OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE: AN INCREDIBLE NIGHT OF COMPETITION AT ATOMIC SPEEDWAY ENDS WITH MACEDO HOLDING THE CHECKERED FLAG TO FINISH OFF A PERFECT NIGHT AFTER SETTING QUICK TIME AND WINNING THE HEAT RACE AND DASH TOO!

WAVERLY, OHIO (May 27, 2023) – Fresh off of their third place podium run on Friday night at Atomic Speedway, the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 sprint car team was back in Southern Ohio on Saturday to compete and give it their best effort on the final night of the two race weekend at Atomic Speedway. They rolled the Albaugh #41 out of the trailer as the black car glistened under the afternoon sun on this beautiful Memorial Day weekend. The track crew was busy tending to the racing surface for another exciting night of World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series action. The teams were busily working on their cars in preparation for competition. The fans were making their way into the venue ready to watch some of the best in the sport do their thing and hoping to get a cool racing t-shirt or hat at their favorite drivers merchandise trailer. On Saturday night there were 30 teams that pulled through the pit gates ready to earn a living based on their performance on this night at the always exciting Atomic Speedway!

The first thing on the evening’s racing agenda following heat in the motors and hot laps was Low-E Insulation Qualifying for each of the drivers. Two laps with their best time representing them for the heat race lineups. One little bobble on the track can cost you time and track position. Carson Macedo would be the second competitor to roll out onto the track for his two laps against the stopwatch in the Liquid Trucking/Tiger Towing/ISC Racers Tape #41 Maxim. It was two car qualifying so he fired early and would take time with the 10-time WoO champion Donny Schatz. With a slight tap of his rear nerf bar from the push truck, the Californian was ready to go as he flipped the shield down on his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Racing helmet. He raised his elbows as his right foot dropped on the accelerator. He raced towards the waving green flag as the second hand on the clock measured his performance. He carried his speed through the first set of turns as he hustled down the backstretch and into turn three. When he exited turn four, the white flag was out as he stopped the clock at 11.549 seconds on lap one. Carson was having fun as he made another run around the 3/8-mile oval during his last qualifying lap. Only time would tell how he performed and when he crossed under the waving checkered flag he timed in on lap two at 11.433 seconds, which shot him to the top of the speed charts early. While both laps were not too shabby, the fastest one endured the test of time as he earned his 6th Simpson Quick Time Award of the season in Low-E Insulation Qualifying.

With the lineups set for each of the three 8-lap heat races, the crews were busy converting their qualifying setups to their race setups. Each of the heat races had some shining stars ready to shine and put on a show for the fans. Carson would get started from the pole position aboard the Team Jack Foundation/Boltz Family/Saldana Racing Products #41 Maxim in the first and fastest heat race. He was going to have his hands fill as the 4-time and defending WoO Champion, Brad Sweet, would start right beside him with Ohio’s own Sheldon Haudenschild starting third and Parker Price-Miller fourth. Row three found Skylar Gee and Noah Gass with Brandon Wimmer, Lee Jacobs, Nate Dussel, and Jake Hesson filling in the final two rows. The field was set as the yellow lights dimmed in anticipation of the green ones turning on. When the front row starters exited turn four the air was filled with the sweet sound of sprint cars as they roared down the frontstretch. Carson was using his KSE Racing Products to position his high speed chariot through the first set of turns running in the top position with Sweet hanging right there with him early. The Lemoore, California driver was minding his own business and used the racecar his team gave him to put some distance between himself and Brad Sweet by lap 3. That gap was eliminated when Parker Price-Miller rolled to a stop at the exit of turn two to bring out the yellow flag. The restart order would find Sweet, Haudenschild, Haudenschild and Brandon Wimmer behind Macedo in the lead. It was a slow roll coming back to the green flag but that didn’t last long. The green was back out and Carson maintained the lead in the Albaugh #41. Behind him though Sheldon Haudenschild was digging and moved into the runner-up position as he drove under Brad Sweet through the first set of turns on the restart. Carson would collect his 14th heat race victory of the season, and fifth in a row, as he took the win over Haudenschild and Sweet with Wimmer, Gee and Dussel locking in the final three transfer positions.

With a perfect evening going so far, Carson headed to the frontstretch to draw for his starting position in the 6-lap Toyota Dash. His good luck continued as he was the first driver to pull a pill and when his hand came out of the oversized NOS Energy Drink can he held the lowest number available – the number one. Carson would start from the pole position in the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Winters Performance Products/T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication #41 Maxim with Wooster, Ohio speedster Sheldon Haudenschild to his outside. David Gravel and Buddy Kofoid paced right behind in row two with Donny Schatz and Giovanni Scelzi in row three. The six drivers fired their engines and all lined up in their starting positions for the dash. When the green flag dropped, Carson and Sheldon raced side-by-side down the front straightaway. When they entered turn one Carson used his Kistler Engines power to hustle into the turn as he slid up in front of the NOS Energy Drink #17 to seize the lead. Behind them there was a great battle going on between David Gravel and Donny Schatz for the third position. Schatz was on the bottom with Gravel working the top. Carson’s perfect night of outcomes continued after he was the first driver to race under the checkered flag to take the dash victory over Haudenschild and Schatz with Gravel, Kofoid, and Scelzi coming home fourth through sixth.

The starting field was now locked in for Saturday night’s edition of the 35-lap NOS Energy Drink feature race at Atomic Speedway. Each of the drivers had earned their way into the starting lineup for the money paying race with Carson Macedo getting started from the inside of row one aboard the Durst/C&R Racing/T-Fab Custom Metal Fabrication #41 Maxim. He shared the row with Sheldon Haudenschild as they lined up side-by-side. Donny Schatz and David Gravel were perched in row two with Buddy Kofoid and Giovanni Scelzi in row three and current point leader Brad Sweet on the inside of Jacob Allen in row four.

After buzzing the top and bottom of the track’s surface following some track prep, it was time to go racing at Atomic Speedway World of Outlaws’ style! As the field of competitors slowly paced around in their two-by-two starting formation it was the calm before the storm.

That all changed when the flagman unleashed the green flag signaling the field of drivers to power up as the race was on at Atomic Speedway. Carson Macedo led the field down the front stretch and through the first set of turns with Sheldon giving chase. The speed was slowed before a lap could be completed when Brock Zearfoss got turned around in turn two and came to a stop.

They would try to get started again with Macedo and Haudenschild leading the field back to the waving green flag. Carson again jumped into the top spot with David Gravel wrestling by both Haudenschild and Schatz into the runner-up position. Macedo and Gravel would working the high side with Schatz and Haudenschild, yes Sheldon, working the lower groove as the track crew made that lane fast. Carson led the opening lap and was now the running rabbit with all of the wolves chasing the Albaugh #41 Carson was piloting. Donny Schatz was battling with Gravel and took over the runner-up position.

On lap 6, the second race slow down happened when 15th place running Brandon Wimmer spun off the backstretch. Carson was leading but now had the red-hot and hard-charging Donny Schatz to contend with restarting right beside him with a pair of just as formidable competitors, David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild, pacing right behind the front row. Carson moved the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41 to the inside lane for the restart putting Schatz on the top of the track.

Back to green, Carson gets a good start and drives up to the top of the speedway through turns one and two into clean air to keep the lead. Schatz was right there and meticulously working the bottom keeping his tires under him and making speed. Carson was carrying his momentum around the top against the cushion. He had the forty-one moving, but Schatz was ready to fight for the position. Over the next three laps the drivers of the Albaugh #41 and the CARQUEST #15 were expertly racing wheel-to-wheel for the lead. They were putting on a fantastic and entertaining battle for the fans which was temporarily halted on lap 9 when the yellow lights came back on for Cale Thomas who spun his #91 over the edge at the end of the backstretch.

They would get started with Macedo leading Schatz, Haudenschild, Gravel and Scelzi back to green flag racing with 26 laps to go. Carson would maintain the lead over Schatz, but the he was passed by Gravel for the runner-up spot with Haudenschild coming right behind. Carson was able to build his lead, but the hungry wolves from Connecticut, North Dakota and Ohio were at full stride coming for Macedo. Schatz made his way by Gravel and was determined to give Macedo fits.

Donny Schatz closed in on the tail tank of the JJR #41 and made the pass for the lead on lap 18. Carson was not about to give it up and a few laps later drove by on the outside as the dueled through lap traffic. Now Schatz was the one who was not relenting as he retook the lead back from Macedo. These two talented athletes were putting on an incredible show for the fans. Schatz was low. Macedo was high. No drama, just great racing. Carson collected himself and stayed true to the high side as he closed back in on Schatz. Schatz encountered two lap cars and Macedo pounced on the opportunity driving around the outside of the TSR #15 and the lap cars to regain the lead off turn two on lap 24.

The Lemoore, California racer had a fast hotrod and was not about to give up the lead again. Donny Schatz was now dealing with the fast Big Game Motorsports #2 of David Gravel who darted by Schatz on the backstretch to move into second place with a handful of laps to go. Carson had built his lead and just needed to run cleanly and hope for no mechanical snafus in order to collect the win.

Macedo kept the Tarlton and Son #41 pointed in the right direction with Gravel closing the gap slightly as Carson raced under the waving white flag indicating one lap to go. He ran a masterful race and exited turn four with the checkered flag waving overhead. Carson took the victory to complete the perfect night ahead of David Gravel and Donny Schatz with Sheldon Haudenschild and Giovanni Scelzi rounding out the top five.

After clearing the scales, the always good-natured speedster climbed out of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 sharing his excitement and appreciation with Philip Dietz, Clyde Knipp, and Nathan Repetz before climbing up on top of the wing to celebrate the win. During his victory lane interview he stated, “My guys did an incredible job all night. Hell of a job to sweep the night – quick time, won the heat, won the dash. And to get the win in the feature was pretty special.” He paused and continued, “We’ve been on a dry spell in the win column, but it feels good to get one tonight. I know we’ve been really close. We’ve been in contention and just haven’t been able to close it out, but happy with the job that we could do tonight.”

A great run and result for Carson Macedo and the forty-one team at Atomic Raceway! They will take Sunday to refresh and enjoy the win, but get back at it on Monday at Lawrenceburg Speedway in the annual Memorial Day Spectacular.  

Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 Were Just “Perfect” at Atomic Raceway on Saturday Night! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

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.