CHASIN’ IT IN CHICO: BATTLING FOR EVEYTHING IN CALIFORNIA ON THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE GOLD CUP RACE OF CHAMPIONS, CARSON WHEELS AROUND SILVER DOLLAR TO BRING HOME A 10TH PLACE FINISH

CHICO, CALIFORNIA (September 10, 2021) – Being back on the West Coast for the first time in two years is certainly exciting and fulfilling for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series competitors. After four consecutive nights of racing in Washington over the Labor Day holiday weekend last week, the teams traveled south to The Golden State of California for one of the premier events on the schedule – the two-day 67th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions held at Silver Dollar Speedway. This prestigious event started back in 1951 and was held at Hughes Stadium, a flat and racy quarter-mile track. In 1956, the race then moved to West Capital Raceway, a half-mile known as the “Action Track”, and stayed there through 1979. Then, in 1980, the “Gold Cup” relocated to its present host Silver Dollar Speedway. Silver Dollar Speedway is an up-on-the-wheel, fast and exciting quarter-mile high banked clay oval that demands action and puts on high level entertainment for the fans. This year’s edition attracted 32 teams to the track for the first of two nights of racing on Friday evening.

The large field of competitors prepared for Slick Woody’s Qualifying. The native Californian wheeling the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 would be the 25th driver out on the track. Carson Macedo climbed into his Tarlton and Son/Meyers Constructors/Larry Davis Farms Maxim and pulled his Crow Enterprizes safety belts snug. He gripped his steering wheel with his K1 Race Gear gloves as his Kistler Engines/Engler Machine & Tool, Inc. power plant fired underneath the hood of the forty-one. He accelerated towards the flagstand to take the green and was eager to make quick work around the quarter-mile bullring. His elbows were up and when he crossed the timing strip the first lap the time read 12.228 seconds. He stayed on the loud pedal looking to see if he could squeeze some more time out of the clock reading. When he crossed the line the final time at the end of lap two, he did so in 12.376 seconds. The better lap of his two circuits around Silver Dollar Speedway positioned him 17th quick overall on the final speed charts. Jacob Allen collected his first quick time of the season with one of three sub-12 second laps at 11.822 seconds.

With a stacked field of drivers and teams there were no easy qualifying races. Everyone would have to earn their way into the feature field on the first night of the 67th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. The quest to be the best on this night would all start with the four 10-lap Drydene Heat Races. The Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation/FK Rod Ends #41 Maxim was slated to be in the first and fastest heat race with Jacob Allen and California raised Brad Sweet in row one followed by Willie Croft and Mitchell Faccinto. Carson would start on the inside of row three, sharing the row with Dominic Scelzi. In the final row was John Clark and Robbie Price. The cars rolled out onto the track in front of the red and white painted walls and lined up in their starting positions. The green flag waved and it was Brad Sweet to the front. Carson was quickly entrenched in a battle for the final transfer position with Dominic Scelzi. Scelzi owned it and Macedo was pressuring him for it. The track was top dominant with the cushion pushed three quarters of the way up the track. With two laps to go, Macedo took one last shot driving in hard on the low side in turn one, but could not make it stick as Scelzi wrestled the fifth position back. Brad Sweet went on to take the win over Jacob Allen, Mitchell Faccinto, and Willie Croft with Scelzi securing the final transfer position. Carson fell one spot short of a transfer spot and moved onto the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS).

Missing out on a chance to transfer through his heat race, Carson and the JJR #41 crew went to work to prepare their Maxim Racing entry for the 12-lap Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS) with the top four finishers securing spots in the A-Main. It would be the team’s first LCS for the 2021 season. Carson would get started from the outside front row aboard the Border International/C&R Racing/AutoMeter #41 with Michael Ing on the pole. Ryan Robinson and Donny Schatz paced behind in row two, with DJ Netto and John Clark in row three. Parker Price-Miller, Kyle Hirst, Robbie Price, Wayne Johnson, Austin McCarl and Kalib Henry filled in behind at the start of the race. The initial start was called off as Carson Macedo was called for jumping the initial green flag. After being docked one row, he would restart from fourth beside Donny Schatz. Michael Ing and Ryan Robinson in the front row. When they went back to green, polesitter Michael Ing got sideways and Ryan Robinson went for a wild series of flips in turn one to bring out the red. Donny Schatz and Carson Macedo would now bring the field back to the green flag after engines re-fired. It was Schatz to the lead over Macedo, but before a lap could be completed the red flag was back out, this time for Kyle Hirst. The yellow lights came back on and when they turned green it was Macedo this time using the high side to drive into the lead over Schatz with Price-Miller in the show position as Netto, Price, and Henry battling for the last transfer spot. Carson raced hard and led start to finish to take the win over Schatz, Netto and Henry.

Carson would have some work to do as he would be starting from the 21st position in the 35-lap NOS Energy Drink feature on the opening night of the 67th Annual Gold Cup Race of Champions. A local California racer, Colby Copeland, would sit on the pole with Sheldon Haudenschild to his outside. Kraig Kinser and California-born Brad Sweet were in row two, with David Gravel and another California racer Blake Carrick in row three. The green flag dropped and the drivers lowered their right foot. The initial start was slowed up quickly when the yellow came out for Kasey Kahne who spun at the exit of turn four. They were off again, but again the start was waved off after Logan Schuchart made contact with Brad Sweet. Schuchart and James McFadden slowed and stopped on the frontstretch after the contact in the early going. They would try again, this time Colby Copeland drove into the lead early ahead of Kraig Kinser. Carson was wheeling the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Fuel Safe Racing Cells/Factory Kahne (FK) Shocks #41 Maxim through the dirty air back in the 16th position. Copeland was looking strong early as he built his lead as there was a top and a bottom race lane, so the action was exciting. But he soon would have company as Brad Sweet, Sheldon Haudenschild, and David Gravel were all now racing with him for the lead. They each took turns at the front, but it was David Gravel who used the low line on the track to take the lead on lap 17, with Copeland giving chase and Brad Sweet close behind. Carson was making his way forward as he was running in the top 15. With 7 laps to go the yellow flag slowed the field with Willie Croft coming to a stop in turn one. David Gravel would bring the field back to green with Carson Macedo running in the 11th position. Gravel maintained the lead with Macedo battling with Kasey Kahne and James McFadden for position. Gravel would take the win over Copeland, Sweet and Haudenschild with Kraig Kinser rounding out the top five. Carson had his elbows up, gaining eleven spots throughout the race earning him the KSE Hard Charger award, to finish in the 10th position. Through persistence, Macedo has a great recovery and good run for the forty-one!

Overcoming Obstacles to Bring Home a Top Ten Finish on the Opening Night of Gold Cup!

Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Albaugh – Your Alternative, Saich Family; Border International; Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution; Jonestown KOA; Durst Inc.; Maxim Racing; The Boyd Family; Liquid Trucking; Meyers Constructors Inc.; Tiger Towing; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Waco Metal; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Kistler Engines; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; All Pro Auto Reconditioning; K1 Race Gear; AutoMeter; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Bell Racing USA; Blackbeard LTD; BR Motorsports; Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS); Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; C&R Racing; Chalk Stix Torsion Bars; Crow Enterprizes; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; KSE Racing Products; Larry Davis Farms; Logo Daddy Graphics; Mr. Jim’s Racing; MSD Performance; RaceDiecast.com; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; Smith Titanium; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Weld Wheels; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.

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.