KICKING KNOXVILLE OFF: BATTLING TO THE END ABOARD THE MESILLA VALLEY TRANSPORTATION (MVT) #41 IN PRELIM ACTION AT THE KNOXVILLE NATIONALS MACEDO SECURES A PODIUM FINISH DURING IOWA LOTTERY QUALIFYING NIGHT

KNOXVILLE, IOWA (August 8, 2024) – Annually some really cool people with a deep passion for sprint car racing from all over the world unite in the little town of Knoxville, Iowa, in early August for some fellowship, hydration, and an opportunity to see the greatest sprint car race of the year anywhere in the world. This year the fans were all here, along with a total of 106 drivers/teams, to participate in the festivities at the 63rd Annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals presented by Casey’s. Along the way there may also be a visit or two, possibly more, over to Dingus to quench one’s thirst during these hot days to refresh while listening to music after the races, but that is all part of the incredible experience surrounding this event at the Marion County Fairgrounds. This sprint car race at Knoxville Raceway – The Sprint Car Capital of the World – is truly the granddaddy of them all in this sport.

After Giovanni Scelzi took the win during Brandt Professional Agriculture Qualifying Night on Wednesday evening, with Jacob Allen and Justin Peck joining him on the podium, it was time for the second night of qualifying action at Knoxville Raceway during Iowa Lottery Qualifying Night. The second half of the field of entries were ready to compete on Thursday night, so there were 54 teams lined up throughout the paved pit area nestled inside the black gumbo clay half-mile oval. One of those teams was the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team featuring their star, Carson Macedo, as they rolled out their new black Albaugh #41 paint scheme which highlighted all of their valued sponsorship partners. The design was simple, clean and crisp featuring the current rebranded graphics used by their primary sponsor Albaugh – Your Alternative based out of nearby Ankeny, Iowa.

At the Knoxville Nationals there are event points available every time a driver hits the track based on where they end up overall in time trials, their heat race finish, and how they perform in the feature at the end of the night. The maximum points any driver can earn is 500 points: 200 points goes to the quickest driver in time trials; 100 points is awarded to each of the heat race winners; and, 200 points is earned by the winner of the A-Main. It is no easy task to obtain a perfect score, but the goal is to score as many event points as possible to lock into Saturday night’s prestigious A-Main by being one of the top ten point scorers when both qualifying nights are combined, tabulated and ordered from highest point scorer to lowest.

Carson would be the 30th driver out on the track aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Tarlton and Son #41 Maxim, along with Spencer Bayston in the CJB/TrueTimber #5, for his two very important time trial laps. He was amped up and ready to go as he flipped the shield down on his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet and gripped his JOES Matador Steering Wheel to assist him as he navigated the journey around the well-groomed oval. When Carson came off turn four his Kistler Racing Engines power propelled the forty-one towards the starting line. He crossed through the timing light and the clock immediately began moving and so was the Lemoore, California driver as he made his way through the first set of turns. After making his way down the back straightaway he maneuvered through the last set of turns with a lot of speed, ultimately stopping the clock in 16.202 seconds following his first lap. Carson kept his foot on the loud pedal and was already digging for more the next time around. He raced off turn two in front of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame (NSCHoF) and suites. He kept his elbows up through the least set of turns with his eyes laser focused on getting to the finish line. When he raced across it and under the checkered flag the time that flashed on the scoreboard for lap two were 16.072 seconds. The better of his two laps was ninth quick overall earning him 184 points in time trials. Daryn Pittman drove a masterful lap in the Kreitz Racing #69K as he collected the 200 points by winning the Simpson Quick Time Award with the fastest lap of the night at 15.594 seconds.

For an event this important the format should be tough. The next scoring opportunity for the drivers was during the five 10-lap heat races. There was 100 points up for grabs for the heat race winners with a three point drop off for every finishing position behind the winner. To make it even tougher the top eight drivers in each heat race would be inverted putting the quickest chauffeurs back in row four. As the ninth quickest driver in time trials, Carson would slated to get the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Smith TI/Winters Performance Products #41 started from the seventh position, but when sixth starting Sye Lynch’s car did not fire that moved Macedo up to the outside of row three for the drop of the green. Carson would pace beside the Shark Racing #1s of Logan Schuchart in row three. It was ‘go time’ for Carson and the gang.

The front row of Daison Pursley and Kaleb Johnson pounded the gas off turn four as Carson made an aggressive charge forward on the outside driving from his outside row three starting position to third place when the first lap was completed.

Carson had the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 flying and by the midway point of the race had tracked down second running Kaleb Johnson. The Lemoore, California native moved by into the runner-up position before a yellow flag came out the next time around for Tim Kaeding who pulled up on the inside apron and slowed to a stop in turn two.

That allowed Carson to pull up on the race leader’s rear nerf bar for the restart. Daison Pursley had built a nice lead before the yellow lights turned on for Kaeding. The talent young racer would have to try and hold off Macedo when they went back to green.

Off turn four Pursley brought them back up to speed. Carson methodically zoned in on the leader and on lap 8 saw his opportunity to drive to the inside of the #25 and take over the lead. He carried his momentum forward and started to make his way around the big half mile putting distance between himself and Pursley.

When the checkered flag flew over heat race five, Carson Macedo took the win ahead of Daison Pursley and Kaleb Johnson with Brian Brown securing the fourth and final transfer position. Carson victory in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 earned him an additional 100 points to bring his cumulative point total up to 284 after the heat races.

When the starting lineup was posted for Thursday’s 25-lap Iowa Qualifying Night feature the to eight point earners on the night were inverted, meaning the highest point earner would start from the outside of row four in the A-Main. It also meant the “North Pole Nightmare” Bill Balog and Rico Abreu would start from the front row with Carson Macedo and Brady Bacon behind them in row two. Row three was made up of Brian Brown and Kyle Larson with Tyler Courtney and Daryn Pittman being the two highest point drivers back in row four.

When the Knoxville flagman waved the green flag it was Bill Balog driving his #17B into the lead ahead of Rico Abreu and Carson Macedo. Bill Balog was performing at the highest level and continued to show the way with two hungry California drivers giving chase. Another Californian, Kyle Larson, would add a third Golden State pursuer of Balog on lap 3 when he moved into fourth taking the position from Brady Bacon.

With 5 laps in the books, Bill Balog had already tracked down the back of the pack and would begin weaving his way through the slower cars as your race leader. He was doing an incredible job as he maintained his speed and artfully dodged his way through the rush hour traffic.

By lap 11 Balog had company. Rico Abreu had tracked him down and brought Macedo and Larson along with him. Abreu moved the Rothwell Hyde Vineyard #24 by Balog into the lead as Carson inched closer to Balog looking to take over the runner-up position.

On lap 17, Carson had the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41 trucking and moved his way by Balog for the second spot. Kyle Larson followed him and the next time by the driver of the JVI Group/Folken Brothers Trucking #57 swapped spots with Carson putting him back to third.

Rico Abreu was showing the way and appeared to be racing towards the checkers, but Kyle Larson and Carson Macedo were still close behind stalking him. These three California racers had speed and were showing it even as they raced through lap cars.

When the flagman showed the leader the two laps to go flags, Kyle Larson was close enough to see them at the same time. He raced by Abreu into the lead as never looked back as he took the preliminary night victory. Rico Abreu came home second followed by Carson Macedo with Tyler Courtney and Bill Balog rounding out the top five.

With his Schoenfeld Headers still cooling down in the pit area, timing and scoring officials were hard at work tabulating the final points and the combined rank order for both nights. Carson’s performance in the feature earned him another 196 points to bring his accumulated event point total following the A-Main to 480 points. That total positioned him as the fourth highest point driver for his preliminary night and fourth overall when both qualifying nights were combined to lock him into Saturday night’s 63rd Annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals A-Main presented by Casey’s.

The top ten drivers in combined points following the two qualifying night at the Knoxville Nationals were: (1) Kyle Larson #57 (490 Points); (2) Daryn Pittman #69k (490 Points); (3) Tyler Courtney #7BC (483 Points); (4) Carson Macedo (480 Points); (5) Giovanni Scelzi #18 (471 Points); (6) Rico Abreu #24 (470 Points); (7) Brian Brown #21 (467 Points); (8) Anthony Macri #39M (465 Points); (9) Brady Bacon (463 Points); and, (10) Scott Bogucki (460 Points). Each of those drivers, along with position 11 through 16 in points – Corey Day #14, Brent Marks #19, Bill Balog #17B, Sheldon Haudenschild #17, Chase Randall #2KS, and Jacob Allen #1a) had all locked themselves into the 63rd Annual NOS Energy Drink Knoxville Nationals A-Main presented by Casey’s on Saturday night.

A High Performing Night at the Iowa Lottery Qualifying Night at the Knoxville Nationals! Photo Credit: Knoxville Raceway

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.

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