DELAYED SUCCESS IN MINOT: THE ENTERTAINMENT IN NORTH DAKOTA FINALLY CONCLUDES ON MONDAY WITH A RUNNER-UP FINISH FOR THE JJR #41 CREW DURING THE GERDAU METAL RECYCLING MAGIC CITY SHOWDOWN AT NODAK SPEEDWAY
MINOT, NORTH DAKOTA (August 31, 2026) – On Saturday night at Fix It Forward Speedway, Carson Macedo and his speedy opponents put on one heck of a show during Danny Schatz Memorial race with the driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 crossing the finish line in first place taking the race win ahead of Friday’s winner at River Cities Speedway Garet Williamson in the Fischer Motorsports #23. The racing action from the drop of the green flag to the waving of the checkers captivated and kept the fans entertained throughout the night. When the engines cooled, the teams turned their attention to more action scheduled on Sunday night as they looked to conclude their second tour through North Dakota at Nodak Speedway in the Gerdau Metal Recycling Magic City Showdown presented by SLS Promotions. This event was originally postponed due to a wet facility back on May 31st, but it was a new day with a packed house as the fans came out in droves to see these World of Outlaws stars take on the local competition in their own backyard. After a four hour drive for the teams, the pit area was bustling with pre-race energy and excitement as 22 drivers and teams made the trip and were busy preparing for the night of competition in “The Roughrider State” as they anticipated the demands of the night ahead. It was race day for the third time for the World of Outlaws (WoO) in the great state of North Dakota!
Following Race//Ready Hot Laps, the drivers began to line up in the staging area based on their qualifying spot determined by random draw for time trials in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. With less than 38 teams entered, the field of competitors would be qualifying against each other as one group. The Tarlton and Son/Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Smiley’s Racing Products #41 Maxim with Carson behind the wheel pushed off for his two timed laps as the third competitor when Todd Mickelson #17M and David Gravel in the Big Game Motorsports #2 completed their timed attempts. Out with Carson in two car qualifying was Chris Windom in the Sides Motorsports/NOS Energy Drink #7s. It was a race against the clock as Carson hustled by the waving green flag to start his opening lap. He looked fast but the only thing that mattered was what the clock officially reported when the first lap completed. When Carson darted out of turn four and finished lap one in the Albaugh – Your Alternative entry his time was 14.058 seconds. The flagman showed him the white flag as Carson kept his right foot planted on the gas pedal throughout lap two. This time when he flashed by the flagstand the numbers that illuminated on the scoreboard were 13.844 seconds, which was faster than his first lap. The best of his two laps ended the time trial session as the second best time overall out of the twenty-two qualifiers. The driver with the quickest hotrod at Nodak Speedway in time trials was again David Gravel who dug around this place in 13.792 seconds earning the Simpson Quick Time Award for the 21st time this season to start the Magic City Showdown.
The Heat lineups published for each of the eight lap qualifying races just as a wicked thunderstorm passed through the area that saturated the grounds postponing the remainder of the show to Monday night. The teams were back at the racetrack to start the new work week with crystal blue skies overhead, the sun celebrating the day, and high winds. The promoters and officials elected to pick up the show exactly where it left off Sunday evening pushing back the start time by one hour due to those 50 mph winds.
There were only three Heat races slated to go with all the finishers earning a direct transfer spot into the A-Main event out of each one. The drivers would start the feature heads up relative to where they finish in their Heat race, except for the six drivers who qualified for the Toyota Dash, so they still had to still race hard to earn the best starting position.
When perusing the lineups, Carson would start his high speed tussle from the pole position in The Greatest Store on Dirt Heat Race #2. He pulled the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Crow Enterprizes/Walker Performance Filtration #41 Maxim to the inside of the front row joining Steven Snyder Jr. wheeling the Three Stooges Racing/Indy Performance Composites #51 as they paced in front of Spencer Bayston in the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing/NOS Energy Drink #17 and Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing/DuraMAX #1s in row two. Sheldon Haudenschild was in the KCP Racing/NOS Energy Drink #18 and Bryce Lucius was behind the wheel of the Bill Rose Racing #6 as they rolled together in row three with Colton Young #4 in the space of his own all by himself in row four.
It was now finally time to get down to business again at Nodak Speedway in competitive action! Carson was the polesitter. He paced from the front row with Steven Snyder Jr. at what seemed like a snail’s pace down the back straightaway until he arrived and peeked out of turn four to see the green flag waving. Carson immediately powered the forty-one down the frontstretch moving through the first set of turns sliding up across turn two almost contacting Snyder’s #51 before charging down the backstretch in front of Spencer Bayston and Steven Snyder Jr. Carson held down the top spot in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 as they began the second circuit.
Carson stayed hammer down and was never challenged leading all eight laps as he collected the win followed across the finish line by Spencer Bayston. Both of those drivers advanced onto the Toyota Dash with Sheldon Haudenschild, Steven Snyder Jr., Logan Schuchart, and Bryce Lucius securing the remaining traditional transfer positions into the feature by finishing in positions three, four, five and six, respectively as Colton Young completing the finishing order in seventh place.
The six drivers who qualified for the Toyota Dash drew for their starting positions. When all the numbered discs were selected from the oversized NOS Energy Drink Can held by Wes Irwin, Carson Macedo in the Jason Johnson Racing #41 would start from the SPA Technique #1 Redraw Pole Position sharing the front row with Bill Balog behind the wheel of the B2 Motorsports #17B. Buddy Kofoid sat in the Roth Motorsports #83 and Spencer Bayston driver of the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing #17 paced directly behind them in the second row as David Gravel wheeling the Big Game Motorsports #2 and Garet Williamson chauffeuring the Fischer Motorsports #23 tucked neatly into place in row three for the start of the six lap Dash.
The green flag was out. Carson catapulted into the lead with Buddy Kofoid right behind. Spencer Bayston got a great start squeezing in between David Gravel and Bill Balog in the race for the show position with the driver of the number two car securing the third position. Up front, Buddy Kofoid kept the pressure on Macedo for the lead as the two California stars powered through the turns. Carson maintained the lead and began to stretch his legs starting on lap three while extending his lead. He led from start to finish taking the Dash victory ahead of Kofoid and Gravel with Williamson, Balog, and Bayston rounding out the finishing order. Where they finished the Dash is where they would start the feature.
The starting lineup ordered the way the drivers finished their Heat races behind the Toyota Dash finishers in the first three rows. The airhorn sounded for the 22 teams that slotted into one of the starting spots for the 30-lap Gerdau Metal Recycling Magic City Showdown at Nodak Speedway on the grounds of the North Dakota State Fair. These entertainers were competing for the winner’s share of the purse, the heavy custom made trophy, and just as important the pride factor of winning a World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series feature in the great state of North Dakota.
The starters in the first three rows were set based on the finishing order of the Toyota Dash placing Carson Macedo piloting the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Tarlton and Son #41 Maxim and Buddy Kofoid #83 together on the front row with David Gravel #2 and Garet Williamson #23 right behind in row two. Row three featured Bill Balog #17B and Spencer Bayston #17. Following them in row four were Emerson Axsom #27 and Sheldon Haudenschild #18 who both were primed and ready to go fast. Side-by-side in row five was Skylar Gee #16c and Chris Windom #7s with six more rows of powerful 410 sprint car drivers two-wide behind them. When the flagman gave them the signal to go four-wide they followed directions as they saluted the great fans of North Dakota before racing back into the two-by-two starting formation.
The stage was set. The drivers were ready. The yellow lights around the racetrack turned off as the green flag waved to start the speed festivities. The drivers accelerated in the chase for the checkers at Nodak Speedway. Carson took control assuming the early race lead with one lap in the books with Kofoid, Gravel, Williamson, and Bayston rounding out the top five with one lap completed.
Carson continued to set the early race pace out in front of the field racing in clean air, which allowed him to catch up to the back of the pack relatively quick. The track was top dominant, but he had to move around to get through slower traffic. That enabled Buddy Kofoid to close in on him with seven laps in the books. The next time by the flagstand, Kofoid ducked underneath the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 entering turn one and slid up across Carson nose. Macedo turned back underneath him exiting turn two as the two Californians were hustling and bustling down the backstretch with Kofoid regaining the top spot to lead lap eight.
Carson continued to battle with Kofoid for the best position with David Gravel entering the mix now as Garet Williamson was not too far behind in the fourth spot. Carson attempted to duck underneath Kofoid to retake the lead but there was nothing down there to grab ahold of as he spun down the frontstretch which allowed Gravel to overtake him for the runner-up position with 12 laps in the books.
Carson regained his rhythm with the speed and momentum returning. Those things carried the forty-one forward as both he and Gravel were now closing the gap between themselves and the race leader at the halfway point of the race. They were catching Kofoid and Carson was inching closer to Gravel in the race for second.
On lap 17, Carson drove back around Gravel to regain the second spot in the running order, and he was now trying to track down Buddy Kofoid. The yellow flag came out for Gage Pulkrabek #G5 who drifted up the track and made contact with fourth place running Garet Williamson sending himself spinning in turn three. Colton Young was on the gas and committed to the top side making heavy contact with Pulkrabek sending Young spinning out over the banking. Both drivers were ok.
It was a single file restart with the race leader electing the outside lane for the restart with 13 laps remaining in the race. Buddy Kofoid was back on the throttle reassuming the lead followed by Carson. David Gravel got up over the cushion in the first set of turns as four cars drove by him relegating him back to seventh place in the running order.
Buddy Kofoid was out in front of Carson with Sheldon Haudenschild advancing into the show position ahead of Emerson Axsom and Garet Williamson as the laps began to wind down. The race stayed green as the leaders again began to close in on the cars at the back of the pack. Carson was closing in again on the race leader. A tenth of a second here. Then a tenth of a second there. Were there enough laps left for him to catch him? Only time would tell but he was coming.
With two laps remaining in the race, the outcome was still not clear as Kofoid and Macedo were both in contention out in front of the pack with Sheldon Haudenschild in the mix too. Kofoid had the lead; Macedo wanted it. The track started to take rubber, so there were limited passing lanes. Entering turn three on the final lap Carson had one last chance. He threw a huge slider and slid up between the lap car of Bryce Lucius and the Roth Motorsports #83. He took the lead momentarily from Kofoid but continued to slide up across turn four to the cushion opening the lane up underneath him for Kofoid to retake the lead and race to victory. It was the Penngrove, California driver’s eleventh World of Outlaws win of the season. Carson crossed the finish line second just beating the hard charging Sheldon Haudenschild to the finish line. Garet Williamson raced home fourth with Spencer Bayston completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Donny Schatz, David Gravel, Emerson Axsom, Chris Windom, and Skylar Gee. Another good run in North Dakota for Macedo and the forty-one!
Next weekend Carson and the JJR #41 team, along with his fellow traveling tour of stars with the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series, travel to Huset’s Speedway for three nights of racing at the Huset’s Shootout. The entertainment is always action packed at this South Dakota speed plant, so be sure to make plans to come out and catch the action over the Labor Day weekend or tune into DIRTVision to watch your favorite team and driver compete for the win each night. #HusetsShootout
World of Outlaws Style Action from Start to Finish in Minot at the Magic City Showdown! Photo Credit: World of Outlaws
JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners for 2026: 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); 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; Crow Enterprizes; CS Productions; Dale “Mickey” Snyder; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Greber Racing Components (GRC); 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; PWR Advanced Cooling Technology; 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.
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