MOVING FORWARD IN MINNESOTA: THE FORTY-ONE TEAM WAS IN CHASE MODE ALL NIGHT AS MACEDO CHARGES FORWARD TO A 12TH PLACE FINISH TO CAP OFF THE 46TH ANNUAL FENDT JACKSON NATIONALS AT THE JACKSON MOTORPLEX

JACKSON, MINNESOTA (August 17, 2024) – On Friday night at the Jackson Motorplex, Carson Macedo continued his recent strong and consistent performances as he ended the night with a victory to open the action at the two-day 46th Annual FENDT Jackson Nationals. Carson and the JJR team’s efforts throughout the first night of the Jackson Nationals continued to strengthen their confidence as they were eager to get back on the track heading into Saturday night’s finale aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. This beautiful facility was glistening under the sun early as it shined down on these stars of the sport before setting over the western horizon leaving behind a fabulous sunset. It was now time for these talented speed athletes to shine on their own under the lights as nighttime fell over Minnesota. There were 32 teams back and registered to complete again at the Jackson Motorplex on the final night in the $25,000-to-win 46th Annual FENDT Jackson Nationals finale.

After each driver completed their hot lap sessions, the field of competitive cars began to line up orderly in the staging lane for their turn on the track in Sea Foam Qualifying. Carson Macedo was sitting comfortably in his Fibreworks Composites seat with an individually customized Sharp Advantage Safety Products fitted insert waiting for his que to head out for this two time trial laps. He would have to wait quite some time as he would be the very last driver, 32nd out for 32 entries, out on the track as he cinched his Crow Enterprizes safety belts one last time before firing his engine. Carson would be joined on the track by Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink #17. When Justin Henderson and Gage Pulkrabek completed their timed excursions, it was Carson’s turn to make speed in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/KSE Racing Products/FK Rod Ends #41 Maxim. He likes this track and quickly obliged the request to go fast as the green flag began waving. Carson was aggressively racing against time as he made his way around the immaculate 4/10-mile oval. When he stopped the clock after his first lap the numbers read 13.613 seconds. The Lemoore, California native was focused and working hard from the office in his Maxim Racing machine. Carson was looking to continue to carve time away, one hundredths of a second at a time, as he made his way around on lap two. He hustled the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 off turn four as he saw the checkered flag being waved to end his time trial session. His second lap was recorded in 13.652 seconds. The better of Carson’s two lap work sessions at speed ended the night eleventh quick overall. But, the quickest driver of the night was Landon Crawley in the Sides Motorsports #7s, who was the second car in the first set to go out for his timed laps, with a lap of 13.391 seconds earning him the Simpson Quick Time Award.

The heat race lineups for the four 8-lap races slated to go were posted and arranged on each driver’s best time trial lap. No inversion. The top five finishers in each heat race would secure a starting spot in the feature event later to end the night. The top two finishers in each of those heat races though would get some more time on the track as they qualified for the King of the Hill portion where they would race for their starting position in the first four rows of the feature.

Carson would pull the Tarlton and Son/Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Premium Coach Group #41 Maxim onto the inside of row two in the third heat race where he shared the row with Scott Bogucki #10. Those two drivers would pace behind front row starters Emerson Axsom and Logan Schuchart with Christopher Thram, Dusty Zomer, Max Guilford, and Chris Martin behind in rows three and four respectively.

With the field perfectly aligned in the two-by-two starting formation on the still very mist surface they anxiously awaited their arrival to the fourth turn to see the green flag drop. Upon arrival, the dust from the temporary chalk stripe laid down across the track flew into the air with Logan Schuchart in the Drydene #1s and Emerson Axsom drag racing to see who could get to turn one first. Off turn two it was Schuchart with the lead. Carson got stuck on the bottom on the initial start and got shuffled back to fifth behind Schuchart, Axsom, Bogucki, and Thram.

Up front it was all Logan Schuchart as he just literally checked out and was all by himself almost two seconds ahead of second running Emerson Axsom. He led the heat race from start to finish taking the win over Emerson Axsom with Bogucki and Thram crossing the finish line to secure the third and fourth finishing positions. Carson Macedo locked down the fifth and final transfer position.

With a slight change from the normal format that features the Toyota Dash, as mentioned before, the top two finishers from each heat race would compete against each other in the King of the Hill. They randomly drew for their spots in the King of the Hill order where only two drivers would compete against each other at a time. The winner of each head-to-head battle would not be who reached the finish line first, but rather who ran the quickest lap. The winner would advance with the slower car locking into one of the lower starting positions in the first four rows. There would be seven rounds.

First up was Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink #17 competing with Emerson Axsom in the race against the clock. Haudenschild won with the fastest lap at 13.519 seconds.

Round Two featured Haudenschild who moved in this duel against KCP Racing’s Giovanni Scelzi. The two talented racer jumped on the accelerator with Sheldon winning again with a quicker lap at 13.620 seconds.

Round Three showcased the NOS Energy Drink #17 driver and Aaron Reutzel in the RSR #87. The Wooster, Ohio speedster hustled to win again this round as he turned a better lap at 13.740 seconds.

The next round, Round Four, pitted the racy Sheldon Haudenschild against Pennsylvania native Logan Schuchart in the Shark Racing #1s. Haudenschild continued his impressive run as he was the faster of the two speedsters with a lap of 13.789 seconds.

In Round Five it was Haudenschild again now prepared and ready to race with Brock Zearfoss in the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3z. The #17 appeared to be unstoppable as Haudenschild was again deemed the winner based on his lap of 13.912 seconds.

With only three drivers remaining, Round Six lined up the competitor in the NOS Energy Drink car who was all ready to compete against the current series point leader David Gravel. This time David Gravel drove the Big Game Motorsports #2 to the win as he stomped on the gas to record a lap in 13.922 seconds. What an incredible run by Sheldon Haudenschild though through the King of the Hill as he drained his last drop of fuel going back to the pit area.

David Gravel now moved onto the final round against the highest seeded driver, ten-time World of Outlaws Champion Donny Schatz in the Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) Carquest/Ford Performance #15. The two speedster gassed it up and when the checkered flag came out it was Donny Schatz winning the $1,000 King of the Hill check and earning the pole position for the feature with a lap of 13.922 seconds.

The horns were sounding as the cars were summoned to the track and escorted there by the crews as the drivers headed over to the frontstretch for driver introductions before the 35-lap, $25,000-to-win 46th Annual FENDT Jackson Nationals finale.

Donny Schatz and David Gravel would lead the field to the green flag after the track crews worked in the surface around the Jackson Motorplex. Based on Carson Macedo’s body of work on this night he had some work ahead of him if he wanted to three peat as he would get the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/High Performance Lubricants/ Ben Cook Race Car Products #41 Maxim started from the 19th starting spot way back on the inside of row ten. He would pace beside Tea, South Dakota’s own Justin Henderson in the #17GP.

When the smoked cleared from all of the pre-race fireworks, the 24 car field was set to go racing at the Jackson Motorplex. When the green flag dropped it was Donny Schatz taking ownership of the top spot with David Gravel, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Aaron Reutzel right behind.

Carson had a plan, a simple one, just be patient and pass cars when opportunities were presented. He started to execute that plan after the first lap in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 as he started to pick up one spot each lap. By lap five he was running in the 16th position as he looked to continue to make his way forward into the top 15. The next time around, on lap 6, he moved into fifteenth and was still hungry and looking for more.

A little further towards the front, Donny Schatz was still dominant at the point leading Gravel and Haudenschild. With 11 laps recorded in the books, the first and only race slow down occurred when the yellow flag came out for Landon Crawley and Kelby Watt who were dueling for position just ahead of the race leaders. They got together and spun as Schatz professionally threaded the needle and went between them unscathed.

The restart order with 24 laps to go would be Schatz, Gravel, Haudenschild, Reutzel, and Schuchart in the top five with Carson getting the forty-one back up to speed from the 14th position. When the drivers went back on the gas it was Donny Schatz driving back into the first position ahead of David Gravel with Aaron Reutzel temporarily sneaking by Sheldon Haudenschild into the show position.

The next time around though Haudenschild would retake the third spot back and go to work on Gravel for the runner-up position. The Wooster, Ohio driver would eventually make the pass for the second position with eight laps to go. Meanwhile, Carson was still embroiled in multiple battles for position just outside the top ten.

Donny Schatz appeared to be comfortably out front when the white flag was shown, but Sheldon Haudenschild was digging in the NOS Energy Drink/Frozen Farmer #17. Off turn four Schatz raced towards the checkered flag with Haudenschild closing quickly. The gap shrank, but Schatz collected his 315th career World of Outlaws win crossing the finish line just ahead of Haudenschild and Gravel with Aaron Reutzel and Emerson Axsom completing the top five.

Carson raced hard the whole night taking advantages of what he could when he could as he gained seven spots in the running order throughout the course of the race before racing home with a 12th place finish. Carson and the JJR #41 team will be back in action next weekend starting on Friday night at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, North Dakota before moving over to Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, North Dakota on Saturday. These are two races you don’t want to miss, so if you can’t be there be sure to tune into DIRTVision to watch all of the action – World of Outlaws style!

A Saturday Night Drive Forward to a 12th Place Finish in the Jackson Nationals Finale Chauffeuring the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41!

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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