TURNING LEFT IN THE QUEEN CITY: CARSON MACEDO OPENS THE NGK/NTK WORLD FINALS AS HE RACES TO A FOURTH PLACE FINISH AT THE DIRT TRACK AT CHARLOTTE ON THE FIRST NIGHT OF HIGH SPEED ACTION

CONCORD, NORTH CAROLINA (November 5, 2021) – The JJR team pulled into the pit area at The Dirt Track at Charlotte looking to cap off an impressive first season together with their wheelman Carson Macedo. The journey started back in February and took them to 23 different states throughout the course of the season where they garnered 12 wins as a team (11 of them in World of Outlaw competition) coming into the NGK/NTK World Finals in North Carolina. The season ending event is a popular one for the drivers, teams and fans alike as some great racing is produced on the 4/10-mile dirt oval that is located across the street from Charlotte Motor Speedway. There were 46 sprint car teams lining the pit area on Friday night prepared for action. Most of the competitors were showing support for their friend and fellow racer Parker Price-Miller (PPM), who recently announced he was diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma – the most common type of Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, with #PPMSTRONG stickers. Everyone at JJR wishes PPM nothing but success as he conquers this challenge.

After time trials were washed out on a wet and soggy Thursday, the drivers and teams were focused and preparing for Slick Woody’s Qualifying on Friday. There would be two separate flights for qualifying. Carson Macedo went out first in Flight A for his two laps against the clock for the Friday portion of the NGK/NTK World Finals. He brought the Albaugh – Your Alternative/FK Rod Ends/Kistler Engines #41 Maxim onto the racing surface and when he crossed under the green flag he was pedal down. When he completed the first of two laps, lap one clocked in at 12.798 seconds. The Californian stayed focused and used his KSE Racing Products to help his steer his way around the 4/10-mile oval as he was making tracks and not looking back. He raced under the checkered flag with lap two coming in slightly slower at 12.806 seconds. The quicker of his two circuits was 8th quick overall in Flight A with David Gravel picking up his 19th quick time of the season with a lap of 12.579 seconds.

Carson’s time trial effort positioned him on the outside of row two in the second of four 8-lap Drydene Heat Races. It was a family affair with Cole Macedo sitting on the pole with Kerry Madsen to his outside. Carson shared row two with Donny Schatz as Brad Sweet, Parker Price-Miller, Danny Dietrich, Dave Blaney, DJ Foos, Adam Kekich, and Gray Leadbetter pacing behind. They rolled around at a steady and slow pace until the front row hit the chalk strip. The green flag was flying as the field roared down the front straightaway. It was Madsen into the lead with Carson driving hard in the outside lane into the runner-up position. Carson was up on the wheel of the Tarlton and Son/LogoDaddy/Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS) #41 as he was trying to chase down the leader. At the halfway point of the race as the leaders were darting down the backstretch, Gray Leadbetter flipped in turn three to bring out the red flag. When they went back to green the driver of the forty-one was sandwiched between the two Tony Stewart Racing (TSR) teammates, leader Kerry Madsen and third running Donny Schatz. Carson held his own over the last half of the race as he crossed the finish line second behind Madsen with Schatz, Sweet, and Cole Macedo securing the remaining transfer positions.

Making his back into the DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson would start the 6-lap race on the inside of row three beside James McFadden. Kasey Kahne and David Gravel started from the front row with Brian Brown and Logan Schuchart in row two and Kerry Madsen and Spencer Bayston in row four. When the green lights came on Carson drove hard off the bottom into the third position. Logan Schuchart battled back by Macedo for the show position as Gravel and Kahne were dicing in the top two spots. The track was fast and the drivers’ skills were on full display. David Gravel raced to the win over Kahne, Brown and Macedo with Madsen, Brown, McFadden, and Bayston crossing the line behind them.

The starting field was now set for the opening night 30-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink NGK/NTK World Finals feature event. David Gravel and Kasey Kahne would lead the field to the green flag with the Roth Motorsports #83 taking the top spot. With one lap in the books the yellow flag was displayed for Cory Eliason who got into the turn one wall and collected Cole Macedo. Carson was scored in the fifth position as Brian Brown slipped past him on the opening lap. When they went back to green it was Logan Schuchart maneuvering into the lead aboard the Drydene #1s with David Gravel running second. Carson was able to work back by Brown and was running fourth behind Kahne. With another lap completed, action on the track was halted on lap two as Sheldon Haudenschild brought out the red flag as he was sitting up against the wall in turn one. When they went back to racing, Schuchart held the top spot as Carson was able to drive the High Performance Lubricants/Larry Davis Farms/Walker Performance Filtration #41 by Kahne for the show position, but then lost two spots on the same lap to Brian Brown and Brent Marks. They were able to get a few laps in before a lap 6 caution for Lynton Jeffrey who spun in turn two slowed the action again. It was Schuchart, Gravel, Brown, Marks, and Macedo running in the top five as the paced back to the green flag. They were all out with Schuchart setting a torrid pace from the lead. Brian Brown and Brent Marks were giving Gravel all he could handle, but the Watertown, Connecticut native held his own. With 12 laps to go, the final caution of the night flew for Tyler Courtney who slowed on the track and headed to the work area. When they restarted, leader Logan Schuchart stumbled and slowed with a flat left rear tire. He headed to the work area as David Gravel gladly inherited the lead with Marks, Brown, Macedo, and Madsen settled in behind. Gravel brought the field back to green and led the remainder of the lap s to collect his eleventh WoO win of the season over Madsen and Brown. Carson Macedo brought the JJR #41 home fourth with Donny Schatz rounding out the top five. Another good run for the forty-one!

In the Opening Act at the World Finals, Macedo Races to a Fourth Place Finish! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich

Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT); Tarlton and Son Inc.; Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions; Albaugh – Your Alternative, Saich Family; Border International; Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution; Jonestown KOA; Durst Inc.; Maxim Racing; The Boyd Family; Liquid Trucking; Meyers Constructors Inc.; Tiger Towing; Pro Powder Coating (PPC); Waco Metal; High Performance Lubricants, LLC; Kistler Engines; Team Jack Foundation; Mark Burch Motorsports; All Pro Auto Reconditioning; K1 Race Gear; AutoMeter; Bandy & Associates Accountancy Corporation; Bell Racing USA; Blackbeard LTD; BR Motorsports; Brown & Miller Racing Solutions (BMRS); Buckwalter Trucking, LLC; C&R Racing; Chalk Stix Torsion Bars; Crow Enterprizes; Engler Machine & Tool, Inc.; Factory Kahne (FK Shocks); Fibreworks Composites; FK Rod Ends; Fuel Safe Racing Cells; Greber Racing Components; Hoosier Racing Tire; ISC Racers Tape; Jansen Transportation; KSE Racing Products; Larry Davis Farms; Logo Daddy Graphics; Mr. Jim’s Racing; MSD Performance; RaceDiecast.com; Sam I Am; Schoenfeld Headers; Smith Titanium; T-FAB Custom Metal Fabrication; Vortex Racing Products; Walker Performance Filtration; Weld Wheels; Wilwood Racing; and Winters Performance Products.

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.