BUILDING SPEED IN BAKERSFIELD: THE WoO TOUR OF STARS CONTINUES TO PERFORM IN CALIFORNIA AS THEY INVADE BAKERSFIELD SPEEDWAY FOR THE NASHVILLE WEST SHOWDOWN WITH CARSON EARNING A SPOT ON THE PODIUM

BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA (September 13, 2024) – After completing the first two races of the West Coast swing last weekend in California at the Stockton Dirt Track and Kings Speedway in their return to The Golden State, Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team were unloaded and ready to get back on the track at Bakersfield Speedway in the World of Outlaws Nashville West Showdown. The tour has visited here in the past and always put on a great show for the fans. Carson, along with all of the other drivers on the WoO tour, were excited to be back at the 1/3-mile dirt track in 2024 as they were looking to provide entertainment value that exceeded the price of admission for the fans. There were 29 racing teams, both World of Outlaws teams who were also joined by some impressive West Coast based local teams, ready to compete for the win as part of The Greatest Show on Dirt. It was race day in Bakersfield – World of Outlaws style! 

As is normal and customary, the first order of business to start the night after hot laps was Sea Foam Qualifying. Each of the drivers would only get two laps at speed to record a fast lap. These competitors are so close these days that just a few thousandths of a second can be the difference on where you end up on the speed charts. Carson would be the 25th driver to hit the track driving the Albaugh – Your Alternative/BR Motorsports/Walker Performance Filtration #41 Maxim. He secured his Crow Enterprizes safety belts one last time before his Kistler Engines powerplant awoke to perform after assistance from the push truck to fire. He lowered his right K1 Race Gear show on the accelerator and took off. Carson raced under the waving green flag to commence his first circuit as he was hustling around the Cali style bullring. He completed his first lap in 11.221 seconds. He stayed on the gas looking to hit the marks to optimize his speed and time around Bakersfield on lap two. When he crossed the finish line this time the clock read 11.108 seconds. The better of his two laps in time trials ended up sixth quick overall on the night. Landon Brooks was able to wheel the Wheatley #45 around Bakersfield Speedway in 11.009 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award, the first of his career.

Each of the driver’s best time in qualifying positioned them in their starting spot in one of the three 10-lap heat races. Carson would get the Tarlton and Son/Team Jack Foundation/KSE Racing Products #41 started in the third heat race. He pulled his Maxim Racing hotrod onto the outside of the front row with Giovanni Scelzi in the Aspen Aire/Logan Contractor, Inc. #18. Bill Balog #17B and Cole Macedo in the Tarlton and Son #21 pulled in right behind in row two. Tim Kaeding #0 and Donny Schatz #15 were lined up in row three with Kraig Kinser #70 and Austin McCarl #88 in row four. Dawson Faria #12B paced alone in row five.

The field was set. Off turn four the green flag was thrown out by the flagman as the front row starters led the field down the front straightaway with Giovanni Scelzi leading the way. The track was fast and Scelzi and Macedo were showing speed around Bakersfield. Cole Macedo was not too far behind in the black #21 as they laps were passing by as quickly as the cars. Giovanni was building a lead over the first half of the race, but Carson was now starting to reel him in throughout the second half of the heat race.

When the white flag waved, Carson was just under a half second behind the race lead with not a lot of time to catch him yet alone pass him. Giovanni Scelzi would not be denied as he raced to a 0.570 second heat race victory over Carson Macedo with Cole Macedo coming home third. Donny Schatz, Bill Balog, and Tim Kaeding locked down the final three transfer positions out of the second heat race.

Carson’s second place finish in his heat race made him eligible for the 8-lap Toyota Dash. It would be his 37 appearance in the Dash in World of Outlaws competition. He would be the last driver to draw, so there would only be one pill left in the oversized NOS Energy Drink can when it was his turn to draw a number for his starting position. When all of the numbers were selected, the starting lineup for the Dash would find Landon Brooks and Giovanni Scelzi on the front row with Carson Macedo’s Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 on the inside of row two with Dylan Bloomfield #83V off his right side nerf bar. Logan Schuchart and Buddy Kofoid paced from row three. The green flag was out as Landon Brooks darted into the top spot with Giovanni stalking him closely. Scelzi would continue to race hi the leader’s tracks over the first two laps before moving by the talented young racer to lead lap three. Carson was running in the show position early before Buddy Kofoid moved by him on the same circuit Scelzi took the lead. The driver of the KCP Racing #18 was on a mission and completed it by taking the Dash victory by 1.237 seconds ahead of Landon Brooks. Buddy Kofoid brought the Roth Motorsports #83 home third with Carson Macedo crossing the line in fourth. Logan Schuchart was scored fifth as Dylan Bloomfield came home sixth.   

To this point of the night, the show was both exciting and entertaining. The best though was yet to come at Bakersfield Speedway with the 35-lap World of Outlaws Nashville West Showdown feature left to run with a trophy and $12,000 on the line for the winner. For the six drivers who raced in the Toyota Dash, they would start the feature where they finished. That meant Carson Macedo would get the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Mark Burch Motorsports/Factory Kahne (FK Shocks) #41 started from row two in the fourth starting position. Buddy Kofoid in the Toyota Racing Development TRD/Mobil 1 #83 pulled his speed machine outside of the forty-one as the tour hottest drivers on the tour right now paced for the start of the race.

Without any further pomp and circumstance it was now time to go racing at Bakersfield Speedway as the evening quiet was disrupted by the explosion of sweet sound of 410 engines as they raced down the front straightaway. Giovanni Scelzi jumped into the early lead, but Second starting Landon Brooks spun sideway in turn two in front of the entire field causing an eight car melee that blocked the track bringing out the red flag. The drivers involved were Austin McCarl #88, Sheldon Haudenschild #17, Tim Kaeding #0, Kraig Kinser #70, Jamie Veal #17AU, Bill Balog #17B, and Landon Crawley. Some drivers were able to rejoin the field right away while others headed to the Federated Auto Parts Work Zone or back to their trailers in the pit area.

It would be a complete restart with the field reshuffling as third starting Buddy Kofoid moved to the outside of the front row to fill in Brooks vacated spot as Carson slide to the left in row two now joined by Logan Schuchart with everyone behind them crossing over for the restart. The green flag was back out with Giovanni Scelzi leading fellow Californians Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo after the first lap was recorded.

With Giovanni Scelzi out front Buddy Kofoid was right there early and often. With 10 laps down in the race the two racers were throwing slide jobs at each other with Scelzi maintain the top spot. They were battling hard for the lead as they raced through slower traffic as Carson Macedo started to close in. Before you knew it there was a close three car race for the lead.

All of the great action on the track though was briefly interrupted on lap 20 when Dylan Bloomfield slowed to a stop in turn three with front end damage. Giovanni Scelzi chose the outside lane for the restart. He would bring the field back up to speed with Kofoid, Macedo, Schuchart, and Gravel giving chase.

Carson got a great restart from his third starting spot and dove underneath Kofoid to take over second in turn one as e slid up across the track in front of your leader momentarily before Scelzi crossed back underneath him. Meanwhile, the red flag was displayed for D.J. Netto who got upside down in turn one collecting negating all of the passing action up front.

When the crash scene was cleared, where all drivers were ok, it would be a single file restart with 15 laps to go. Scelzi used the open track ahead to lead the field with Kofoid in hot pursuit again. The driver of the Roth Motorsports #83 was relentless and on lap 28 was closing when the yellow flag came out for Sheldon Haudenschild who had front end damage and headed pit side.

They would restart with 7 laps to go. Buddy Kofoid used the restart to pounce on Scelzi to take the lead with Carson Macedo tracking them both from third in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. Buddy Kofoid stayed hot as he took the win crossing the finish line ahead of Scelzi and Macedo who rounded out the podium. Logan Schuchart came home third with David Gravel rounding out the top five. Another good run for the forty-one!

Something Good was Brewing in Bakersfield as Carson Macedo Records a Third Place Run in the Forty-One! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

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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