RACING FOR ALL THE MARBLES: THE SPECTACLE OF THE BILLIONAUTO.COM HUSET’S HIGH BANK NATIONALS LIVES UP TO ITS’ EVENT NAME, BUT CARSON’S RUN COMES TO A GRINDING END AFTER CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WALL

BRANDON, SOUTH DAKOTA (June 21, 2025) – The sun came up early in South Dakota shining the light on one of the biggest races in sprint car racing – the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by MENARDS. It also pushed the temperatures over one hundred degrees, but that did not deter the fans enthusiasm and passion to see the highest paying races of the season. These types of crown jewel events in the sport allow drivers and teams to race for great purses and fuels the excitement and engagement of the fans that help make sprint car racing one of the greatest forms of entertainment in motorsports. Tod Quiring, Doug Johnson, and their staff at Huset’s Speedway have been advocates for promoting the best racing possible and this huge event is no different.

During the preliminary night of action on Friday night, Carson produced a 14th place finish in the feature and ended the night of point racing with 390 accumulated event points for his efforts. His point total ranked 16th overall in points with preliminary action in the books which advanced forward to Saturday’s $250,000-to-win BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals. There were 51 competitors back in the pit area with their teams looking to forge history and success at Huset’s Speedway on Saturday night.

The night of competition began with six qualifying races. The drivers in each of the Heat races would line straight up based on each driver’s combined accumulated point totals earned during the preliminary night of action. The victorious race winners from each of those six qualifying races were lock into the King of the Hill presented by Unique Movers. That duel featured two cars at a time on the track for timed laps with the fastest driver moving on to take on the next competitor in the same format. The second and third place finishers in each of the Heat races were also locked into the A-Main with drivers finishing fourth through sixth moving into the Last Chance Showdown (LCS).

When the official starting lineups were published, the driver of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 would start from the third starting position in the Greatest Store on Dirt Heat Race #4. Carson would start from the inside row three sharing the row with Conner Morrell #28M. The front row featured two drivers that had won the last six World of Outlaws (WoO) championships – David Gravel #2 and Brad Sweet #49. Rolling behind Macedo and Morell in row three was Ankeny, Iowa’s Chris Martin and Mooresville, Indiana’s Zach Hampton #6. Chris Windom #7s and Mark Dobmeier #13 were in the final row ready to get this thing started.

They were competing for a coveted position in the feature field with the goal of finishing as high as possible so they could chase all the money later. This is what sprint car racing is all about with high stakes and the best willing to take a shot at success. David Gravel and Brad Sweet led the field from the front row as the flagman showed them the white flag on their final pace lap. The lights around the track turned off in anticipation of the green flag the next time around.

David Gravel stomped on the gas when the green flag waved driving the Big Game Motorsports #2 into the lead. Brad Sweet was in second place, but Carson was pressuring him throughout the opening lap for that position. The two talented California-born racers were fast. Carson was running as low as possible trying to sneak underneath Sweet who was up a half lane on the track. That battle would continue throughout the first half of the race before Sweet closed the door.

David Gravel claimed the win with Brad Sweet and Carson Macedo securing the final two transfer spots to guarantee them a starting position in the bug show to end the night.

The impressive field of twenty-four of the absolute best sprint cars drivers in the country was set for the $250,000-to-win BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals presented by MENARDS feature finale. The work to get here was completed, but the most challenging portion of the show still lied ahead for these competitors. The eight-minute horn sounded alerting the teams the time was approaching to stage.

The crews finished their jobs as the drivers of the push vehicles assisted the cars to fire the engines of these speed chariots. The cars rumbling and rolling as Friday’s preliminary night winner Bill Balog in his Anderson’s Pure Maple Syrup #17B and Thursday night’s $100k winner Buddy Kofoid aboard his Roth Motorsports #83 hotrod paced together at the front of the pack. They were followed on the starting grid by Sheldon Haudenschild #17, Garet Williamson #23, David Gravel #2, and Giovanni Scelzi in the next two rows.

Carson sat focused inside the office of his Albaugh – Your Alternative/Border International/Sander Engineering #41 Maxim Racing machine. The crew’s preparation work was done. The race strategy for the driver was clear – race hard and move forward. It was now time to bring the two together and execute as Brady Bacon #21H pulled to the inside of Carson Macedo in row nine. They would be part of the race for all the marbles started from the 17th and 18th positions respectively in a loaded field.

After the four-wide salute to the fans in the stands and those tuned in on DIRTVision, the yellow lights dimmed before the green ones illuminated around Huset’s Speedway to start the Huset’s High Bank Nationals! The crowd favorite and underdog to many, but not all Bill Balog wasted zero time driving into the top spot when the green flag waved arriving to turn one first ahead of Buddy Kofoid. It was all-out controlled chaos from the first driver to the last driver using the early grouping of competitors to make moves for track position.

Bill Balog was the early race leader with Kofoid and Haudenschild keeping him in their sight lines. Still running in his original starting position after the initial lap, Carson was in a battle with Brady Bacon #21H, Landon Crawley #45X, Riley Goodno #16, Tanner Thorson #88T, and Ashton Torgerson #1a out on the track. The racing was close out on the track as competitors were narrowly avoiding banging wheels.

The cushion on the track was low limiting the passing lanes. Carson would gain a few spots before hooking the cushion entering turn one on lap 6, biking hard sending him into the outside wall to bring out the yellow flag. Carson did a terrific job avoiding a massive wreck, but did sustain some front end damage. He headed to the work area where the JJR crew, also joined by some other race teams, tried to change the front axle within the allowable two-minute time allotment. They got most of the work completed to replace the front axle but unfortunately ran out of time as they were finishing up ending their night with a 24th place finish.

When the race resumed Buddy Kofoid drove the Roth Enterprises/Toyota/Mobil 1 #83 into the race lead with Bill Balog and Sheldon Haudenschild still in hot pursuit. The red hot Penngrove, California driver would lead the remainder of the race to collect the big payday with Balog and Haudenschild rounding out the podium.

A magnificent event filled with drama, heat, and everything to separate it as one of the crown jewels of the sport. While the four consecutive nights for the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) team, they will regroup and refocus as they turn their attention forward to next weekend for the two-day Independence Spectacular starting Friday night at Cedar Lake Speedway!

A Chase for All of the Marbles Comes to a Grinding Halt for Carson Macedo in the BillionAuto.com Huset’s High Bank Nationals Presented by MENARDS! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

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