NEW YORK STYLE CURTAIN CALL: THE WORLD OF OUTLAWS WERE BACK AT IT AGAIN AT WEEDSPORT SPEEDWAY IN THE FINALE OF THE EMPIRE STATE CHALLENGE WITH THE FORTY-ONE CROSSING THE FINISH LINE IN SIXTH PLACE

WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK (July 26, 2026) – On Saturday night, Carson Macedo raced the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 across the finish line in the opener of the Empire State Challenge in fifth place. The sun broke over the eastern horizon and shined light on a new day in the Finger Lakes region of New York. The race team washed and worked throughout the day on daily maintenance to get the forty-one prepared for another night of competition in the northeast corridor of the United States. This 3/8-mile track is tricky. It is D-shaped which is unique, so finding a line that works and is quick evolves throughout the night. The surface, magnified when paired with the Big Block Modifieds, is hard and slick and becomes very technical for the drivers to figure out and keep up with throughout the night. Everyone must adapt their driving style to optimize their performance, which is what makes these athletes special. There were 38 drivers and teams back at Weedsport Speedway for the finale of the Empire State Challenge. It was Sunday Funday in New York – World of Outlaws (WoO) style!

After Race//Ready Hot Laps, the drivers began to stage for Honest Abe Roofing Qualifying. Where they would go out for time trials was determined by random draw. Carson pulled the ‘242’ pill, so he would be the ninth speed demon behind the wheel of the High Performance Lubricants/Xtreme Body and Paint/Motor State Distributing #41 Maxim to take his two laps around Weedsport Speedway along with Dale Blaney in the Ten Runner/Ryan Blaney Family Foundation #10. When Alex Therrien #21 and David Gravel #2 completed their speed attempts, the Kistler Engines power under the Prime Composites Innovations carbon fiber hood came to life. Carson lowered his right foot to send a wake up message and the engine responded. He made the first sharp left hand turn through the first set of turns before cruising down the backstretch. He smoothly navigated through turns three and four stopping the clock on lap one in 14.450 seconds. Searching for grip to make more speed he circled the odd shaped oval one last time, this time triggering the clock to stop in 14.595 seconds. Lap one was the quicker of his two laps positioning him fifth quick overall in Flight B when time trials concluded. Sitting at the top of the speed charts in Flight A was Emerson Axsom #27 who turned a lap in 14.251 seconds with David Gravel earning the Simpson Quick Time Award for the 17th time this season out of Flight B on Sunday night with a lap of 14.073 seconds.

When the four Heat race lineups were posted for the night, Carson’s qualifying time put the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 in WIX Filters Heat Race #3 where he would start from the inside of row two flanked by Cory Eliason in Shannon Wheatley’s #45. They rolled behind quick timer Watertown, Connecticut’s David Gravel #2 and Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada’s Alex Therrien #21 who held the top two positions down in the front row with Zach Sobotka #38 and Dalton Rombough #41R behind in row three. Ashton Torgerson #51 and Spencer Burley #21B were situated in row four followed by Caiden Herbert #23NH and Conner Morrell #28M in the last row.

These competitors always compete for the win, but there were five transfer spots up for grabs in each qualifying race they had to secure on order to lock into the A-Main. The top two finishers in each Heat race earned those coveted spots in the Toyota Dash where they would race for their starting positions in the first four rows of the feature.

The cars lined up in order. The drivers focused on the work ahead. Ready to cheer for their favorite driver, the fans sat on the edge of their seat. The pace quickly accelerated when the flagman did his job and dropped the green flag to start the high speed adventure. The driver of the Big Game Motorsports #2 vaulted into the race lead at the drop of the green flag with Carson following Alex Therrien through the first set of turns. The two drivers accelerated behind Gravel trying to keep him close early. Carson began to maneuver the Tarlton and Son/FK Rod Ends/Winters Performance Products #41 around the top off turn four ducking under Therrien for the runner-up position at the line. Carson stayed low on the track and began his chase of the black number two car. He would close the gap a few times but never got close enough to make anyone sweat. These professional speed athletes make quick work of these races as David Gravel charged under the fluttering checkered flag to secure the victory in the qualifying race by 0.730 seconds ahead of the driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 as both those drivers locked into the Toyota Dash redraw. Alex Therrien hustled home third followed by Cory Eliason and Dalton Rombough who all secured transfer spots into the A-Main.

The eight drivers who earned the opportunity to draw for their starting position in the Toyota Dash headed to victory lane to put their hand in the oversized NOS Energy Drink Can pulling out a numbered disc. When all eight numbers were drawn, Logan Schuchart #1s would start from the pole position with Emerson Axsom #27 sharing the front row with him. Together in row two were David Gravel #2 and Chris Windom #7s with Carson Macedo #41 in the fifth starting position alongside Saturday night’s winner Sheldon Haudenschild #18 in row three. Garet Williamson #23 and Ricky Peterson #98 were beside each other in row four. Where each driver finishes this race is where they start the money paying Empire State Challenge finale to end the night. Logan Schuchart claimed the race lead when the green flag waved followed by Emerson Axsom. Sixth starting Sheldon Haudenschild drove around everyone on the top side to move into third before ducking under Axsom on lap two as he raced into the runner-up position. Carson got shuffled back to seventh place on the opening lap just behind Garet Williamson. The pilot of the Mark Martin Motors/Federated Auto Parts #1s took the win as Haudenschild followed him across the finish line in second. Emerson Axsom finished third followed by Chris Windom and David Gravel who finished fifth. Garet Williamson raced home sixth with Carson Macedo and Ricky Peterson finishing seventh and eighth, respectively.

There was only one more event left on the race card this evening and it was the 35-lap Empire State Challenge feature finale at Weedsport Speedway. The first four rows in the A-Main starting grid were earned based off where the drivers finished in the Toyota Dash. That put Logan Schuchart #1s on the pole with red hot Sheldon Haudenschild #18 sharing the front row with him to start the race. Behind them were Emerson Axsom #27 and Chris Windom #7s in row two with David Gravel #2 and Garet Williamson #23 paired up in row three. The two competitors in row four were Carson Macedo in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 and Rickey Peterson #98.

Carson climbed into the Albaugh – Your -Alternative/Team Jack Foundation/PWR Advanced Cooling Technology #41 Maxim ready to battle it out at Weedsport. Lots of work to do in a short amount of time, but the Californian was eager for the race to begin. The engine fired in his 1,425 pound speed missile with 900 plus hp waiting to contribute to the speed experience. It was time to get down to business in New York.

The drivers saluted the fans as they fanned out into their traditional four-wide formation before racing back into their starting positions. The grandstands brimmed with enthusiastic race fans ready to be entertained by these traveling stars of the World of Outlaws touring series. The green flag waved with Logan Schuchart darting into the race lead at the end of lap one with Sheldon Haudenschild and Emerson Axsom attempting to keep applying the pressure to him. Scored in the seventh position at the end of the initial circuit, Carson continued to dice with Garet Wiliamson for a better spot with Cory Turner #39 stalking from behind.

Williamson tracked down fifth running Chris Windom and passed him with five laps in the books. Carson followed him by the NOS Energy Drink #7s to move into sixth place. David Gravel was also on the move as two laps later he moved by Emerson Axsom into the show position behind the race leader Logan Schuchart and Sheldon Haudenschild.

On lap 13, things really got shaken up in the top ten as David Gravel made a two car pass for the lead ahead of Schuchart and Haudenschild with Carson driving up to fourth place passing both Axsom and Williamson. Over the next 15 laps, Macedo would close the gap between himself and the Shark Racing #1s but he could never shake Axsom and Williamson.

With four laps to go, things were beginning to tighten up from position one through position six. David Gravel held off Haudenschild in lap traffic, but Axsom and Williamson both sneaked back by Macedo relegating him back to sixth place.

David Gravel raced to his ninth World of Outlaws win of the season, tied for the series lead with Buddy Kofoid, with Sheldon Haudenschild racing home second as Logan Schuchart rounded out the podium positions. Emerson Axsom finished fourth with Garet Williamson finishing in the fifth position. Carson raced the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 across the finish line in sixth place with Buddy Kofoid, Cory Turner, Ricky Peterson, and Donny Schatz completing the top ten at the Empire State Challenge. A consistent weekend for Carson and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team in New York.

The World of Outlaws only visit to the state of New York in 2026 was now in the books as the drivers and teams began to head south on Interstate 81 towards Central Pennsylvania for three races scheduled to begin with the 4th Annual Bricker’s Bash at BAPS Motor Speedway on Wednesday (7/29) night before visiting Williams Grove Speedway for the two-day C&D Rigging Summer Nationals on Friday (7/31) and Saturday (8/1) night. Make plans to come out to the tracks to witness some of the best in the business compete in the Keystone State against the famed Pennsylvania Posse or tune into DIRTVision. #BrickersBash #WoOSummerNats

Closing the Curtain on the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport Speedway for 2026! Photo Credit: Tyler Carr

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners for 2026:  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); 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; Crow Enterprizes; CS Productions; Dale “Mickey” Snyder; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Greber Racing Components (GRC); 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; PWR Advanced Cooling Technology; 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.

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