final transfer spot.

Making his way into his 18th Toyota Dash of the year, a 76.26% success rate, Carson headed to the World of Outlaws Command Center to see if his luck got any better when choosing a number for his starting spot. It did not. He drew the highest pill again, a number six, and would start sixth in the 6-lap race where the driver’s finishing positions determined their starting spots in the feature. Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel rolled in row one with Buddy Kofoid and Giovanni Scelzi in row two. Cole Duncan shared row three with Carson Macedo. When the green flag came out Carson went high off turn four in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 and crossed the track going down the frontstretch to set up a low entry into turn one. He slid underneath Buddy Kofoid and continued to slide up across the track in front of Giovanni Scelzi. Things got really tight leaving Scelzi nowhere to go. The two tenacious competitors made contact off turn two as both continued at speed. It was Haudenschild leading Gravel, Kofoid and Macedo with Scelzi in the fifth spot. Sheldon Haudenschild had the NOS Energy Drink #17 scooting around Atomic Speedway in the dash. He never looked back and raced under the checkered flag 2.165 seconds ahead of second running David Gravel. Buddy Kofoid came home third, Carson Macedo fourth, with Cole Duncan and Giovanni Scelzi rounding out the finishing order.

After some quick track prep work was completed, the show continued on an expedited basis because weather was moving into the area. With a lot of the hard work behind them, the drivers and teams now turned their attention to executing their race strategies for the $12,000-to-win bank heist in the 30-lap Xtreme Chillicothe Classic feature finale. Obtaining the treasure would be no easy task. There was still a lot of work ahead of them.

Carson was putting his last tearoff on his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet as the 8-minue horn sounded throughout the pit area as Johnny Gibson began reading off the starting lineup over the public address system. The driver from Lemoore, California would get the Albaugh – Your Alternative/C&R Racing/Bandy & Associates #41 Maxim rolling from his fourth starting position in row two.

Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel led the field from row one with Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo right behind in row two. Those four cars would make up the front row in the four-wide salute to the fans in attendance at Atomic Raceway. This was the 24 drivers’ way of expressing their appreciation for all those that came out to the show and spent their hard earned money on tickets, concessions, and merchandise.

Thirty laps. Twenty four cars. One winner’s check. It was time to get it started in The Buckeye State for the second night in a row! The green flag was out. Carson again tried to gain some race positions on the initial start as he tried a slide job in the first set of turns. He slid up between race leader Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel through turn two. Haudenschild maintained the lead as David Gravel turned underneath him and raced back by Macedo into second. Carson and Buddy Kofoid were now battling right behind the leaders for position on the track.

By lap 6, the leaders were already in traffic. Second running David Gravel was closing in on Sheldon Haudenschild. He was within striking distance as they raced with slower cars on the track. Carson was right behind watching the action unfold. Gravel saw an opportunity to take the lead entering turn three and went to the middle making contact with the lap car of Keith Baxter sending the Big Game Motorsports #2 into the outside wall sustaining front axle damage. Carson had the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 turned completely sideways to avoid getting caught up in the accident. He was successful, but did sustain some damage to the top corner of his right side wing panel. The yellow flag was out.

With 24 laps to go the restart running order was Haudenschild, Macedo, Kofoid, Scelzi and Duncan. The green flag was back out with the driver of the NOS Energy Drink #17 maintaining the lead. Buddy Kofoid drove the Mobil 1/Roth Motorsports #83 by Macedo into the runner-up position. Carson was now in the show position.

On lap 13 another yellow flag was back out, this time for Keith Baxter who slowed on the back straightaway. Sheldon Haudenschild was your leader followed by Buddy Kofoid, Carson Macedo, Cole Duncan and Giovanni Scelzi. Carson would restart side-by-side with Duncan’s #22. When the green lights came back on Haudenschild did not relinquish the lead and Carson held on to the third place spot.

They were logging laps and with 10 laps to go it was still the NOS Energy Drink #17 out front with Kofoid and Macedo still trying to close in. Buddy Kofoid was making some progress as he shrunk the gap between himself and the leader. Carson was following right behind and was there too. Those two would have to hurry though because the driver from Wooster, Ohio wasn’t about to slow down for them even after making contact with the outside wall. Additionally, Carson was now dealing with the hard-charging Cole Duncan and was fending him off to maintain the show position.

Before you knew it, the white flag was out with the trio of Haudenschild, Kofoid, and Macedo still racing hard at the front of the pack. Sheldon Haudenschild raced to the win with Kofoid and Macedo following him across the finish line. Cole Duncan came home fourth with Giovanni Scelzi completing the top five.

It was Carson’s and the JJR team’s sixth straight podium finish, 13th Top 5 (a 69.57% success rate) in a row, and 19th consecutive Top 10 (an 82.61% success rate). On the front straightaway, a smiling Carson Macedo stated, “That race was really weird. Early in the race I felt like I had a really good car. I felt I could pace David (Gravel) pretty effortlessly. And then obviously David had the wreck, and I got into him a little bit and didn’t think I had any damage.” He continued, “But the right side wing board was a little bit tore up. All of a sudden after that I felt like I was sliding in no man’s land. I was using the cushion as much as I could just to get going. It’s amazing how big of a difference that little bit of side board makes.” Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

After celebrating Carson’s birthday on Sunday, the team will head north looking to continue their forward progress at Fremont Speedway in the Rick Ferkel Tribute event on Memorial Day. If you can’t make it out to the track, be sure to tune in to watch all of the action on DIRTVision.

An All-Out Speed Assault at Atomic Speedway in Ross County Delivers a Third Place Run for the Driver of the Forty-One! Photo Credit: World of Outlaws

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