SEARCHING AT LINCOLN: A CHALLENGING NIGHT IN THE PIGEON HILLS AS THE TEAM WAS LOOKING TO FIND THEIR WAY AROUND LINCOLN SPEEDWAY BRINGING HOME AN 18TH PLACE FINISH IN THE GETTYSBURG CLASH

ABBOTTSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA (May 10, 2023) – Philip Dietz, Clyde Knipp and Pennsylvania native Nate Repetz, along with their California speed partner Carson Macedo, were back in the Keystone State on Wednesday night for the Gettysburg Clash at Lincoln Speedway. While it is still early in the 2023 season, the team returned to the Pigeon Hills’ speedway for the second time this year after an early season visit back in the middle of March that saw Carson set quick time and then drive forward from his ninth starting spot in the feature to finish one spot shy of the podium in fourth place. The JJR team rolled the beautiful Albaugh #41 out of the hauler and were busy working to fine tune their competitive beast to take on the 3/8-mile, high banked clay oval that is celebrating 60 years of professional auto racing. There were 41 drivers and teams situated throughout the pit area along the backstretch ready to do battle for the winner’s share of the purse.

With greater than 38 cars registered, the competitors were split into two equal time trial groups for Low-E Insulation Qualifying. That placed Carson Macedo and the Liquid Trucking/KSE Racing Products/Smith Titanium #41 Maxim in Group B. He would be the 13th driver (34th overall) to dig his Hoosier Racing Tires into the surface as he rolled up onto the track from the outside pit area in turn three. Without hesitation, the 2019 WoO Rookie of the Year lowered his right K1 Race Gear boot on the accelerator which sent the request to his Kistler Racing Engines to take him for a fast ride. Carson was at full stride when he took the green and muscled his way around the fast and racy oval on his first circuit. Only time will tell how well he did and when the numbers lit up on the scoreboard the read 14.010 seconds. Unbeknownst to him time wise, Carson just stayed in the gas and did what he does best – go fast as he had one more lap against the clock. He was hustling inside his office, the cockpit of his Maxim Racing chassis, hoping that his hard work would pay dividends when he crossed the timing stripe for the last time. This time when his elapsed time was posted it was 14.091 seconds. The faster of his two attempts was 8th quick overall out of Group B. The quickest driver of the night though came out of Group A and was Anthony Macri, a member of the PA Posse, as he turned his best lap in 13.496 seconds.

The lineups for each of the four 8-lap heat races were compiled based on each driver’s best time trial lap within their qualifying group. The drivers in Group A would be in heat races one and two with the drivers from Group B competing in heat races three and four. Combining those two variables meant that Carson Macedo would line the Durst Inc./Team Jack Foundation/Motor State Distributing #41 on the outside of row two in the fourth heat race sharing the row with fellow Californian Giovanni Scelzi. Dylan Norris and Donny Schatz led the field from row one with Brock Zearfoss and Noah Gass in row three. Cory Eliason, Troy Wagaman Jr., Bill Rose and Brett Strickler filled in rows four and five. The field slowly rolled by the red and white painted outside walls and when they exited turn four it was game on. The engines roared as these athletes demanded the best from themselves and their race equipment. Carson steered the Albaugh #41 into the third spot and was wheeling his racecar around Lincoln on the opening lap before the yellow was displayed for Noah Gass who spun in turn one. The field got realigned for a complete new restart and this time when they went green it stuck with Norris in the lead as Schatz and Macedo were giving chase. Carson was also dealing with Scelzi who was pressuring him for the third spot. Scelzi would get it as he raced by the forty-one in turns one and two. Carson stayed right with Scelzi as he battled back hoping for an opportunity to get the third position back. He was not successful, but Schatz was on the last lap as he made the pass for the lead giving him the win over Norris. Scelzi came home third with Macedo in fourth and Brock Zearfoss rounding out the top five.

Not qualifying for the Toyota Dash, the JJR #41 crew worked on their speed machine hoping to dial it in for their driver for the feature. When the MicroLite Last Chance Showdown (LCS) was completed and all the qualifying was now in the rearview mirror, the field was set for the 35-lap NOS Energy Drink Gettysburg Clash feature at the Fabulous Lincoln Speedway.

Any time the stars of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series comes to town they know they will have to battle and fight for everything they get against some of the best local competition in the country – the Pennsylvania Posse. This night would be no different as the front five rows were a mix of Posse and Outlaws, which was heavily weighted towards the Keystone State warriors as they had 7 drivers in the top ten starting positions. It was time to go racing at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Speedway – let the battle begin!

Carson climbed into the Tarlton and Son/Liquid Trucking/AutoMeter #41 Maxim and rolled into his 16th starting spot beside Robbie Price. He had a lot of work to do and 35 short laps around Lincoln to accomplish it in. The green flag was out as polesitter Brent Marks drove into the lead with Chad Trout and Anthony Macri right behind.

Carson was fighting hard racing from the 16th position with two laps in the books when the first yellow flag of the night came out for Landon Myers who looped it in turn 3. Brent Marks was leading Chad Trout, Anthony Macri, David Gravel and Brad Sweet when they went back to green flag racing with 33 laps to go.

Carson was able to gain a position in the running order now running in 15th place, but he was mired in a pack of 6 cars battling for position. The second yellow flag was thrown when Sheldon Haudenschild got into Cory Eliason on the back straightaway off turn two after a gaggle of cars got stacked up in front of the two drivers involved leaving them nowhere to go.

Back to green Marks held the top spot as Macri moved into second and Gravel to third. They were able to green flag race and put some laps in the books. Unfortunately Carson was working his behind off inside the Albaugh #41 but unable to make any forward progress. The final yellow flag of the night flew with 6 laps to go with Marks still leading Macri, Gravel, Dietrich and Sweet. Carson was scored in the 16th position.

When they went back to green in the final chase for the checkers, Marks moved to the top with Macri in hot pursuit. Carson got shuffled back a few more positions as he searched high and low for a line that would help him move forward. At the front of the pack Anthony Macri was hounding the #19M of Brent Marks when the white flag flew over the leaders. They were side-by-side at the flagstand with Macri stealing first entering turn one. He would not relinquish that spot and raced to the Gettysburg Clash victory over Marks, Gravel, Dietrich and Sweet.

Carson came home with a disappointing 18th place finish on the night. The team will learn from this night and work hard as they put it behind them and focus on the next opportunity for success on Friday night at Williams Grove Speedway. Success is not made up of any single moment of time (or one night), but rather the journey and the obstacles overcome along the way! The forty-one team will be back.

After a Hard Fought Night the Forty-One Comes Home with An 18th Place Finish! Photo Credit: CS Productions – Cameron Saich

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.