SHOWING SPEED AT HAUBSTADT: CARSON MACEDO LEADS THE FIRST HALF OF THE FEATURE AT TRI-STATE SPEEDWAY BEFORE COMING HOME WITH ANOTHER FOURTH PLACE FINISH ABOARD THE ALBAUGH #41 MAXIM

HAUBSTADT, INDIANA (April 29, 2023) – When the engines came to a rest after the 30-lap feature at Tri-City Speedway over in Illinois on Friday night, the JJR #41 team following their fourth place finish loaded up their car and equipment and continued to truck, Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) style, over to Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Indiana. Tri-State Speedway, simply referred to in the sprint car racing world as The Class Track or just Haubstadt, is conveniently located off of US Highway 41 about 16 miles North of Evansville. Carson has had a lot of success at this track as he has won the last three contested features here dating back to 2020 (2020 while driving for Kyle Larson Racing as well as 2021 and 2022 while behind the wheel for Jason Johnson Racing). The team knows how difficult winning is at any track, but were certainly eager and excited to be back at Tri-State Speedway for some more racing excitement so they could show some speed. The pit area at Haubstadt was filled with 37 race teams as the sun was shining overhead in the overcast skies waiting for the stars of the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Series to shine and light up the night.

A brief rain shower moved through the area before the show could commence delaying the start by an hour and a half. The track crew did a tremendous job reclaiming the surface and preparing it for a night of high speed action! After hot laps were completed, the teams busily worked to fine tune their machines for the drivers in Low-E Insulation Qualifying. Each competitor would get two laps to turn their fastest lap which would represent them throughout the night. Carson Macedo would be the 14th speedster to get the second hand ticking on the stopwatch when he took to the track in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Jansen Transportation/Greber Racing Components (GRC) #41 Maxim. His elbows were up as the horses in his Kistler Racing Engines/Engler Machine and Tool power were at full gallop at the racy quarter mile, high banked bullring. He tripped the clock at 12.447 seconds after lap one and kept his momentum moving forward the next time around. His second lap came in a better at 12.389 seconds with the quicker of his two times positioning him third quick overall. It was Giovanni Scelzi sitting on top of the speed charts after time trials to start the night at Tri-State Speedway with a quick lap of 12.358 seconds.

The air horn sounded alerting the teams that the four 10-lap heat races were about to get started. The teams finished up their setup work as the drivers in the first heat headed to the staging area. Carson Macedo would line up from the pole positon in the third heat race in the Team Jack Foundation/Buckwalter Trucking/Larry Davis Farms #41 with Brock Zearfoss in the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3z to his outside. Row two was made up of two young guns – Daison Pursley, who was making his World of Outlaws debut, and Robbie Price with Logan Schuchart and Justin Peck right behind in row three. Adyn Schmidt, Sam Hafertepe Jr. and Caden Englehart completed the starting lineup as the field rolled down the backstretch side-by-side for the start. The driver of the forty-one jumped into the lead at the drop of the green flag with Robbie Price and Daison Pursley both moving by Zearfoss for position on the track. Price would move by Pursley into the runner-up spot as Macedo checked out up front aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. Carson was relentless as he hot his marks and showed off the speed of his JJR #41 entry. He completed the 10 laps quickly to take the heat race win by a large margin over Robbie Price with Zearfoss battling back for third, Justin Peck driving forward to earn fourth, and Daison Pursley holding off Logan Schuchart to gain the fifth and final transfer position from heat three.

In order to keep the show moving along for the fans who packed the stands t=on this night after a long rain delay earlier in the evening, the draw for starting positions for the 8-lap Toyota Dash took place in the pit area. Carson Macedo had the good fortune on this night of drawing the lowest pill which put him on the pole for the start of the dash beside Giovanni Scelzi. Parker Price-Miller rolled in beside Brad Sweet in row two with Tyler Courtney and Robbie Price in row three and Sheldon Haudenschild and Brady Bacon in row four. When the yellow lights dimmed and the green lights illuminated around the track, Carson Macedo dropped his right foot and was immediately in a tussle with Giovanni Scelzi for the lead through the first set of turns. The two talented racers raced cleanly wheel-to-wheel with Macedo driving the Tarlton and Son/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/High Performance Lubricants #41 Maxim into the top spot to complete the first lap. The duo from California were both fast but Macedo was beginning to widen the gap between himself and Scelzi’s #18 with each completed lap. When Carson raced under the checkered flags to take the win he was 2.603 seconds ahead of Scelzi who came home second. The top two finishers were followed across the stripe by Tyler Courtney, Brad Sweet, Parker Price-Miller, Brady Bacon, Robbie Price and Sheldon Haudenschild.

With all the qualifying behind them, the 24 of the 37 entries earned a spot in the 40-lap NOS Energy Drink feature at Tri-State Speedway. After saluting these great fans with the four-wide salute the drivers raced back into their two-by-two starting formation as they headed to the flagstand to take the green flag. The start of the money run had begun at Haubstadt with Carson Macedo leading the field ahead of Giovanni Scelzi and a hard-charging Tyler Courtney. Macedo led lap one with Courtney sneaking by Scelzi momentarily into the runner-up spot before the two drivers made incidental contact sending Courtney a few spots backwards in the running order.

By lap 5, Carson had wheeled the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/C&R Racing/Xtreme Body and Paint #41 Maxim to an almost 3 second lead over the next closest competitor. HE was approaching lap traffic when the yellow came out for Tyler Courtney who had a collapsed front wing and broken brake line. He headed pit side to the work area as his crew was busy making the repairs. Unfortunately they ran out of time and he was not able to rejoin the field.

It was Carson Macedo bringing the field back to green flag racing ahead of Scelzi, Sweet, Haudenschild and Bacon. But before a lap could be completed Spencer Bayston got sideways in turn two leaving Justin Grant, James McFadden and Robbie Price nowhere to go. The yellow came out which tuned a sour situation for Tyler Courtney into a sweet opportunity as he was able to rejoin the field without losing a lap as he crew completed the repairs.

Because there was an accident due to contact it would be a single file restart with Macedo leading Scelzi back up to speed. Sheldon Haudenschild raced by Brad Sweet into the show position as Carson went back to work to build his lead over Scelzi. He has the lead up to 1.5 seconds when Haudenschild moved by Scelzi into the runner-up position. The chauffeur of the NOS Energy Drink #17 was on the move and began chasing down the forty-one as the leader was navigating lap traffic.

A caution flag came out on lap 14 for Michael “Buddy” Kofoid which tightened the field up for the restart. When they went back to racing, Carson was able to hold off the charges of Sheldon Haudenschild as Brad Sweet moved by Scelzi into the third position. By the halfway point of the race Haudenschild had cut into Macedo’s lead as the two were trying to figure out how to get through the slower lap traffic.

Carson was working the top with Sheldon trying to make the low line the faster line. It worked as on lap 22 the Wooster, Ohio speedster moved into the lead with Macedo now chasing from the runner-up position aboard the Albaugh #41. Brad Sweet was not too far behind in third as he was battling with Brady Bacon for position when the yellow flag came out for Emerson Axsom who headed to the work area.

The top five was Haudenschild, Macedo, Sweet, Bacon and Scelzi, but Tyler Courtney was running sixth as he roared from the back of the pack and was looking to make his way into the top five on the restart. Carson pulled the JJR #41 on the outside of the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing #17 for the restart. The two front runners race cleanly wheel-to-wheel for position with Haudenschild taking Macedo’s line away to maintain the lead. The race for every position in the top ten was on and exciting to watch. Haubstadt was delivering a high entertainment value.

On lap 28, the red flag came out for Logan Schuchart who flipped in turn four silencing the engines. It would be an ‘Open Red’ for the teams with 12 laps around the bullring remaining to determine the winner. Sheldon Haudenschild would lead the field back to the green with Macedo, Bacon, Sweet and Courtney close behind. When the engines re-fired and they went back to high speed racing it was gain Haudenschild and Macedo racing for the lead. The two speed demons were side-by-side and having a blast racing together. Haudenschild held the lead over Macedo, but Macedo was now dealing with Brady Bacon who was pressuring him for the second spot in his #21H.

Brady Bacon would move by Macedo’s Albaugh #41 with 6 laps to go and immediately started to continue his trek forward as he chased down Haudenschild to fight for the lead. Carson was now battling with Brad Sweet and Tyler Courtney for position with both getting by the Lemoore, California driver relegating him to fifth in the running order. He would pass Courtney back to regain fourth as Bacon raced underneath Haudenschild for the lead with a few laps to go. Brady Bacon would go on to score his first career World of Outlaws win, the 150th driver to ever win a WoO race, over Sheldon Haudenschild and Brad Sweet who completed the podium. Carson brought the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 home fourth with Tyler Courtney rounding out the top five.

Winning is never easy, and certainly winning four in a row at the same track is monumental, but Carson and the JJR team did a terrific job all night and earned their 13th top five finish in the first 18 races of the season. They also have been in the top ten in every race so far. Consistent is key and a reflection of preparation and patience. Another good run for Macedo and the forty-one team at Haubstadt!

Another Fourth Place Run at Haubstadt on Saturday Night for Macedo and the JJR Gang! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

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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.