COMPETING AT THE CAPPY: A LITTLE TESTING AND FUN ON SUNDAY NIGHT AT THE SPRINT CAR CAPITAL OF THE WORLD RESULTS IN A SPIN AND TENTH PLACE FINISH IN THE 10TH ANNUAL CAPITANI CLASSIC AT KNOXVILLE

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (August 8, 2021) – The tough keep challenging themselves against the best in the business night in and night out. After the checkered flag flew over the Ironman 55 at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Saturday night, Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team loaded up and drove through the night as they headed towards The Sprint Car Capital of the World – Knoxville Raceway to compete at the 10th Annual Fatheadz Eyewear Capitani Classic. This non-sanctioned event attracts a lot of talent and honors long time and respected Knoxville Raceway promoter Ralph ‘Cappy’ Capitani. The infield pit area was loaded with 64 entries on Sunday night ready to race for the prestigious honor and trophy to start a busy week of high speed action.

In split qualifying, Carson Macedo would be the 15th driver out in Group #2 for time trials to take his two qualifying laps around the historic half-mile oval aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Liquid Trucking/Bandy & Associates #41. He was partnered with David Gravel when he pushed off. Carson took the green flag and was hustling inside the cockpit of his Maxim Racing machine carrying his speed and hitting his marks on the top side of the track. When he exited turn four he raced down the frontstretch stopping the clock at 16.000 seconds. His Kistler Engines horsepower was providing the speed, Macedo was providing the expertise behind the wheel. His lines were clean as he worked the bottom this time and when he completed the second lap he turned in a better lap that timed in at 15.905 seconds. The quicker of his two circuits positioned him tenth quick overall in Group #2 on the night with Cory Eliason setting the overall quick time out of Group #1 with a lap of 15.386 seconds.

There were six 10-lap heat races on tap next for the drivers from each time trial group. Carson would start on the pole position in the fourth heat race with Paul McMahan’s CJB #5 to his outside. Brian Brown and Donny Schatz were in row two with Matt Juhl and Lynton Jeffrey pacing behind in row three. Sawyer Phillips and Marcus Dumesny sat in row four, Chris Martin and Tanner Carrick in row five, with Joe Simbro in row six. Carson drove the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Bandy & Associates/KSE Racing Products #41 into the lead on lap one with Brian Brown in hot pursuit. Brown was fast in the Casey General Stores/FVP #21 and tracked down Macedo going down the backstretch and used the cushion to carry his speed through turns three and four and into the lead on lap two. Brown kept his momentum up and put some distance between himself and Macedo with third place running Donny Schatz digging and closing the gap between his #15 and Macedo’s #41. Brown led the remaining distance to take the heat race victory with Macedo coming home second just ahead of the fast closing Schatz, as those three drivers locked into the feature event from heat four.

Cory Eliason and Donny Schatz, by virtue of their performance in the pole shuffle, sat on the front row for the 25-lap 10th Annual Fatheadz Capitani Classicat Knoxville Raceway. Carson would get started from the outside of row eight in the sixteenth starting position aboard the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Durst Inc. #41 Maxim beside Shane Golobic. After the initial lap was short-circuited when a yellow flew for a slowing Hunter Schuerenberg, the realigned and came back to the green flag. Eliason to the lead as Macedo used the outside line to pick up five spots on the opening lap as he ran in the eleventh position. The next time around he picked up another position to move himself into the top ten. The driver of the forty-one was fast and focused. On lap 13, Macedo would move into ninth and at the front of the pack David Gravel raced underneath both Schatz and Eliason and into the lead. Carson was working hard and advancing some more as he was eighth with 5 to go. The next time around he entered turn one hard and spun the forty-one but kept on going bringing out the yellow. Since he did not stop on the track they used the blend rule and positioned him back in twelfth for the restart. Gravel was leading and brought the field back to the green flag with four laps to go. Carson was battling his way back and was in a fierce competition with Brad Sweet. Things were tight, but when Gravel race under the checkered flags to take the win over Eliason and Schatz with Kerry Madsen and Sheldon Haudenschild rounding out the top five, Macedo secured the tenth spot for his 19th consecutive top ten run in a row. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one!

A Top Ten Finish at the 10th Annual Capitani Classic at Knoxville Raceway! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich

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.