COOKING IN NORTH CAROLINA: THE TRAVELING TOUR OF HIGH SPEED STARS KICK OFF THE WORLD FINALS IN CHARLOTTE WITH THE LEMOORE, CALIFORNIA RACER HUSTLING UNDER THE CHECKERS WITH A 7TH PLACE FINISH

CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA (November 6, 2025) – With the last weekend of racing upon the teams after an arduous but fun World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series schedule in 2025, the pit area was packed with sprint cars, late models, and DIRTcar modifieds ready to rock ‘n’ roll at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. The drivers all completed their time trial efforts for each of the three nights of competition on Wednesday evening during qualifying night. Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team were looking to wrap up their fifth season together with some more strong finishes to end the season. The 4/10-mile red dirt which clay situated across the road from the “big track” for the NASCAR stars was prepared and ready to go. Fans were bustling around merchandise alley getting their favorite drivers’ apparel and other goodies as the season was ending. There were 48 race teams registered to compete – World of Outlaws (WoO) style – on the first night of competition at the World Finals “The Tar Heels State.”

Looking back to the time trial qualifying results from Wednesday night for the Thursday edition of the World Finals, the drivers buckled in for some time out on the track in WEDG High Performance Karts Hot Laps. They each completed some laps around the track in their respective groups to acclimate themselves to the racing surface while seeing how close their initial setups were at making speed. With the full moon rising, the first two drivers in Flight A to push off and start the clock in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying were Gage Pulkrabek #G5 and Justin Peck #26. Carson was set to go out in Flight B, so he had to wait for his turn out on the track. The California native waited patiently from his office for his turn to attempt to attempt to lay down two good laps around The Dirt Track at Charlotte. He was the fourth driver out on the track assessing his skills against the clock and he would be joined out on the track by Glenn Styres #0. When Bill Rose #6 and Spencer Bayston #17JR finished their left turns, the Lemoore, California racer was next up. Strapped securely into his Crow Enterprizes safety belts, Carson was ready to embark on a high speed chase against time in his gold, green and black Albaugh – Your Alternative/Scott Boyd Family/FK Rod Ends #41. He lowered his right foot to get his Kistler Engines power engine rumbling. Carson pedaled down and raced under the waving green flag to start the clock as it measured his performance. He had his elbows up and was aggressively driving around the racy surface. He completed his first timed lap in 12.935 seconds. His foot still planted in the loud pedal as he was trying to make more speed the next time around. This time he dug off turn four racing towards the black and white checkered flag. He crossed the finish line on lap two in 12.883 seconds. The better of his two qualifying attempts was seventh quick overall in Flight B when time trials concluded. The fastest driver out of Flight B was Garet Williamson in the Fischer Motorsports #23 with a quick lap of 12.763 seconds. Sye Lynch piloting the Mosites Motorsports/Hollywood Blasting & Coating #42 earned Thursday night’s Simpson Quick Time Award qualifying in Flight A circling The Dirt Track at Charlotte with the fastest lap of the night overall at 12.661 seconds.

World of Outlaws Timing and Scoring officials compiled the starting lineups for the four all-important 8-lap Heat races. When perusing the lineups, Carson would get his qualifying journey started from the fourth position in The Greatest Store on Dirt Heat Race #4 aboard the High Performance Lubricants/KSE Racing Products/Team Jack Foundation #41 Maxim. Spencer Bayston in the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing #17JR joined Carson in row two in the race for one of the five transfer spots to the feature. David Gravel #2 and Ty Gibbs #84 lined up on the front row with Chase Randall #9R and Skylar Gee #99 tucking in behind in row three. Pacing together in row four were Chris Windom #7s and Darin Naida #2MD with Donny Schatz #15 and Bill Rose #6R together in row five. The last row, row six, had Glenn Styres #0 rolling alone ready to race.

The field of competitors were nose-to-tail as they rolled around at a snail pace around The Dirt Track at Charlotte’s surface awaiting the green flag off turn four. When they arrived at the chalk stripe, their right feet dropped, and they went to work. David Gravel darted into the lead as Carson followed in his tracks looking underneath Ty Gibbs for the second position entering turn one. When they exited turn two it was Gravel leading Macedo, Randall, Gibbs, and Bayston all trying to keep up with the leader.

David Gravel was fast out front, and the remaining laps were churning down quickly. Before you knew it the flagman showed the leader the white flag with one lap to go. When the checkered flag came out the next time by David Gravel led the entire distance in the Big Game Motorsports to seize the victory over Carson Macedo and Chase Randall with Spencer Bayston and Chris Windom completing the top five.

By virtue of his finishing position in the Heat race, Carson Macedo advanced on to the 6-lap Toyota Dash where he would start from the inside of row three from the fifth starting position piloting the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Winters Performance Products #41 Maxim. Buddy Kofoid #83 and Rico Abreu #24 would lead the field to the green flag from the front row with Sye Lynch #42 and David Gravel #2 in row two. Danny Sams III #24D was rolling in row three with Carson as Garet Williamson #23 and Cory Eliason #18 were locked into their row four starting spots. When the green flag came out it was Rico Abreu dashing into the lead with Kofoid, Gravel, Sams III, and Macedo getting up to speed. The action was heating up for Carson as he was knotted in a spirited duel for position with Eliason. They swapped the fifth position back and forth with the driver of the forty-one coming out on top each time. The entire field of cars were all fast but there was very little passing after they all settled in. Rico Abreu took the Dash victory by 2.584 seconds over David Gravel. Buddy Kofoid raced home third followed by Danny Sams III with Carson Macedo rounding out the top five. Cory Eliason hustled home sixth with Sye Lynch and Garet Williamson scored seventh and eighth respectively.

When the final four qualifiers locked into the World Finals opening night 25-lap, $15,000-to-win feature event following the Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown – Corey Day, Kerry Madsen, Cole Macedo, and Cale Thomas – the field of checkered flag chasers were all locked in. They were joined by five provisional starters – Logan Schuchart, Zach Hampton, Skylar Gee, Conner Morrell, and Donny Schatz ballooning the field to 29 starters. The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series feature would lead off the main events for all the divisions. The track crew completed very minor grooming to the speedway before the 8-minute air horn sounded throughout the pit area as the drivers began to climb into their speed machines. The cars then began to make their way out onto the track as they readied for local dirt track racing in North Carolina with some one-of-a-kind World of Outlaws flair and pizazz.

The 2025 High Limit Champion, Rico Abreu #24, was set to start from the pole position with the 2025 and defending 2024 World of Outlaws Champion, David Gravel #2, sharing the front row. Behind them were two hungry drivers, Buddy Kofoid #83 and Danny Sams III #24D, looking to capitalize on their row two starting spots. Carson lined the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 up on the inside of row three with Cory Eliason #18 to his outside with Sye Lynch #42 and Garet Williamson #23 side-by-side in row four.

Carson was peering through the shield of his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet from row three primed and ready to go. These competitors were ready to get to work in Charlotte. They would not have to wait long because the next time by then green flag waved high in the air.

Polesitter Rico Abreu jumped on the accelerated and led the field down the frontstretch and into the first set of turns. He claimed the top spot early but the first of many yellow flags flew to slow the action when Chris Windom #7s slowed on the backstretch before a lap could be completed.

They tried again but before they could even get up to speed the yellow lights were back on when Giovanni Scelzi #7BC slowed after contact on the restart. Officials gave the field the green again the next time by and they were finally off to the races with Rico Abreu leading David Gravel and Buddy Kofoid. Carson hustled into the fourth spot with Sye Lynch running fifth with one lap recorded in the books.

The high speed action did not last long though because the yellow flag was back out, this time for Ashton Torgerson #1a who spun down into the infield in turn four.

Rico Abreu brought these powerful machines back up to speed with Gravel, Kofoid, Macedo, and Sams III all keeping pace on the fast racing surface. They were able to get five more laps recorded before the yellow lights were turned back on for Zach Hampton who sat quietly on the inside of turn three.

There were a lot of laps already in the books, even though only 6 laps were showing on the scoreboard, so race officials decided to use the natural race stoppage to throw an Open Red so teams could refuel to ensure they would be able to complete the remaining laps of the race. The horns sounded and the drivers began to get back into race mode as the crews exited the track.

When the racers went back to green, the top four did not change but 13th starting Brent Marks #19 was already up to fifth and the winner of the Last Chance Showdown, Corey Day #14 who started 21st was in the sixth position. Those two warriors were now battling with Carson for the fourth position and the action was fierce with both moving by on lap 8 after some tight racing maneuvers.

Carson stayed on the gas and was hammering the top trying to keep pace with Marks and Day as Parker Price-Miller #71 was creeping around the bottom at speed putting pressure on Carson for the sixth position. He would catch up to him and make the pass for position on lap 15, putting Carson back to the seventh spot in the running order with Abreu still out front and 10 laps remaining.

The final caution of the night came out on lap 23 tightening the field for a two laps dash to the finish line. Rico Abreu was out front with David Gravel, Corey Day, Buddy Kofoid, and Brent Marks all ready to put up a battle. The leader took off with Gravel chasing. Carson restarted from the seventh position and made an aggressive move to drive by both Brent Marks and Parker Price-Miller for position momentarily. The driver of the Indy Race Parts #71 moved back by the forty-one as Logan Schuchart used the high side to carry his speed to steal the sixth spot from Carson on the final lap.

Rico Abreu secured the win over David Gravel with Corey Day coming home third. Buddy Kofoid and Parker Price-Miller rounded out the top five. Carson brough the JJR #41 home with a seventh place finish to open the World Finals. A good run for the forty-one, but they still have a lot of work to do and will be back at it Friday night for night two.

The JJR #41 Team Fights through the Dust at The Dirt Track at Charlotte with a Strong Opening Night on the Red Dirt Clay Oval! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich – CS Productions

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.

Check out ShopJJR.com to buy all your new Carson Macedo and JJR gear and merchandise.