CHASING IN NEW YORK: THE JJR #41 TEAM HEADED NORTH TO NEW YORK TO COMPETE IN THE EMPIRE STATE CHALLENGE WHERE THE CALIFORNIAN DROVE THE WHEELS OFF THE FORTY-ONE TO DELIVER A 4TH PLACE FINISH

WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK (July 27, 2025) – After an unexpected brief hiatus in the World of Outlaws (WoO) schedule following the rainout of both nights of the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals at Williams Grove, the drivers and teams looked forward to getting back on track at Weedsport Speedway on Sunday night. Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team loaded up and headed north early Sunday morning enroute to New York. They were eager and ready to get their Kistler Engines power fired up again at the well-maintained and beautiful Weedsport Speedway in upstate New York. The starts with the World of Outlaws paired up with the Big Block Modifieds racers on the showcard, which always produces a great show for the fans in the packed stands as well as those tuning in on DIRTVision.

Weedsport is located just west of Syracuse and is a racy, unique-shaped three-eighths mile racetrack. It is a little different shape and is a fun place to compete for the drivers and teams while entertaining the fans in the stands . . . even avid fans who ventured over from Canada. Prior to the festivities starting, the race fans at the track mingled around merchandise alley buying their favorite driver’s gear to show their support while eating some of the great concession foods served here at the track. There were 41 race teams signed in for World of Outlaws competition ready to go racing in the Empire State Challenge – World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series style! It was race day under the sun, finally, at Weedsport Speedway.

After pulling a lower number in the Eloy Gutierrez Pill Draw, Carson was set to go out early in Flight 1 of Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying for his two laps against the clock. A tip of the hat to a sprint car legend, Greg Hodnett, who currently hold the track record here at Weedsport with a lap of 13.401 seconds set on May 17, 2015. Primed and ready to take his Durst Inc./Motor State Distributing/BMRS #41 Maxim hotrod for a quick ride around the “D-Shaped” oval, the Californian in the forty-one waited in the staging lane. When Carson received the cue to start his speed performance after D.J. Christie #5 completed his laps, he flipped the shield down on his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet and lowered his right foot on the loud pedal as he entered the track off turn four. He was at full song quickly as he ripped by waving green flag but was meticulously massaging the gas pedal to keep his tires underneath him on a tricky surface. The numbers on the stopwatch measuring his speed were rolling just as fast as he was on the track. When those numbers stopped at the end of lap one, they displayed 13.826 seconds which catapulted him to the top of the speed charts. The Lemoore, California native stayed on the gas and continue to throw dust and dirt as he made his way through the four turns again. This time when he raced off turn four, he bolted under the waving checkered flag in 14.122 seconds. The better of his two attempts racing for speed and time was the first one which positioned him with the quickest time on the speed charts in Flight 1 when qualifying for that session concluded. Carson also earned his third Simpson Quick Time Award this season with the quickest lap of the night bringing his World of Outlaws (WoO) quick time total to 48 through July 20. David Gravel piloted the JRC Transportation/Big Game Motorsports #2 around Weedsport Speedway in 14.619 seconds in Flight 2 after going out late to top the charts in that qualifying session.

When the completed lineups for the four 8-lap Heat races posted at the WoO Command Center, Carson would start from the pole position driving the Scott Boyd Family/Walker Performance Filtration/BR Motorsports #41 in NOS Energy Drink Heat Race #1. Race officials established the lineups for each qualifying races using each driver’s fastest lap in time trials. He paired up with his brother Cole Macedo in the TwoC Racing #2c on the front row with Dalton Rombough #41R and Cory Eliason #45 in the second row. Hunter Schuerenberg #55 and Zach Sobotka #38 were beside each other in row three with Dave Axton #2X and D.J. Christie #5 together in row four. Chris Hile #5H and Dale Gosselin #3G paced from the final row in positions nine and ten.

The cars were rolling with the drivers anxiously awaiting the signal to go racing. This surface is tricky, so getting a good start is paramount. The front row starters led the charge off turn four and were cruising by the time they reached turn one. Carson charged off the inside lane the turned left low into turn one when he arrived. He was the first car out of turn two and down the backstretch followed by Cole Macedo and Cory Eliason. Eliason though had his hands full with a hungry Zach Sobotka closing quickly.

Carson continued to strategically make his way around Weedsport Speedway extending his lead with each completed lap over Cole. By the halfway point of the race Carson had the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 out front by over four seconds. He continued to focus and turn good laps over the next four laps racing to a 7.778 second victory over Cole Macedo with Zach Sobotka coming home third, Cory Eliason fourth, and Dave Axton sneaking into the top five to grab the final transfer position by just 0.057 seconds over Hunter Schuerenberg who would have to race his way in through the Last Chance Showdown (LCS).

The Heat race winners and each of the runner-up finishers all made their way to the front straightaway to draw for their starting positions in the 6-lap Toyota Dash. The lineup was going to be a critical contributor to how things played out throughout the night. While they were all locked into the feature, the Dash enables each driver to race for their starting positions in the purse paying race later the schedule of events. When all the numbers were gone in the Dash draw, David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports/Huset’s Speedway #2 and Ryan Turner driving the #15T paced the field from the front row of the Dash. In row two, Michael “Buddy” Kofoid aboard the Roth Motorsports/Mobil 1 #83 and Cole Macedo behind the wheel of the TwoC Racing/WEDG Performance Karts #2c were side-by-side ready to rumble. Row three featured Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing/C&D Rigging #1s and Carson Macedo in the JJR/Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. Partnering in row four was Sheldon Haudenschild in the Stenhouse JR. Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink #17 and Ashton Torgerson in the Shark Racing/Pell’s Tire Center #1a. The drivers were laser focused as the yellow lights dimmed. When the arrived at the chalk stripe in turn four in was time to go racing. Green, green, green it was ‘go time’ but the yellow flag came out when eighth starting Ashton Torgerson jumped early at the start. They tried again and this time David Gravel used the pole position to his advantage as he drove into the early race lead on the first lap one ahead of Cole Macedo and Ryan Turner. Carson was in the high lane with Torgerson splitting the middle to steal the sixth spot with the forty-one running seventh battling Torgerson and Haudenschild for position. David Gravel checked out and led flag-to-flag to take the win with Cole Macedo coming home second 2.299 second behind, Buddy Kofoid third, Ryan Turner fourth, and Ashton Torgerson with a last lap pass to secure the fifth spot. Logan Schuchart came home sixth, Carson finished seventh, and Sheldon Haudenschild crossed the finish line eighth.

The first four rows of the A-Main were based off the Dash finish for the 30-lap Empire State Challenge feature. When Philip, Robby, and Adam finished their work, Carson climbed into the high-speed office of his Maxim Racing machine. He would get the Albaugh – Your Alternative/High Performance Lubricants/Wilwood Racing #41 started from the seventh position on the grid. The remainder of the starting lineup was loaded with sprint car talent from near and far with locals sprinkled in between.

The front row starters, David Gravel #2 and Cole Macedo #2c, paced slowly as the field of their competitors got situated behind them two-by-two in twelve rows. The flagman gave them the signal that the next time by they would go racing at Weedsport and off the fourth turn polesitter David Gravel led Cole Macedo and Buddy Kofoid as they were setting the early race pace. Running in the fourth position was Carson Macedo who made a bold move at the start of the race down the front straightaway to move under Ashton Torgerson, Logan Schuchart, and Ryan Turner into turn one winning the duel for the higher number on the scoreboard early.

On lap 2, the yellow flag came out for Dave Axton #2x who spun and sat sideways in turn four. Tenth running Ashton Torgerson headed to the Federated Car Care Work Area after contact with the wall and rejoined the field. David Gravel chose the inside lane for the restart with Cole Macedo going topside. Busy Kofoid was on the inside of row two with Carson to his outside with Logan Schuchart and Ryan Turner right behind them.

Things got hectic on the restart behind David Gravel and Cole Macedo as both Carson Macedo and Logan Schuchart moved by Kofoid for position. Carson and Logan would swap the show position on lap four and five with Carson gaining it as Kofoid moved back by Schuchart into the fourth position. It was wild at Weedsport.

At the halfway point of the race the leaders were navigating slower traffic, and things were getting close for positions two through six as David Gravel started to check out into a different zip code. It was Gravel leading Cole Macedo, Carson Macedo, Kofoid and Schuchart when the crossed flags were shown.

The slower cars were using the preferred bottom lane, so the leaders had to try a different pathway if they were going to get by. Carson moved up to the top and was carrying his speed, but unfortunately it is a long way around up there. Buddy Kofoid and Logan Schuchart seized the opportunity to move back by the forty-one relegating him back to fifth with Sheldon Haudenschild now hounding him like a dog for the last spot in the top five.

The driver of the NOS Energy Drink #17 gets around here good and was fast again. With 20 laps in the books, Carson moved underneath Schuchart to reclaim fourth as it was a four car race for third between Buddy, Carson, Logan, and Schuchart as all of them were closing in on second running Cole Macedo.

Two laps later Buddy Kofoid moved into the runner-up slot with the Macedo brothers right behind with Haudenschild on the move. Sheldon raced by Carson to take over the fourth position one lap later before taking third place from Cole.

David Gravel had built a lead of more than five seconds over second running Kofoid with 3 laps to go. Carson raced underneath Cole and slid up in front of him on entry to turn one to take over fourth. David Gravel led flag-to-flag to collect his eleventh win of the season with Buddy Kofoid coming home second and Sheldon Haudenschild finishing third. Carson Macedo crossed the finished line fourth with Cole Macedo just beating Logan Schuchart across the line to complete the top five. A good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 Team were Rolling in New York at Weedsport Speedway to End July at the Empire State Challenge! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners for 2025: 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; CASM Safety Products; C&R Racing; 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; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Prime Composite Innovations; Saldana Racing Products; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; Smiley’s Racing Products; 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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