MOVING ALONG IN PA: AFTER BATTLING HARD ALL NIGHT AT THE SPEED PALACE, MACEDO WHEELS THE DURST #41 TO A TOP TEN FINISH AT PORT ROYAL SPEEDWAY TO CONCLUDE THE TWO-DAY NITTANY SHOWDOWN

PORT ROYAL, PENNSYLVANIA (October 7, 2023) – With rain in the area throughout the night and most of the morning, much cooler temperatures and lingering gloomy grey skies overhead in Central Pennsylvania, Port Royal and WoO Series officials did a really nice job showing patience then working their behinds off to get the track in shape for the evening of festivities at the Nittany Showdown. The sun battled through the heavy clouds in the afternoon to aid in their prep efforts and the track’s surface was all run in to perfection by Steve Stimely. After his eighth place finish on Friday night to kick off the Nittany Showdown, Carson Macedo along with Philip Dietz, Clyde Knipp, and Nate Repetz had their Border International pulled back into the stall in the pit area located off turn four of Port Royal Speedway for the Keystone State curtail closer as it was the last race for the World of Outlaws (WoO) in Pennsylvania against the PA Posse. The stakes were raised a bit higher for the Nittany Showdown finale with an additional $5k set aside for the winner, bringing the winner’s share to $15,000, as the crews were busily at work preparing their speed machines. There were 41 teams unloaded and ready to go at The Speed Palace on Saturday night.

With a stout field of competitors, the field was again split into two equal groups for Low-E Insulation Qualifying at Port Royal. Each team picked a random number during the pill draw and they were ordered from lowest to highest and then separate down the middle. That meant the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Xtreme Body and Paint/Motor State Distributing #41 Maxim with Carson Macedo behind the wheel would be the first car to push off in Group A. He would be out on the track at the same time as one of the best in Pennsylvania, Danny Dietrich, driving the Gary Kauffman owned Sandoe’s Fruit Market #48. Carson was up to speed quickly and moving towards the green flag to start the clock. With the second hand moving on the clock, so was the forty-one on the track. Carson was in control as he Hoosier Racing Tires were gripping the surface. He made quick work of the first lap in 17.422 seconds on the slower racing surface from the previous two nights and the next time around ran his last timed lap in an impressive 17.174 seconds. The better of his two laps ended up 7th quick in Group A as the track continue to gain speed with David Gravel sitting alone atop the speed charts for that group with a lap of 17.071 seconds. That lap also earned David Gravel his 13th Simpson Quick Time Award of the season.

The fastest lap for each of the drivers determined their starting positions in one of the four 8-lap heat races slated for the night. The top five finishers would lock down starting positions in the feature with the winners and runner-ups getting a shot to race for their feature starting spot in the dash. By virtue of being seventh quick in Group A, Carson would line the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/KSE Racing Products/Schoenfeld Headers #41 Maxim up on the outside of row two wheel-to-wheel with the TrueTimber #5 of Spencer Bayston for the start of the race. They both would line up directly behind the front row of David Gravel and Zeb Wise with Parker Price-Miller, Donny Schatz, Danny Dietrich, Landon Myers, Cory Eliason, Brock Zearfoss and Freddie Rahmer completing the field for the start of the qualifying race as they paced in anticipation of the green flag being unfurled.

It was about to get noisier at the fairgrounds speedway when the field exited turn four. Green flag! David Gravel and Zeb Wise were side-by-side dueling for the point position with Carson positioning himself on the top side as they worked through the first set of turns. Zeb Wise exited turn two with the lead as Gravel slid up across the track allowing Macedo to turn under him and get a run on him into three. When they raced off turn four it was Wise, Macedo, Gravel and Bayston to complete lap one. Carson was staying close to the Rudeen Racing #26 hoping to get a shot to race for the lead. He would make a few attempts, but Wise was turning on a dime and carrying his speed. He used that momentum to lead all 8 laps to take the win over Carson as they both would advance to the dash out of heat race one. Quick timer David Gravel came home third with Bayston and Price-Miller locking down the final two transfer spots to the feature.

Carson earned a spot in the 6-lap Toyota Dash for a series leading 44th time this season where he would get started from the sixth position. He would line up on the outside of row three alongside of Brian Brown. Zeb Wise would get started from the pole position with Brad Sweet in second, Giovanni Scelzi third, and Lance Dewease fourth. Logan Schuchart and Devon Borden would pace from row four. When the field came through turn four Zeb Wise blasted into the lead with Lance Dewease quickly sneaking into the runner-up spot ahead of Sweet and Scelzi. Carson moved forward into the fifth position aboard the Albaugh –Your Alternative #41 to end the first lap as he began to track down Giovanni Scelzi. On lap 2, he made the pass and was now running in the four position with Wise out in front of the field. Zeb Wise was moving and grooving and was never contested as he took the win by 2.404 seconds over Dewease and Sweet with Carson bringing the forty-one home fourth as Giovanni Scelzi rounded out the top five. Brian Brown raced home sixth followed by Devin Borden and Logan Schuchart.

The field of 28 sprint cars, including the provisional starters, that earned their way into the 30-lap finale of the $15,000-to-win Nittany Showdown feature at Port Royal Speedway began rolling out onto the track to get ready for the start of the race. The World of Outlaws and track officials just did a fantastic job all night making sure the racing activities were coordinated smoothly, now it was time for the drivers to showcase their talents World of Outlaws style at The Speed Palace for the fans in the stands!

There were 11 traveling stars of the WoO tour in the show pitted against 9 proud Pennsylvania Posse and 8 All Star and unaffiliated drivers with any series that made up the feature field. Now it was time to see who would come out on top when the checkered flag flew at the end of the race. It was Zeb Wise and Lance Dewease on the front row with Brad Sweet and Carson Macedo pacing directly behind in his Albaugh – Your Alternative/Liquid Trucking/Tiger Towing #41 Maxim.

When the front row starters exited turn four the flagman was vigorously waving the green flag. Lance Dewease led the field into turn one ahead of Zeb Wise with Brad Sweet trucking behind them. Carson was flying in the fifth position as the air moved over top of his Vortex Racing Products wings providing the downforce needed to gain traction. With one lap in the books it was Dewease leading Wise and Sweet and Tyler Courtney with Macedo speeding in the fifth position secured for now ahead of Giovanni Scelzi.

The leaders were tracking down the slower cars, but on lap 6 the yellow flag was displayed for Hunter Schuerenberg and Donny Schatz tangled sending them both hard into the inside wall on the frontstretch. The running order was Dewease, Wise, Sweet, and Courtney with Carson Macedo hustling from the fifth position. When the green flag came back out it was brief as it was quickly replaced by the red when Justin Peck flipped in turn four on the restart.

The next restart would be in single file order with 24 laps to go. Dewease kept the lead ahead of Wise and Sweet. Sweet had his hands full though with Tyler Courtney in the NOS Energy Drink #7BC who drove by to take over the show position. Carson was now in hot pursuit of Sweet looking to gain the fourth spot. While those two were battling Logan Schuchart was on the move in the Shark Racing #1s. He was making the middle of the track work and on lap 8 worked his way by Macedo into the top five.

At the halfway point of the race it was still Lance Dewease out front with Zeb Wise, Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet and Logan Schuchart running behind. Carson had the Durst/ISC Racers Tape/RaceDiecast.com #41 Maxim in the sixth position as the racing action continued. Behind him David Gravel was on the move and two laps later the two were again embroiled in an all-out battle for position for the second night in a row. The two talented racers dueled cleanly and swapped positions multiple times before Gravel secured it relegating Macedo back to seventh.

One lap later Zeb Wise drove by Lance Dewease into the lead. With 10 laps remaining the competition was in full color from the front to the back of the pack. No positions were safe as they speed athletes were hungry. Tyler Courtney moved into the runner-up position moving by the Macri #39M. Meanwhile Carson had his hands full as he was trying to fend off Giovanni Scelzi as they both started to track down Brad Sweet. Scelzi would get by Macedo to move into the seventh position, but both Scelzi and Macedo would then race by Sweet for position with two laps to go. On the last lap Carson lost a position to a hard-charging Rico Abreu as Zeb Wise raced to the win ahead of Tyler Courtney and Logan Schuchart who completed the podium. David Gravel came home fourth with Lance Dewease completing the top five. Carson Macedo collected his second straight eighth place finish to conclude the Nittany Showdown.

Carson and the JJR #41 team will be back at it next Friday night at 81 Speedway in Wichita, Kansas. If you can’t make it out to the race, be sure to tune in on DIRTVision.

An Eighth Place Showing in the Nittany Showdown Finale at The Speed Palace for Macedo and Company! Photo Credit: CS Productions – Cameron Saich

Albaugh, LLC; Border International; Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Saich Family; Tarlton and Son Inc.; Boltz Family; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Durst Inc.; Liquid Trucking; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; Jansen Transportation; Larry Davis Farms; Meyers Constructors Inc.; Mr. Jim’s Racing; RaceDiecast.com; Sam I Am; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Tiger Towing; All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads; AutoMeter; Bell Helmets; BMRS (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions); BR Motorsports; C&R Racing; Crow Enterprizes; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Greber Racing Components; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Hoosier Racing Tire; Indy Performance Composites (IPC); ISC Racers Tape; K1 Race Gear; Kistler Racing Engines; KSE Racing Products; Maxim Racing; Motor State Distributing; Premium Coach Group; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Saldana Racing Products; Schoenfeld Headers; Smith Titanium; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Weld Racing; Wilwood Racing; Winters Performance Products; and, Xtreme Body and Paint.

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.