TOUGH NIGHT: THE BUSY STRETCH OF RACING CONTINUED IN OHIO AT THE BIG E FOR CARSON MACEDO AND THE JASON JOHNSON RACING (JJR) #41 TEAM ENDING WITH A 15TH PLACE RUN IN THE KNIGHT BEFORE THE KINGS ROYAL

ROSSBURG, OHIO (July 19, 2024) – The team’s busy week of racing continued on Friday night as they were back at Eldora Speedway with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series for the Knight Before the Kings Royal. Coming off their top ten finish in the Joker’s Jackpot event on Thursday evening, a race that was sanctioned by the Kubota High Limit Racing Series, Carson Macedo along with Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman were focused and ready to get back on the track against the competition. The atmosphere around Eldora for this event is always electric as race fans from all over make their way to this predominantly agricultural area in northwest Ohio to watch great racing at dirt track racing’s true diamond in the rough . . . or at least in the middle of lots of cornfields. There was a lot of activity going on throughout the pit area as the crews from each of the 62 entered teams continued to work tirelessly trying to find the right setup to maximize their speed at this place so they could optimize any and all opportunities here at “The Big E” in The Buckeye State against the World of Outlaws.

The large field of competitors was again equally divided for each of the assigned time trial groups, Flight 1 and Flight 2, as the teams prepared for Sea Foam Qualifying. By the luck of the draw, the lowest numbers in each group would send the corresponding driver out early with the higher numbered speed stars having to wait a bit longer to take their two laps around Eldora Speedway against the clock. Carson would be the 24th driver (55th overall) out on the track in two car qualifying in Flight 2. The track had changed quite a bit since the beginning of qualifying, but he was going to give it his best shot. He would push off and climb the banking in turn one before putting his Kistler Engines power to work. With his Ohio groomed Kistler Engines power being generated under the hood, Carson raced off turn four to start the clock at the flagstand. He was already flying in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/C&R Racing/Pro Powder Coating (PPC) #41 Maxim as he exited turn two and hauled the mail down the back straightaway and into the last set of turns. Carson smoothly accelerated across the timing line to stop the clock on lap one at 13.385 seconds. He kept his right foot planted on the speed button and continued to produce speed around the famous high-banked, half-mile oval. Racing is all about being consistently fast and the stopwatch measures everyone in equal increments down to the thousandths of a second. Carson tried a different line and blasted off turn four for the last time crossing the finish line and stopping the clock in 13.702 seconds. The quicker of his two timed attempts ended up eighth quick overall in Flight 2. Rico Abreu in the Rothwell Hyde Vineyards #24 would be the fastest driver in that group with a lap of 13.164 seconds. But it was Buddy Kofoid in the Mobil 1/Roth Motorsports #83 out of Flight 1 that stood at the top of the leaderboard time wise at 13.020 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award. 

Using the normal and customary World of Outlaws race format for this event, the fastest drivers would start up front with a full field of talent matriculating behind them in each of the four 8-lap heat races. When the starting lineups were finalized and posted, the #41 of Carson Macedo would line up in the fourth starting spot in the last heat race.

Each of the race lineups were filled with names of great race car drivers, which was certainly not a surprised to anyone. But all of the drivers in the fourth heat race were just ridiculously good. Starting on the front row of Carson’s heat race was the World of Outlaws series point leader and winner of the Jokers Jackpot David Gravel with up and coming start Emerson Axsom to his outside. Row two was made up of Justin Peck and Carson Macedo. Behind them in row three was Giovanni Scelzi and Tanner Thorson. Brady Bacon and Sye Lynch were rolling in row four with Donny Schatz and Jacob Allen in row five.

It was time to get back to business as the caution lights around the track were turned off. The field was rumbling into to turn three as they approached the chalk stripe at the exit of turn four. When the first two drivers out front reached the white powdered line they stood on the gas pedal and the race was on! David Gravel drove the Huset’s Speedway/Big Game Motorsports #2 into the lead and led the opening round with Justin Peck racing by Emerson Axsom for the runner-up position. Carson Macedo tucked the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Xtreme Body & Paint/Wilwood Racing #41 Maxim into the fourth position as everyone move up to the dominant top lane.

David Gravel was in firm control of the lead with Peck, Axsom, and Macedo settled in carrying their speed single file around the top of the fast half-mile oval. Gravel led from start to finish to take the win ahead of Justin Peck, Emerson Axsom, and Carson Macedo with Giovanni Scelzi securing the fifth and final transfer spot.

Not qualifying for the Toyota Dash, Carson and the team would watch the track evolve as they prepared for the feature. When all of the qualifying for the night was in the rearview mirror, each of the teams that qualified for the feature turned their attention towards dialing in the right combination for the 30-lap, $25,000-to-win Knight Before the Kings Royal race to the checkered flag. The horns sounded as the 28 car field rolled into the staging lane at Eldora. Four provisional starters were added – Donny Schatz, Brock Zearfoss, Kraig Kinser, and Kelby Watt – to bloat the field of racers. The crews secured the final dzus buttons and it was time to soldier forward at Eldora Speedway!

Carson would begin his march from his 16th starting position for the high speed affair. He guided the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Buckwalter Trucking/Factory Kahne Shocks #41 Maxim to the inside of row eight as he lined up beside Zeb Wise in the Rudeen Racing #26. The fans in the stands were on their feet as they were about to see some of the greatest drivers in sprint car racing go to work.

Tyler Courtney and Rico Abreu paced the field in front of David Gravel and Parker Price-Miller as the incredible fireworks display lit up the sky with bursts of fire and flames coupled with some loud booms. The excitement was building for the fans and drivers as the time was here to go World of Outlaws racing at Eldora Speedway. The green flag was out and the race to the finish had quickly commenced with outside front row starter Rico Abreu driving his Whiskey Myers #24 into the top spot just ahead of Tyler Courtney.

Carson was battling hard amongst the dirty air running the middle of the pack as he ran in the 18th position in the opening stages of the race in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41. He was racing for a better position with Zeb Wise and Anthony Macri. The track was slick and technical, but these professionals were finding a way to make speed to put on an exciting show.

On lap 9, the red flag came out for ninth running Cale Thomas who got hard into the turn four wall and flipped right in front of a gaggle of cars that included Carson. Zeb Wise and Anthony Macri were collected as Carson weaved his way through the carnage unscathed.

The restart running order would be Rico Abreu, David Gravel, Tyler Courtney, Logan Schuchart, and James McFadden. Carson would get restarted from the 14th starting spot. They went back to green flag racing but it was short-lived as the red flag immediately came back out. It was for Sheldon Haudenschild as he flipped hard in turn one after making contact with the frontstretch wall. The driver of the NOS Energy Drink #17 was ok, but his night of racing was over.

It would be the same restart order with 21 laps to go. When the field got back up to speed it was Rico Abreu out front, but David Gravel was fast and all over him for the lead. Gravel would eventually wrestle the lead away, but Rico stayed focused and kept him in sight. With 3 laps to go, the leader was contending with lapped traffic and Rico Abreu took advantage of an opportunity to move back by regaining the lead. Rico Abreu led the remainder of the race to take the win over David Gravel and Logan Schuchart. Donny Schatz, who started 25th in the field after taking a provisional, stormed forward to finish fourth with Tyler Courtney rounding out the top five.

Carson fought had all night aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 before finishing 15th in the Knight Before event. Certainly not the result they were looking for but they will take the lessons learned and apply them in Saturday’s 41 Annual Kings Royal.

Holding Steady in the Knight Before the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich – CS Productions

JJR’s Valued Sponsorship Partners: Albaugh, LLC; Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Border International; Scott Boyd Family; Saich Family; Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Durst Inc.; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Kistler Racing Engines; Maxim Racing; Sander Engineering; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Boltz Family; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); RaceDiecast.com; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Xtreme Body and Paint; All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads; AutoMeter; Bell Helmets; Ben Cook Race Car Products; BlackBeard LTD; BMRS (Brown & Miller Racing Solutions); BR Motorsports; Buckwalter Trucking; CASM Safety Products; C&R Racing; ChalkStix; Crow Enterprizes; CS Productions; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; Indy Performance Composites (IPC); ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; K1 Race Gear; KSE Racing Products; LogoDaddy; Motor State Distributing; Mr. Jim’s Racing; Premium Coach Group; Saldana Racing Products; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; Smith TI; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.

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