HUSTLE AND BUSTLE: THE BIG MONEY ACTION COMMENCED AT THE HUSET’S HIGH BANK HUSTLE ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN PRELIMINARY ACTION WITH CARSON MACEDO PICKING UP EVENT POINTS AND DRIVING TO A TOP FIVE FINISH

BRANDON, SOUTH DAKOTA (June 19, 2024) – Car owner and crew chief Philip Dietz had the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team ready for a busy week of racing with four highly competitive shows on four consecutive nights at Huset’s Speedway. Wednesday night was the preliminary night of action in the two-day Huset’s High Bank Hustle at Tod Quiring’s beautiful bullring that is situated on the eastern side of The Mount Rushmore State. The two-day affair would finish up Thursday with $100,000 awaiting the winner. But when the checkered flag flies that night the fans do not need go anywhere because this high paying show is immediately followed by another multi-day show – the Huset’s High Bank Nationals – that culminates Saturday night with an incredible $250,000 going to the race winner. There is a total of $800,000 up for grabs over four days. It is certainly a big money type of week in sprint car racing for these drivers and teams. The opening night of the Huset’s High Bank Hustle was set to pay $20,000 to the winner and there were 55 talented race teams that all showed up focused on playing their part in the evening of speed and entertainment. It was race day in South Dakota – World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Series style!

The field of drivers was split into two qualifying groups – Flight 1 and Flight 2 – for Sea Foam Qualifying to determine the lineups for the heat races. Carson Macedo was scheduled to be the 18th speed pilot out on the track for his two laps of speed in the first group of qualifying. When Gage Pulkrabek finished his work out on the track, the Kistler Engines power came to life under the Indy Performance Composites (IPC) carbon fiber hood as the native from Lemoore, California lowered his right foot on the fast button. Carson had a head of steam built up as he took the green flag to start his private session of speed. He was right on the edge of speed and insanity in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Wilwood Racing/Schoenfeld Headers #41 Maxim entry as he was trying to make his way around the 1/3-mile, high-banked oval in the least amount of time possible. When he completed his first lap, the stopwatch read 10.698 seconds. Fully engrossed in his work, Carson stayed focused ahead while on the gas pedal looking to see if he could better his initial effort. Off turn four for the last time as he saw the black and white checkered cloth waving as he raced by the flagstand. When the round light bulbs on the scoreboard lit up and presented his official lap time numbers for the second lap, they illuminated a time of 10.691 seconds. The faster of his two attempts was the second one, which was third quick overall in Flight 1. Carson would earn 98 points for his qualifying effort. The quickest driver in Carson’s time trial group, garnering the maximum of 100 points, was Cory Eliason at 10.627 seconds. Eliason also earned the Simpson Quick Time Award as the fastest driver in Flight 2 was Sheldon Haudenschild at 10.793 seconds.

Unlike the normal World of Outlaws heat race format, there would be an inversion of six in each of the six 10-lap heat races. Based on his best time trial lap, Carson would get the Tarlton and Son/Sander Engineering/CASM Safety Products #41 started from the outside of row three in the sixth starting position of the third heat race. Gage Pulkrabek and Landon Crawley would be on the front row with Brian Brown and Daison Pursley in row two. Carson shared row three with Anthony Macri, with Paige Polyak, Andy Pake, and Kraig Kinser behind them.

As they field rolled into the banking of turn three the driver’s right feet began to twitch with anticipation. When the competitors on the front row hit the chalk strip laid across turn four they activated and were quickly on their way down the frontstretch. Landon Crawley raced into the first set of turns beside Gage Pulkrabek with everyone else behind them chasing their tail tanks with a sense of urgency. It was high speed entertainment at its finest at Huset’s Speedway!

Carson immediately moved into the fourth spot with Crawley, Pulkrabek and Brian Brown in front of him. Brown and Pulkrabek were dicing for the runner-up position. On lap 4, the caution flag flew as Pulkrabek spun off turn four, right in front of Carson, while racing with the Casey General Stores #21 to slow the action.

Carson would restart third with 6 laps to go and when the green flag came back out he started to envision a pathway forward trying to get by Brown. Three laps later he moved underneath Brown coming off turn two and was now racing in the runner-up position.

Landon Crawley was the only driver ahead of him and he started to close the gap on the talented rookie with the World of Outlaws. Macedo was reducing the gap between himself and the leader each lap and coming into the last set of turns Crawley went high and Macedo went low. Carson got a little tight off turn four and drifted up the track with his right rear tire making contact with Crawley’s left rear tire. He was able to make the pass on Crawley doing a great job to collect his racecar to complete the race. The flagman waved the checkered flag over top of Carson Macedo aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 (100 points) who crossed the line first ahead of Landon Crawley (97 points), Daison Pursley (94 points), and Anthony Macri (89 points), with Brian Brown (84 points) completing the top five.

The top ten in event points following time trials and the heat races for each of the qualifying groups were all locked into the feature, with the top four in points from each of the separate groups moving into the feature Toyota Re-Draw for their starting spots in the feature. There would be no Toyota Dash. The top eight drivers from each group were – Group 1: (1) Carson Macedo (198 points); (2) Rico Abreu (196 points); (3) Ryan Timms (188 points); (4) Austin McCarl (188 points); and, Group 2: (1) Sheldon Haudenschild (194 points); (2) Giovanni Scelzi (193 points); (3) Tyler Courtney (192 points); and, (4) Aaron Reutzel (190 points).

They would each pick a pill for their starting spots in the feature out of the oversized NOS Energy Drink can. Sheldon Haudenschild would start from the pole position with Aaron Reutzel to his outside in row one. Ryan Timms would get started from the third spot with Carson Macedo next to him in row two. Austin McCarl and Tyler Courtney made up row three, with Rico Abreu and Giovanni Scelzi sitting in row four.

Twenty four of the drivers entered had qualified for the 35-lap preliminary Huset’s High Bank Hustle feature event and began staging on the track. Carson Macedo sat quietly in the cockpit of the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Pro Powder Coating (PPC)/Vortex Racing Products #41 Maxim using the time to contemplate his early race strategy. He would get started from the fourth starting spot.

The fans had packed the grandstands here at Huset’s Speedway and were on their feet as the drivers spread out into the World of Outlaws traditional four-wide salute to the fans in the stands and those tuning in on DIRTVision. It was time to go racing at Huset’s Speedway on the opening night of the Huset’s High Bank Hustle!

The green flag was out, but it was quickly replaced when the outside front row starter, Aaron Reutzel, jumped too soon at the start and was penalize two starting spots. That moved Ryan Timms to the outside of the front row and shuffled Carson Macedo to the inside of row three.

They would go green again and this time Ryan Timms immediately jumped into the early race lead ahead of Sheldon Haudenschild and Aaron Reutzel. Carson was scored in the fifth position after lap one and was racing for position with Tyler Courtney in the NOS Energy Drink #7BC.

The leaders were setting a fast pace with battles for position occurring all throughout the lineup. On lap 12, Carson drove the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 by Aaron Reutzel to claim the fourth spot in the running order.

Three laps later, Sheldon Haudenschild ripped by Ryan Timms to take the lead. But the next time around Timms stole the top spot back. The race for the lead was far from over as Haudenschild was relentless and again drove by Timms for the lead on lap 17. All of this swapping of position was occurring directly in front of Courtney and Macedo as they began to close in to get a better look at the action.

On lap 19, Tyler Courtney muscled his way by Timms to take over the runner-up position as he began to inch closer to his NOS Energy Drink teammate Sheldon Haudenschild. The next time around though the action was halted when Daison Pursley got upside down on the frontstretch right in front of the leaders.

The yellow lights would come back on as the engines re-fired. The running order for the restart with 15 laps to go was Haudenschild, Courtney, Timms, Macedo, Reutzel and Scelzi. The green flag was waving again and the action began to heat up quickly. Sheldon Haudenschild controlled the top spot, but Courtney was close behind and applying pressure.

On lap 27, drama unfolded as the yellow flag came out for the race leader. Sheldon Haudenschild had shredded his right rear Hoosier Racing Tire and headed pit side to get a new one. He would rejoin the back of the field. Tyler Courtney was now your leader with Ryan Timms, Carson Macedo, Aaron Reutzel and Giovanni Scelzi pacing behind him.

The driver of the Clauson Marshall Racing (CMR) #7BC was back on the gas and into clean air with 8 laps to go. Ryan Timms, Sunday night’s winner here, was pursuing the leader for the top spot with Carson holding down the show position . . . for now.

On lap 29, Aaron Reutzel’s RSR #87 came alive and he made the pass on Macedo for the final podium position. Carson passed him back the next time around, but Reutzel returned the favor as he cleanly slid in front of the forty-one to reclaim the third spot for good the next circuit.

After 35 intense laps of competition, Tyler Courtney secured the $20,000 preliminary race victory ahead of Ryan Timms and Aaron Reutzel who completed the podium for night one. Carson brought the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 home in fourth place to earn an additional 241 event points. That brought his cumulative event point total after night one to 439 points, which positioned him second overall in the point standings heading into Thursday’s $100,000-to-win race. A good run and point night for Macedo and the forty-one!

The top six in points heading into Thursday’s Huset’s High Bank Hustle finale was: (1st) Tyler Courtney with 442 points; (2nd) Carson Macedo with 439 points; (3rd) Ryan Timms with 435 points; (4th) Aaron Reutzel with 434 points; (5th) Tim Kaeding with 425 points; and, (6th) Brad Sweet with 423 points. Each of these drivers earned the opportunity to start from the pole position on Thursday night in each of their respective heat races.

A Fourth Place Run for Carson Macedo and the Forty-One on the Opening Night of Huset’s High Bank Hustle! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners: 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; Buckwalter Trucking; CASM Safety Products; C&R Racing; ChalkStix; 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; Indy Performance Composites (IPC); ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Premium Coach Group; Saldana Racing Products; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; 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.

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