RAISING THE CURTAIN ON THE SHOWDOWN: CARSON MACEDO AND THE JJR #41 TEAM SHUFFLE INTO SOUTH DAKOTA FOR THE OPENING ACT OF THE HUSET’S 50 BEFORE ENDING THE NIGHT WITH A 15TH PLACE FINISH

BRANDON, SOUTH DAKOTA (June 21, 2021) – “The Showdown” is finally here. After Tod Quiring purchased Huset’s Speedway there was a sigh of relief and a gratifying buzz throughout the sprint car community. Finally racing was back at the South Dakota speed plant under solid ownership who has a passion for the sport and iconic track. On Monday afternoon the race teams were lined up waiting to register and park for the opening night of the Huset’s 50. It was the first of two nights of racing at the 1/3-mile, high banked bullring where the winner would pocket the $10,000 victor’s share of the purse when the checkered flag flew. It was also the first of five race in a prestigious event promoted as simply “The Showdown.” This joint event is highlighted by five incredible nights of racing action with the first two races being held at Huset’s Speedway and the remaining three races run at the Jackson Motorplex as part of the 43rd Annual AGCO Jackson Nationals. Generous purses each night are at stake, as well as a handsome $100,000 bonus that is on the line for any driver if they sweep both of the final nights at the Huset’s 50 and the Jackson Nationals. These purses and a huge added incentive for someone to attain was more than enough to draw 43 teams to the state named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes for this big show as they packed the pit area for the opening act.   

With the size of the entry list, the competitive field of drivers was split into two separate but equal groups for Slick Woody’s Qualifying. These groupings in World of Outlaws competition are called flights. The Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41 Maxim, chauffeured and piloted by Carson Macedo, would be the sixth car out for his two time trial laps as part of Flight A. Carson put his hands in his K1 Race Gear gloves and gripped the steering wheel as his Kistler Engines power came to life under the Indy Performance Composites (IPC) carbon fiber hood. After Jack Dover completed his two laps, it was now Carson’s turn to perform center stage at Huset’s Speedway. He took the green as he tried to balance generating the most speed while keeping the car straight and under control as he pursued the fastest line. The one-lap track record here has been standing for a while as it was set by Terry McCarl back on May 10, 2009, with a lap time of 10.319 seconds. When Macedo hustled across the timing stripe at the end of his first lap the clock reflected a time of 10.927 seconds. He kept digging and turned a better lap of 10.916 seconds the next time around to finish tenth quick overall in Flight A, with Kerry Madsen locking in the best time in the first qualifying flight and overall quick time with a lap of 10.706 seconds.  

The lineups for the four 10-lap Drydene Heat Races were posted by the World of Outlaws timing and scoring officials. When scanning the lineups, the forty-one driven by Carson Macedo would line up fifth beside Lynton Jeffrey’s #83x in row three of the stacked second heat race. David Gravel and Kyle Larson were on the front row with Brian Brown and Logan Schuchart in row two. DJ Netto, Riley Goodno, Russell Borland, Jordan Adams, and Cody Hansen filled the remaining starting positions in this heat race. Only the top five finishers in each heat race transfer into the main event, so it was ‘go-time’ for all of the drivers from the drop of the green flag. Macedo’s engine fired as he rolled his Tarlton and Son/Winters Performance Products/Logo Daddy Graphics #41 Maxim out into his starting position. The yellow lights dimmed and the green flag waved. The quiet of the pace laps was now replaced with the sweet sound of 410 power as Gravel drove into the lead ahead of Larson. On the opening lap, Macedo was running fifth behind Brian Brown with Lynton Jeffrey on the top side. Coming out of turn four, Macedo dipped low and drove under Brown to take over the fourth position. Gravel was building a lead over Larson with each lap as the front runners had space between themselves from first to fifth. Gravel took the heat race win over Larson with Schuchart, Macedo, and Brown taking ownership of the final transfer spots.

Missing out on a shot to race in the DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson and the JJR #41 team watched and monitored the changing track to prepare the Liquid Trucking/Brown & Miller Racing Solutions/BR Motorsports #41 Maxim for the opening night, 35-lap NOS Energy Drink feature where he would get started from the 15th starting spot. Huset’s is a fast and racy joint, but is also a technical track for the competitors. Everything has to be sharp in order to maximize your efforts and drive outcomes. David Gravel and Donny Schatz brought the field to the green flag with Schatz beating Gravel to the stripe to lead lap one. Carson moved up one position and was running in the fourteenth position in the early stages of the race. Gravel would stay close to the leader and take the top spot back on lap 10. A caution on lap 11 for Aaron Reutzel who made contact with the outside frontstretch wall at the exit of turn four and destroyed his wheel and shredded the tire regrouped the field. Macedo would get restarted from the twelfth spot, but when they went back to green he lost a few spots on the leaderboard. He was racing for positions in the third set of five in the running order with the action fast and furious. David Gravel was still out front leading as he began to navigate lap traffic allowing Schatz to narrow the gap. David Gravel went on to win night one over Donny Schatz, Kerry Madsen, Brad Sweet, and Kyle Larson. Carson was able to hang on to salvage a 15th place finish to open The Showdown. Not the finish they were looking for, but the team will stay focused on their goals and get back at it again Tuesday evening with a $30,000-to-win check awaiting them in victory lane along with a shot at The Showdown $100,000 bonus that only the winner is eligible for heading to the Jackson Nationals.

A 15th Place Finish on the Opening Night at Huset’s Speedway to Start “The Showdown”!

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; 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.