RACING AROUND THE BERM IN ATTICA: THE WEEKEND OF ACTION IN THE BUCKEYE STATE GETS STARTED WITH A HARD FOUGHT FOURTH PLACE PERFORMANCE IN THE KISTLER ENGINES CLASSIC AT ATTICA RACEWAY PARK

ATTICA, OHIO (May 21, 2021) – After a successful four race visit to the East Coast, the JJR #41 team headed back towards the Midwest for a weekend of action in The Buckeye State with action starting on Friday night with a stop at Attica Raceway Park for the Kistler Engines Classic. The fast and racy high-banked 1/3-mile race track, known for having both the drivers and the fans on the edge of their seats, welcomed fans to the grandstands to see the local stars take on the Outlaw invaders with The Greatest Show on Dirt on Friday evening! With temperatures soaring during the day to near 90 degrees, the haulers started to slowly drive down the pit road entrance off the backstretch to find a pit stall just off turns three and four in the pit area. There were 31 teams poised for action as the crews continued their preparations for some entertaining high speed competition at the always exciting Attica Raceway Park! 

With a pit area loaded with talent it was really important for each driver to try their best to lay down two good laps in Slick Woody’s Qualifying. The faster of the two laps would determine each driver’s position on the speed charts when qualifying was completed. Carson Macedo was excited to climb into the cockpit of the Greber Racing Components/Team Jack Foundation/FK Rod Ends #41 Maxim to make his timed laps. He would be the fifth driver to hit the track. He buckled the chinstrap on his Shifty Illusions custom painted Bell Helmet and flipped down his shield. With the help of a push truck his Kistler Engines power fired and he built his speed up as he motored under the waving green flag. Albeit he could not hear the tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock of the clock as the seconds started to pass, it was happening and closely measuring his performance. This place is fast, but it is also very technical. One little mistake can turn a good lap time into a really bad one . . . quickly. With the skill and precision of a fighter pilot, Macedo wheeled his 900 horsepower machine around Attica and completed his first lap in 12.847 seconds. He kept pedaling the next time around and ended his session with a better lap at 12.677 seconds. Carson’s best lap ended up 5th quick overall. David Gravel set quick time for the night at 12.601 seconds, which was well off the track record of 11.306 seconds set by Butch Schroeder way back on September 6, 1998.

Nate Repetz, Tire Specialist, Preparing for a Night of Action at the Kistler Engines Classic at Attica Raceway Park. Photo Credit: DB3

The 10-lap Drydene Heat Race lineups were posted by the World of Outlaws timing and scoring officials based on each drivers best time trial lap then split out sequentially between each of the three heat races. That put the Lemoore, California native in the second heat race where he would get the Liquid Trucking/Wilwood Racing/Larry Davis Farms #41 revved up from the outside of the front row beside polesitter Brandon Spithaler. The front row starters were followed in the starting order by Trey Jacobs, Nate Dussel, Anthony Macri, Chris Andrews, Caleb Griffith, Jacob Allen, John Ivy, and Wayne Johnson. Carson would have to battle for his spot on the track the entire time when the yellow lights dimmed and the green lights brightened. On the initial start, Macedo wheeled the forty-one around the top berm and cleared Spithaler on the exit of turn two with the lead. Unfortunately that start would be negated as Jacob Allen and Caleb Griffith made contact at the end of the frontstretch sending Griffith flipping into turn one. With a complete restart, Carson was trying to figure out how to execute another green flag move for the lead. Anticipating Spithaler would command the high line, Carson did not get a good restart as he chose to go low as Spithaler commanded the middle rather than going to the top side of the track. Carson washed up the track in turn two allowing Dussel and Jacobs to dive under him as he lost two positions. On the next lap, Anthony Macri carried his speed forward to make a pass on the Californian moving Carson back to fifth in the early stages of the race. Macedo gathered himself and started to move the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International #41 Maxim to the bottom of the racing surface as he clawed his way back. He began by taking the fourth position back from Macri. With Spithaler leading, Trey Jacobs chased down and passed Nate Dussel for the runner-up position. A lap later, Macedo took over the third spot from Dussel. Macedo was then tracking down Jacobs and caught him on the final lap. He made one last ditch effort to gain the second spot on the exit of turn four hoping to earn a transfer position to the DirtVision Fast Pass Dash. The two drivers made contact just before they reached the checkers with Macedo spinning across the finish line to finish third behind race winner Spithaler and Jacobs. Nate Dussel, Chris Andrews, and Anthony Macri locked down the final transfer positions. Fifth finishing Andrews though would be disqualified as he lost a muffler in heat race competition, which gifted the final transfer position to John Ivy who had last raced against the World of Outlaws 16 years ago.

With the 8-minute horn sounding, the 24 cars rolled onto Attica Raceway Park to stage for the 40-lap Kistler Engines Classic feature event. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brandon Spithaler sat in row one with Brad Sweet and David Gravel close behind in the second row. Aaron Reutzel and Trey Jacobs were in row three, as Donny Schatz and Carson Macedo would get going from row four. With fireworks bursting over the four-wide salute to the fans, it was time to go racing in Ohio. The pace truck pulled into the infield and the green flag was waving. Brandon Spithaler powered into the lead over Haudenschild as Macedo quickly hustled the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Schoenfeld Headers/Sam I Am #41 Maxim into fifth from his eighth starting spot. The first yellow flag waved when your leader, Brandon Spithaler, spun off turn four while racing with Haudenschild. Sheldon would inherit the lead with David Gravel, Brad Sweet, Carson Macedo, and Aaron Reutzel running in the top five. When they restarted, Haudenschild led Gravel around the next lap before the second race stoppage occurred, this time a red flag for Anthony Macri who got together while battling with Trey Jacobs and flipped in turn one. When the field got going again, Haudenschild maintained the lead over Gravel. Schatz slipped underneath Macedo relegating the forty-one back to fifth. Another caution waved on lap 3, this time for sixth place running Aaron Reutzel who spun in turn two. On the next restart Macedo passed Schatz back to take the fourth spot, then Schatz returned the favor the next lap to regain the position. On lap 8, the fourth caution of the night occurred as Reutzel again spun in turn two after racing contact that damaged his nose wing. Macedo was running fifth behind Haudenschild, Gravel, Schatz and Sweet. When they restarted he was using his KSE Racing Products to steer his way around Attica Raceway Park. James McFadden though drove by to move Macedo back to sixth on lap 14. Over the next 14 laps he was finding his rhythm and battling with 19th starting Brent Marks for the sixth spot. Carson would eventually pass both of the Kasey Kahne Racing (KKR) drivers, Brad Sweet and James McFadden, to move from sixth to fourth with Marks coming fast close behind. During the same span Haudenschild and Gravel were swapping the top spot back and forth. Haudenschild eventually took ownership of the lead, but Gravel wasn’t giving up as he was closing. Things were far from over. And then lightning struck. As Sheldon Haudenschild came through the last set of turns to take the white flag, the lap car of DJ Foos lost his left rear tire leaving Haudenschild nowhere to go as the two made contact leaving the NOS Energy Drink #17 stopped on the track. Heartbreak for Haudenschild as David Gravel was now your leader with Donny Schatz, Brent Marks, and Carson Macedo right behind for the green-white-checkered restart. Gravel took advantage of his good fortunes and led the remaining laps to collect his fourth win of the season over Schatz and Brent Marks who completed the podium. Carson came home fourth with Brad Sweet rounding out the top five. Another good night for Macedo and the forty-one team!

Another Top Five Finish for Carson Macedo in the Tarlton and Son #41 Maxim at Attica Raceway Park! Photo Credit: Derick Kriner Photography

Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Saich Family; Border International; Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution; Jonestown KOA; Durst Inc.; Maxim Racing; The Boyd Family; Liquid Trucking; Meyers Constructors Inc.; Tiger Towing; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Waco Metal; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Kistler Engines; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; All Pro Auto Reconditioning; K1 Race Gear; AutoMeter; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Bell Racing USA; Blackbeard LTD; Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS); Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; C&R Racing; Chalk Stix Torsion Bars; Crow Enterprizes; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; KSE Racing Products; Larry Davis Farms; Logo Daddy Graphics; Mr. Jim’s Racing; MSD Performance; RaceDiecast.com; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Weld Wheels; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.

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.