CRUISING CALI STYLE IN THE SHOW-ME STATE: MACEDO ROLLS INTO FEDERATED AUTO PARTS RACEWAY AT I-55 AND RACES TO A STRONG 5TH PLACE FINISH IN THE LOGODADDY #41 TO KICK OFF THE WEEKEND IN MISSOURI

PEVELY, MISSOURI (April 2, 2021) – Fresh off a fifth place finish at the Jason Johnson Classic last weekend at Lake Ozark Speedway, Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team were eager to get back on the track for two nights of racing at the always entertaining Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55, simply referred to in the sprint car world as I-55 or Pevely, starting on Friday night. It is always nice for the JJR team to race in their home state, as Pevely is located just 2.5 hours away from their home base of Rocky Mount. When they arrived, the brilliant blue skies overhead that were crystal clear welcomed them as the sun shined brightly over the track with 18 mph wind. The team unloaded the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Pro Powder Coating (PPC)/LogoDaddy Graphics #41 after trucking to the track located off Herky-Horine Road in Pevely, Missouri. When they arrived there were 27 teams lining the pit area ready to put on a show, WoO style, at the always competitive 1/3-mile, high banked dirt oval.  

The first task at hand for the drivers and teams was to get their entries ready for Slick Woody’s Qualifying. The goal for each driver is to run at least one strong lap against the clock in time trials to position themselves near the top of the speed charts. The track record was set last year on May 22, 2020, by Kyle Larson with a lap of 9.995 seconds. The Lemoore, California chauffeur climbed in and buckled into his Fibreworks Composites/Sharp Advantage office seat for his two laps of high speed action. He was the 16th driver to roll out to the track in the Tarlton and Son Frame-2-Finish/Tiger Towing/Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation #41 Maxim. After Ayrton Gennetten had mechanical issues when he pushed off for his laps, Macedo took the green flag to start lap one as the seconds on the stopwatch started to pass by to measure his performance. He was hammer down and showing his courage as the air flowed over the top of his Vortex Racing Products wings that provide the necessary downforce to connect the Maxim Racing car’s power and speed to the track’s surface. He complete the first circuit in 10.617 seconds. Carrying his momentum forward, he whipped through the first set of turns and before the fans knew he was already under the checkered flag with a consistent second lap time of 10.672 seconds. His work against the clock yielded him 10th quick overall to start the night at I-55.

His qualifying effort in time trials earned him the third starting position in the first 10-lap Drydene Heat Race. He would share row two with Wayne Johnson as James McFadden and Scotty Thiel manned the front row. When the racing went green, Macedo dropped his right foot on the accelerator of the Walker Performance Filtration/Bell Racing/WELD Racing #41 and drove into third on lap one. McFadden was leading Thiel and Macedo in the early stages of the heat race. Macedo kept his elbows up and was working hard inside his Maxim Racing chassis to track down Thiel for the coveted runner-up position as it earns you a spot in the 6-lap DirtVision Fast Pass Dash. The California kid was working hard, but ran out of laps as McFadden took the win over Theil as Macedo brought the Meyers Constructors/Team Jack Foundation/Crow Enterprizes #41 home third. Wayne Johnson, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Logan Schuchart secured the final three transfer positions in the first and fastest heat race.

Phillip, Clyde, and Nate, along with Carson, watched the track surface evolve through the remaining heats, das, and last chance qualifier. After setting their strategy they made their final adjustments on the T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication/Schoenfeld Headers/Mr. Jim’s Racing #41 Maxim for Macedo to do his thing in the 40-lap NOS Energy Drink feature race. He would get started from the inside of row four from the seventh starting position with Brock Zearfoss to his outside. James McFadden and Donny Schatz brought the field of high speed competitors to the green flag with Schatz, who was making his 50thstart at I-55 Raceway and competing for his 300th career WoO win, taking the lead. The racing action was wild during the early stages of the race. Macedo was running ninth, as Brad Sweet and Sheldon Haudenschild raced by in the opening laps, when the yellow came out lap 5 for Wayne Johnson who slowed. When racing sounds filled the air again, Schatz led the field over McFadden and Kraig Kinser as Macedo stuck the bottom coming off turn four and drove forward. The track was wicked fast and technical as Macedo maneuvered from the eighth spot. Racing was again slowed on lap 16 and when they restarted Macedo got shuffled back a few spots before battling back to regain the eighth position. On lap 18 the yellow was waving again, this time for the race leader, Donny Schatz, who headed to the work area with his Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Ford Performance #15. Unfortunately, the crew could not resolve the mechanical woes ending the 10-time champion’s night. Kraig Kinser was fast an inherited the lead over Sweet and Haudenschild with McFadden and Jacob Allen rounding out the top five. When the green flag waved again over the field, Sheldon Haudenschild got an incredible start to take the lead from his third starting spot, but it was negated as the red flag halted the field when Noah Gass flipped in turn one and two and was done for the night. It was a single file restart with Macedo getting the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions #41 started from the eighth position. This time when they restarted Brad Sweet seized the lead over Kinser as Haudenschild gave chase. Macedo was up on the wheel working to find speed and space. With 13 laps to go, McFadden got sideways running hard and clipped the wall sending him to the infield pit area to try to make repairs. Macedo was fast and poised to make a late race run forward. When they restarted the engines roared and fifth place running Jacob Allen spun in front of the field with Macedo narrowly missing his on the low side as the caution flag flew again. He would restart sixth behind the leader Sweet who was followed by Kinser, Haudenschild, Rico Abreu, and Logan Schuchart. With 11 laps to go, Macedo was going to make the last quarter of the race meaningful. Sweet maintained control of the lead as Macedo raced with Schuchart and Abreu. Sweet left no room and won his third consecutive race with Kinser coming home second followed by Schuchart and Haudenschild with Macedo driving the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/LogoDaddy Graphics #41 to a fifth place finish. A second consecutive top five finish and a good run for the forty-one at I-55 to start the weekend!

Macedo Races to a Top 5 Finish to Open the Weekend of High Speed Action at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55!

Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; 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; 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; 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.