LIGHTS SHINING BRIGHT IN OHIO: CARSON MACEDO ACCELERATES AND RACES TO A RUNNER-UP FINISH IN THE KNIGHT BEFORE THE KINGS ROYAL AT ELDORA DISPLAYING HIS PATIENCE AND POWER IN THE BUCKEYE STATE

ROSSBURG, OHIO (July 18, 2025) – After competing in the Kubota High Limit Series $100,000-to-win Joker’s Jackpot event on Thursday evening where he was officially scored a 14th place finish after contact racing for the lead with 12 laps to go, Carson Macedo was eager to get back on the saddle and keep the momentum going in the right direction driving the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 under the lights at Eldora Speedway in the Knight Before the Kings Royal event sanctioned by the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series. Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman were up early again to maintain their Maxim Racing speed machine getting it ready for Carson to compete again at the relentlessly fast half mile clay oval. This beautiful facility that Earl Baltes built in 1954 is situated amid the cornfields of Northwest Ohio, just outside of Rossburg, Ohio, and has always been a fan and driver favorite. It is truly one of the gems of grassroots racing and a sanctuary for speed and high-speed entertainment. A walk through the pit area revealed there was 59 cars at the famed track on Friday night as the Kings Royal weekend continued with the running of the Knight Before the Kings Royal. It was time to go racing – World of Outlaws style this time – at Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway!

The time trial order for Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying was established at the Eloy Gutierrez Pill Draw when each of the teams drew a number upon arrival at the track. Based on the pill draw, Carson Macedo would be the 16th car to hit the track in Flight 1 to race against the clock. He buckled into his Fibreworks Composite seat with his Crow Enterprizes safety belts cinched tight. When Kevin Thomas Jr. #19H and Kasey Jedrzejek #11N completed their timed laps, the push truck assisted Carson to get his Kistler Engines power fired. He rolled out onto the track with Zach Hampton in the Bill Rose Racing/Steve Beitler Yacht Charters #6. It did not take long for the Californian to get up to speed as he worked his way down the back straightaway enroute to the flagstand on the frontstretch to start his speed session. The clock was now moving and so was Macedo. He likes this place and has proven to be fast here at Eldora during past visits. It only took 12.996 seconds to complete his first lap. Carson was having a blast boogeying around “The Big E” making speed on the high banks. When he raced under the waving checkered flag, the clock recorded his second lap in 13.010 second. The better of his two laps positioned him at the top of the speed charts with the quickest time in Flight 1 at 12.996 seconds. When time trials concluded, Rico Abreu in the Whiskey Myers East Texas Rock-N-Roll #24 out of Flight 2 was the speediest driver of the night overall to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award with a solid lap of 12.760 seconds.

Each driver’s best time in Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying determined their position in one of the starting lineups for the four 8-lap Heat races. Carson’s speed results in time trials piloting the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Fuel Safe Racing Cells/ISC Racers Tape #41 placed him in NOS Energy Drink Heat #1 where he would start from the pole position. The Lemoore, California native would share the front row with Zach Hampton #6 as the two drivers paced in front of Brent Marks #19 and Spencer Bayston #14 in row two and Brian Brown #21 and Cole Macedo #2c in the third row. Brad Sweet #49 and Chris Andrews #15C were together in row four with Chris Windom #7s and Kasey Jedrzejek #11N directly behind them in row five. Tanner Thorson #88 tagged the rear after winning the first non-qualifiers race.

The fun was about to begin. It was time to go racing at Eldora! When the green lights illuminated in sync with the same colored flag the engines roared as the drivers quickly made their way down the front straightaway. After exiting turn two, Carson was showing the balance of the field the way in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 with Zach Hampton providing pressure from the runner-up position. The driver from Lemoore, California has a fast hotrod though and would never be challenged as he rode his Kistler Engines power to the victory leading flag-to-flag to take the win by 1.452 seconds ahead of Zach Hampton with Brent Marks, Spencer Bayston, and Brian Brown completing the top five all earning automatic transfer positions to the feature.

Carson and Zach Hampton would have an opportunity, along with the winners and runner-up finishers in the other three Heat races, to race for their A-Main starting positions in the 6-lap Toyota Dash. After the draw for starting position in the race concluded, Parker Price-Miller in the Indy Race Parts #71 was on the pole sharing the front row with Rico Abreu in the Whiskey Myers #24. David Gravel #2 and Zach Hampton were in row two with Carson tucked on the inside of row three beside Aaron Reutzel #87. The last row featured Kyle Larson #57 and Emerson Axsom #27. At the drop of the green, Abreu vaulted into the lead using the outside starting spot to his advantage as that was the faster and preferred lane at the time. Aaron Reutzel used that same lane to drive into fifth ahead of Macedo at the start and immediately set his sights on the competition ahead. Rico Abreu would lead the Dash from start to finish to secure the win and the pole position in the feature. He was followed across the finish line by David Gravel, Aaron Reutzel who charged from his sixth starting spot, and Parker Price-Miller. Coming home fifth was Zach Hampton with Kyle Larson being scored sixth. Carson drove the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 home seventh with Emerson Axsom finishing eighth.

With the qualifying in the books following the Last Chance Showdown (LCS), the starting lineup was locked and loaded for the $25,000-to-win, 30-lap Knight Before the Kings Royal showdown. The cars to were ready to roll onto the track as the lights around the track shined down on the surface like a spotlight for the 24 drivers who earned a spot in the prestigious field. Six additional drivers elected to use provisional starting spots bloating the starting grid to 30 in total. The race teams finished their work as the track crew finished preparing the racing surface, but it was soon time for the best in the business to go racing at Eldora Speedway.

Rico Abreu #24 and David Gravel #2 escorted the stout field of cars from the first row with Aaron Reutzel #87 and Parker Price-Miller #71 pacing closely behind them in row two. Carson would get the Scott Boyd Family/CS Productions/Team Jack Foundation #41 Maxim started from the inside of row four flanked to his outside by Emerson Axsom #27. It was now time to go racing for the big money again – Eldora style.

The yellow lights turned off as the flagger gave the one lap to go signal to the field. The fans were energized. The drivers were poised. And the next time around the green flag flickered in the wind as the field arrived in turn four. Rico Abreu seized the moment and drove his Whiskey Myers sponsored Rico Abreu Racing (RAR) #24 into the top spot. But the initial green flag was replaced by the yellow flag as race officials determined that fourth starting Parker Price-Miller accelerated too soon, and he was penalized two starting spots.

 A fresh start did not change anything as Rico Abreu again hustled into the race lead just ahead of David Gravel and Aaron Reutzel leading the first circuit. Carson gained one spot on the start and was running sixth behind Kyle Larson with a half mile in the books.

The early race pace was wicked fast with the leaders turning mid-14 second laps. On lap 6, the second caution of the night occurred when twelfth running Corey Day #14BC slowed off the pace, His night ended early. The restart order with 24 laps to go was Abreu, Gravel, Reutzel, Hampton, and Larson with Macedo restarting sixth.

The green flag was back out with the St. Helena, California driver, Rico Abreu, maintaining the lead over Gravel and Reutzel. Larson and Macedo raced by Hampton into the fourth and fifth positions respectively on the restart. They were able to complete another two miles before the race came to a complete stop on lap , when Kasey Kahne became another victim of the bump in turn one flipping violently in the Kahne Screen Printing (KSP) #9.

After the accident scene was cleared, the drivers realigned for the restart with twenty laps to go. Rico Abreu accelerated back up to speed with David Gravel still chasing as Kyle Larson moved into the show position making a pass on Aaron Reutzel. Carson was racing hard from the fifth spot navigating the dirty air aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. He had speed but was searching for some space to race.

Directly in front of him Kyle Larson and Aaron Reutzel continued to battle as these two talented speed chauffeurs swapped the third position multiple time. They were racing hard against each other. This was racing Eldora style and Carson may have had the best seat in the house to take it all in.

On lap 12, the yellow flag came out for Logan Schuchart #1s who slowed and headed to the Federated Auto Car Work Area to replace his left rear shock. His team completed the repairs as the Pennsylvanian rejoined the field in the Drydene/Take 5 Oil Change #1s.

There were 18 laps to go, and things were about to heat up again. Rico Abreu guided the field back up to speed with Aaron Reutzel moving into the runner-up position ahead of Gravel, Larson, and Macedo. The driver of the black Power Plus!/Folken Bros. Trucking #87 was fast. He was putting on a show all by himself that was worth the price of admission. That all ended on lap 14, when he caught the outside wall entering turn one sending him flipping. It escalated when both Zach Hampton #6 and Steven Snyder Jr. #27H had absolutely nowhere to go resulting in them both striking the disabled Reutzel hard with blunt force contact. Aaron climbed out of his ride but was noticeably injured in the accident and taken for further evaluation.

Race officials made this race stoppage an opportunity for an Open Red so the teams to fill up their fuel tanks and make any minor adjustments with a short stop. The engines refired with 16 laps to go in the race. Rico pace the field followed by David Gravel, Kyle Larson, Carson Macedo, and Brent Marks.

Carson was on the outside of row two when the engines were called to get back to work after the command from each driver’s right foot. The driver of the Albaugh #41 dove low into turn one and now there were three stars racing for the lead between Abreu, Macedo, and Gravel under the shining lights at Eldora. When things all shook out coming out of turn two, Rico Abreu was still up front but Carson was now running second ahead of David Gravel and Kyle Larson.

He continued his chase of the leader, but Rico Abreu had a dominant car. Behind him though David Gravel and Kyle Larson were now the show as they were racing each other hard exchanging aggressive slide jobs, resulting in very close action but clean (albeit some would argue not Clorox clean), racing for the last step on the podium at the Knight Before the Kings Royal. As two former Kings Royal winners were battling, they were also closing the gap between themselves and the second place running Macedo. Things were getting dicey . . . and a bit tense. The battle raged on behind Macedo up to the very end . . . and beyond.

Rico Abreu raced to the $25,000 win over Carson Macedo with Kyle Larson making a last lap, last corner pass for third on Gravel. After the checkered flag flew the tension elevated when Gravel spun Larson around in turn two. There was different perspectives on racing styles. That variance of opinion continued at the scales resulting in a private discussion at the World of Outlaws Command Center. Racing is competitive and intense. These drivers, like them or not, are professionals and they race hard. They are the ultimate competitors. Two great drivers who are at the top of the game competing hard at an elite level.

After his second place finish on the night Carson discussed his race. The talented racer from California began by stating. “I just feel like I got really good starts. That was really my race and kind of how I was able to progress through the field.” He continued, “My engine fires off really well, and I feel like that helps me a lot to get off the line and make moves.” Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one in “The Buckeye State” this week!

With All Eyes Focused on Eldora Friday Night, The Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 Glistened Under the Lights in the Knight Before the Kings Royal! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich – CS Productions

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