LABOR OF LOVE: THESE HIGH SPEED ENTERTAINERS DO NOT GET A BREAK AS THEY WERE WORKING THE WEEKEND SHIFT OVER LABOR DAY AT THE HUSET’S SHOOTOUT FINALE WHERE CARSON MACEDO DELIVERS A PODIUM FINISH

BRANDON, SOUTH DAKOTA (August 31, 2025) – After Mother Nature dampened the opener of the two-day Huset’s Shootout set for Saturday, I guess she is a more of a college football fan than a sprint car fan as universities across the country opened the 2025 season, it was again race day in South Dakota. No matter, Carson certainly was ready to climb back into the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 and get to work this weekend hoping to turn in a performance that would change her mind about racing as she can be disruptive to the sport. After winning four of the last eight sanctioned races, the fierce competitor from Lemoore, California, along with his Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) teammates, were excited to get back on track so they continue their success in the Huset’s Shootout finale on Sunday night.

Throughout the day there were crisp blue skies lingering behind some heavy grey clouds with the yellow ball that emits heat floating somewhere in the background and peeking through at times during this segment of the Labor Day holiday weekend making for a better day, or so we thought, to welcome the fans for World of Outlaws racing Sunday evening. Prior to the event getting started, a strong thunderstorm blew through the area dousing the track with a lot of water while Carson and the crew hung out in the lounge of the trailer. They waited it out and Tod Quiring and his crew at Huset’s went to work trying to reclaim the track. There was a long delay that lasted about 2.5 hours, but the track crew did an amazing job. When the cars pushed out the track was heavy and fast, but it showed signs that it would be racy.

Tod Quiring and the team here at Huset’s Speedway are incredible and true ambassadors of the sport of sprint car racing. When they put on a show, they do it right. If their events were a whiskey, they would all be on the top shelf. There were 35 stout 410 race teams on hand and registered to compete in the finale of the L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by Myrl and Roy’s Paving. Each team had one primary goal – perform at a level that gave them a chance to race for the win in the Huset’s Shootout finale for the fans who stuck it out. It was finally race day at Huset’s Speedway – World of Outlaws style!

With less than 38 entries at Huset’s for the finale of the Huset’s Shootout the field of competitors would all qualify in one group based on the pill number they randomly drew during the Eloy Gutierrez Pill Draw. When the final time trial order posted for qualifying, Carson would be the 21st driver to hit the 1/3-mile track for his two laps around Huset’s Speedway piloting the Sander Engineering/Winters Performance Products/KSE Racing Products #41 Maxim. Every thousandth of a second matters as there is extraordinarily little, if any, room for the slightest bobble at this fast and exciting bullring. These professionals were up for it though as they are used to pushing the limits when it comes to speed and courage. When Riley Goodno #16 completed his two circles of speed it was now Carson’s turn to unleash his Kistler Engines power hungry monster to chew time off the clock. He raced under the waving green flag methodically hitting his marks and making speed. He completed his first lap in 10.881 seconds and immediately was digging for more speed, less time during his second attempt. Carson worked his way around Huset’s banking one last time and this time exited turn four with another full head of steam stopping the clock on lap two at 10.767 seconds. The second of his two qualifying attempts was Carson’s fastest lap which was good enough to position the forty-one fourth quick overall. Sitting at the top of the speed charts at the end of qualifying was David Gravel for the 18th time this season in the Huset’s Speedway/Billion Automotive #2 earning the Simpson Quick Time Award for his speed performance in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying.

The battle though had only just begun in time trials as now all the competitors needed to fight their way into the feature through one of the four 10-lap Heat races with only five transfer positions available in each race. Based on his fastest lap in time trials, Carson would get the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Sam I Am #41 rolling from the inside of the front row from the pole position in The Greatest Store on Dirt Heat Race #4. The Californian would be joined in row one by Iowa’s Riley Goodno #16. Minnesota’s Andy Pake and Illinois’ Chris Windom paced behind in row two with Landon Crawley #45X from Arkansas and Matt Juhl #09 from South Dakota in row three. The fourth and final row was made up by Indiana’s Emerson Axsom #18 and South Dakota’s Jacob Hughes #8.

The field of eight cars were artfully arranged side-by-side in four rows with the drivers ready to go in anticipation of seeing the green flag waving out of turn four. When polesitter Carson Macedo arrived at the chalk stripe he mashed the gas and the festivities of speed begun. Carson led the opening lap ahead of Goodno, Pake, Windom, and Crawley. One down, nine to go.

Carson had his right K1 Race Gear shoe planted inside his Albaugh – Your Alternative office and was cruising out in front of the field. The track was fast and so was the driver from Lemoore, California. When each of his laps were completed, the gap between himself and the next driver widened a bit more. He stayed on the accelerator, hit his marks, and led from wire-to-wire to win the last Heat race by 2.589 seconds over Riley Goodno who would join him in the Dash. Racing home third was Andy Pake with Chris Windom and Landon Crawley locking down the last two transfer positions to the feature.

The Toyota Dash draw took place back in the pit area to keep the show moving along after the late start to racing action. When the eight numbers were all drawn, David Gravel would start from the pole in his Huset’s Speedway/J.R.C. Transportation #2 with Carson Macedo to his outside in the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions #41 hotrod. Behind the talented racers in row two was Mark Dobmeier #13 and Riley Goodno #16 with Michael “Buddy” Kofoid #83 and Sam Henderson #83JR in row three. In the last row in the starting lineup was your 2025 Knoxville Nationals Champion Ryan Timms #10 and Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink #17. When the flagman waved the green flag Gravel and Macedo were racing wheel-to-wheel for the lead with the black number two having a slight advantage at the end of the first circuit. Buddy Kofoid raced his way up to third with Dobmeier and Goodno duking it out in the top five. David Gravel used the clean air to his benefit as he raced to the Dash win by 1.639 seconds ahead of Carson with Kofoid, Dobmeier, and Timms completing the top five. Riley Goodno came home sixth followed by Haudenschild and Henderson.

With all the qualifying now a past chapter in this story, the airhorn sounded for the drivers that earned one of the 24 coveted starting lineup spots in the $25,000-to-win, 40-lap the L.G. Everist Huset’s Shootout presented by Myrl and Roy’s Paving feature finale to head to the staging area around the track. Garet Williamson used a provisional to tag the field at the rear after a hard crash in his Heat race.

Carson buckled into the Albaugh – Your Alternative/BR Motorsports/C&R Racing #41 Maxim before pushing off to line up in the second starting position beside polesitter David Gravel #2. Buddy Kofoid #83 would get started third with Mark Dobmeier #13 who knows his way around this place pulling into the fourth position. Ryan Timms #10 and Riley Goodno #16 were in row three with Sheldon Haudenschild #17 and Sam Henderson #83JR in row four and Cole Macedo #2c and Kerry Madsen #15S in row five.

After the four-wide salute, the green flag waved. Carson Macedo jumped into the early race lead over Gravel before the yellow flag was thrown negating the lap because the full field had not yet crossed the finish line. It would be a complete restart, and these competitors would try again. This time David Gravel led the field up to speed with Macedo and Ryan Timms close behind.

With one full completed lap in the books, the yellow flag was back out for a four car melee in turn two involving Conner Morrell, Chris Windom. Emerson Axsom, and Landon Crawley. Cole Macedo and Hunter Schuerenberg also headed to the Federated Car Care Work Zone. When they went back to racing, they got another lap in before Cole Macedo slowed again to bring out the yellow flag again.

It would be a single file restart with David Gravel showing Carson Macedo, Ryan Timms, and Buddy Kofoid the way. They would get a trio of laps in before the yellow flag was back out for Landon Crawley #45X who slowed with smoke coming out from under the hood ending his night.

With 35 laps remaining, the current point leader and defending World of Outlaws champion stepped on the gas and the race was on again with Carson giving chase in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. The green flag stayed out and these athletes got into a high-speed rhythm. The top five at the front of the field was Gravel, Macedo, Timms, and Kofoid with Sheldon Haudenschild moving into fifth place.

On lap 13, the lead was dwindling as Gravel navigated through lap traffic with Carson and Kofoid closing quick. Off turn four Carson got hung up slightly behind the lap car of Conner Morrell through the first set of turns creating just the break Buddy Kofoid needed to drive by both Timms and Macedo into the runner-up spot. The next time by Haudenschild drove by Timms, too, into fourth.

At the halfway point of the Huset’s Shootout, 20 laps down, 20 laps to go, it was David Gravel leading Buddy Kofoid and Carson Macedo with Sheldon Haudenschild and Ryan Timms rounding out the top five. They were fast and agile even though they were racing through slower cars on the banking at Huset’s Speedway.

Things stayed green until lap 30 when the yellow flag was thrown to slow the action again when Chris Windom spun in turn two after close racing with Garet Williamson. The field of cars realigned for a dash to the finish. David Gravel was up to the task and maintained the lead putting some space between himself and his California chasers – Kofoid and Macedo. They were back in lap traffic in no time and with four laps to go Gravel went high in turn two and caught the cushion disrupting his speed and momentum allowing Kofoid to sneak underneath him off turn two to take the lead.

Carson was still racing right behind the top two hoping to make some noise late. Buddy Kofoid would not be denied as he raced to the win over David Gravel with Carson Macedo completing the podium. Sheldon Haudenschild held on to finish fourth with Logan Schuchart earning the KSE Hard Charger honors finishing fifth after starting seventeenth.

On the front stretch Carson took the time to acknowledge and call out the incredible work the team at Huset’s Speedway did just to get this race in. He stated, “I think the track crew at Huset’s Speedway did a great job just to get the race in in the first place. I was sitting in the lounge earlier during the storm, and I really didn’t think we were going to race in the first place. We’re standing here on the front stretch, and we still had a pretty wide, racy track. I thought it was good enough to make passes. Buddy didn’t start on the front row and still won the race.” A great shoutout for the people behind the scenes that get little respect and only called out when the track conditions are deemed bad.

Carson and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 team had a strong month of August. During the 12 race month, with one rain out, they collect four (4) wins, six (6) podiums, nine (9) top five finishes, and had an average finish of fourth throughout the month. Carson and the team’s worse finish was a 12th place finish at the Ironman 55 where he led the first 39 laps before getting a flat right rear tire and fighting back. The JJR team looks to continue to flex and show their strength as the calendar flips to September with the tour’s next stop at Vado Speedway Park in New Mexico next weekend. Continue to follow Carson and the team’s journey. We appreciate your support!

Putting in the Work on Labor Day Weekend to Bring Home Another Podium Finish at the Huset’s Shootout! Photo Credit: Tyler Carr

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners for 2025: 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; CASM Safety Products; C&R Racing; 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; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Prime Composite Innovations; 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.

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.