SCOOTIN’ AROUND SHARON: A FUN AND RACY NIGHT IN THE BUCKEYE STATE FOR CARSON MACEDO AND COMPANY RESULTS IN ANOTHER PODIUM RUN FOR THE JASON JOHNSON RACING (JJR) #41 TEAM AT SHARON SPEEDWAY

HARTFORD, OHIO (May 18, 2024) – After Carson Macedo led 23 laps and sped to a runner-up finish at Attica Raceway Park on Friday night, Philip Dietz guided the Border International/Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) #41 hauler to Sharon Speedway in Northeast Ohio for the WoO Sprint Car Showdown on Saturday night to open the track’s 95th Anniversary season. Hartford, Ohio is home to one of dirt track racing’s best families – the Blaney family – and the fans in this area of the country know their stuff about the sport, too. From the patriarch who started it all, Lou Blaney, who passed the passion for competition onto his sons, Dave (1995 World of Outlaws Champion) and Dale Blaney (1998 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year), as the family is now represented proudly by Dave’s son Ryan Blaney (2023 NASCAR Champion), this family is fueled by the sport and driven to give back. There were 45 haulers lined up throughout the pit area basking under the sun and registered to race at Sharon Speedway’s 3/8-mile dirt track – World of Outlaws style.

With all of the hot practice lap sessions completed, each of the drivers and teams were making some last minute adjustments in preparation for Sea Foam Qualifying. The field was split into two groups for time trials. Each driver would get two opportunities in qualifying with the better of the two laps based on time representing them throughout the night. The quickest timed lap around Sharon’s speed joint to-date is 12.704 seconds. That record is held by Danny Holtgraver and was established back on August 20, 2013. Carson Macedo, driving the Albaugh – Your Alternative/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Bandy & Associates #41 Maxim, would be the 14th racecar driver to hit the track for his two circuits in the second Flight. He dropped his right foot on the gas pedal and took off towards the waving green flag. Carson was scootin’ around Sharon’s slick and racy surface as he was trying to find the fastest line. That pathway was around the top in qualifying. When the timing and scoring officials looked at the stopwatch after lap one the time read 14.293 seconds. The California driver kept the throttle down in his quest for more speed and traction. The next time around he was clocked at 14.275 seconds. Carson’s second lap was the quicker of the two and ended up being fifth quick overall in Flight 2 in qualifying. Sheldon Haudenschild, driving the NOS Energy Drink #17, was the fastest driver of the night coming out of Flight 2, recording a lap in 14.113 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.

When the lineups were posted for the four 8-lap heat races, Carson was set to get rolling from the inside of row two in the third heat race. He pulled up alongside Cap Henry’s #33W on the starting grid. Sheldon Haudenschild and Logan Schuchart were pacing on the front row. In row three, directly behind Macedo and Henry, found Dave Blaney and Logan McCandless side-by-side. Michael Bauer, Nate Dussel, Bob Felmlee, Adam Kekich, and Jacob Begenwald filled in the remaining spots in the lineup as the drivers were all poised for the start.

The yellow lights around the track were turned off. When the competitors arrived to turn four the air filled with the sweet sound of sprint car sounds as the field went green flag racing. Sheldon Haudenschild drove off the bottom lane with third starting Carson Macedo following as the Ohio-born racer led lap one. Logan Schuchart was running in the third position in his Shark Racing #1s.

Carson was working the bottom to perfection trying to track down Haudenschild who had built a 1.1 second lead. Behind the leaders there were battles all over as the drivers were dicing for positions from the front of the pack to the back of the pack. Carson was wheeling the High Performance Lubricants/Pro Powder Coating (PPC)/CASM Safety Products #41 Maxim around Sharon with authority in second place. He had a good race car.

On lap 5, the caution lights turned on for fifth running Cap Henry who slowed to a stop. Haudenschild was leading Macedo and Schuchart with Dave Blaney and Logan McCandless holding down the final two transfer spots. There would be three laps to go when they went racing again.

The green flag was back out as Haudenschild pounding the loud pedal with the Albaugh – Your Alternative forty-one of Macedo right behind. Sheldon was running the high line. Carson was working the low side. The race was on with the driver of the NOS Energy Drink #17 in total control. Behind the leaders, Nate Dussel was challenging Logan McCandless for the final transfer spot. But things were also heating up in the race for the second position too as Logan Schuchart was closing the gap between himself and Carson Macedo for that coveted dash transfer spot as the white flag came out.

Sheldon Haudenschild raced to the heat race win by 1.432 seconds as Carson Macedo held off Logan Schuchart to claim second. Dave Blaney raced home fourth with Logan McCandless holding off Nate Dussel to claim the final transfer position out of the third heat race.

Earning his 16th opportunity of the season to compete in the 6-lap Toyota Dash, a 76.19% success rate, Carson tested his luck again and drew a ‘6’ pill to determine his starting position. The front row of the dash would be comprised of Sye Lynch and David Gravel with Brock Zearfoss and Giovanni Scelzi in row two. Carson Macedo would share row three with Donny Schatz. Bill Balog and Sheldon Haudenschild were right behind in row four. They all were racing for their starting positions. The green was out with Sye Lynch driving ahead of the current World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series leader David Gravel and Giovanni Scelzi on lap one. Carson was scored in the fifth position on lap one, but moved by Brock Zearfoss’ Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3z the next time around. David Gravel also passed Sye Lynch for the lead on lap two. It was Gravel, Lynch, Scelzi and Macedo with Schatz now behind the forty-one. After six laps the top five in the running order did not change with Sheldon Haudenschild racing home sixth, Bill Balog seventh, and Brock Zearfoss completing the finishing order in eighth.

The horn sounded summoning the 24 qualified cars to the track for the $12,000-to-win, 30-lap NOS Energy Drink WoO Sprint Car Showdown feature. Carson zipped up his black, green and white Albaugh – Your Alternative K1 Race Gear suit and climbed into his office prepared to work. Robby McQuinn and Adam Zimmerman helped roll the car back away from the hauler and out onto the track. It was time to go racing, World of Outlaws style, at Sharon Speedway!

The front row of David Gravel and Sye Lynch would get it started off turn four on the initial start and the race was on. The polesitter hit a rut off turn four allowing Lynch to dart into the lead. Entering turn one Carson slid by Lynch to take over the top spot, at least temporarily, but it was all for naught as the caution came out canceling all the track position changes. Race officials determined that Sye Lynch jumped too early and moved him back two spots. That moved Giovanni Scelzi to Gravel’s outside on the front row and Carson Macedo to the inside of row two.

They tried it again and this time David Gravel seized the lead over Scelzi and Macedo when the green flag came out. Gravel was running the low side in the Big Game Motorsports #2. Giovanni Scelzi was racing around the top in the KCP Racing #18 with Carson Macedo meticulously working around the bottom in the Scott Boyd Family/Engler Machine & Tool/FK Shocks #41 Maxim.

Carson was fast and began tracking down Scelzi. He dove low through turns three and four to take over the runner-up spot on lap two. David Gravel was still out front and setting a pretty good pace. By lap 5, he was closing in on the slower cars. Gravel moved to the high side to make his way around them. Carson was following his lead and doing the same thing. The driver of the forty-one was able to close in on the leader as he raced in the cleared passing lanes.

On lap 10, the running order was Gravel, Macedo, Schatz, Scelzi and Haudenschild. It stayed that way until the yellow flag came out two laps later for Lee Jacobs who came to a stop on the backstretch. With 18 laps to go the green was re-displayed and the race was on again. David Gravel chose the inside lane with Macedo to his outside. David Gravel wasted no time building a big lead ahead of the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 using the clean air to his advantage.

Behind the front two Donny Schatz and Giovanni Scelzi had their hands full with each other as the battled and exchanged the show position. Donny Schatz, the ten time WoO champion, eventually had control of the spot and was running right behind Gravel and Macedo.

The leaders were again in lap traffic on lap 18 as they expertly navigated at speed. By lap 20, Carson was able to again close in on the leader. He was moving into striking distance before another caution flag slowed the action with 8 laps to go when Nate Dussel rolled to a stop on the front straightway at the exit of turn four.

They would restart again in a race to the finish. Third place running Donny Schatz used the restart to work underneath Carson off turn four to take over the runner-up position. The race leader had checked out and eventually raced flag-to-flag to earn his series leading seventh victory of the season with Donny Schatz and Carson Macedo rounding out the podium. Logan Schuchart raced forward to earn a fourth place finish with Giovanni Scelzi rounding out the top five.

After the race following his fourth consecutive podium finish, and eleventh straight top five, Carson shared that the last part of the race it seemed like his engine was laying down a bit. Once back in the pits they determined they lost two cylinders and only finished running on six. But the humble and grateful driver explained, “I felt like it was going to be tough there in open air. Once we would get a restart there and get that clean air back on his (Gravel’s) wings and clean racetrack, he was lightning quick.” Carson continued, “I feel like we were pretty good. Our car was fairly balanced. I think in traffic I was good. I would kind of get to him. It would have been tough to make a move, but I was prepared to throw something at him if it did happen.” Another night and another good run for Carson Macedo and the forty-one!

Shuffling His Way Forward at Sharon Speedway All Night to Gain a Third Place Finish! Photo Credit: World of Outlaws

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