VALIANT RECOVERY EFFORT: MACEDO AND THE JJR TEAM EXUDE TEAMWORK AS THEY COME TOGETHER WITH A WORKMANLIKE EFFORT TO FINISH SIXTH IN THE DAYTIME EDITION OF THE KNIGHT BEFORE THE KINGS ROYAL

ROSSBURG, OHIO (July 16, 2022 – Day) – For the diehard fans of the sport of sprint car racing, these types of race weeks couldn’t get much better. Night after night you get to watch the best in the business compete to be the first to the checkers. For the drivers and teams, these same types of weeks are demanding from the time the sun rises to well after the sun goes down and most of the fans have gone to bed (while others are relaxing and winding down with an adult beverage). But it certainly is all worth it because this is the life they have chosen and they are passionate about it. The drivers and the members of their teams are entertainers to some, heroes to many, and true ambassadors of the sport of sprint car racing. They work hard and play hard. And at the end of the day, they are human beings just doing what they love to do night in and night out. When the checkered flag flew over the Historical Big One on Thursday night that saw Brent Marks capture the $100,000 victory and Carson Macedo cross the finish line in eighth place, the teams quickly turned their attention to the next competition on Friday night – the Knight Before the Kings Royal. The pit area again was packed with 56 teams ready to battle to the end around Eldora’s famous half-mile oval.

After persistent rain moved through the area delaying the start of the show, hot laps began just after 8:30 PM as they raced around the lightning fast surface. Because of the size of the field, as this was a full World of Outlaws point race, the competitors were separated into two group for My Place Hotels Qualifying. The explicit goal in time trials is for each driver to make their way around the oval as fast as they can, hoping you accomplish that faster than all of the competition. Carson Macedo has had a lot of success this season turning quick laps in time trials and was hoping to continue that as the 23rd car out on the track in Group B aboard the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Meyers Constructors/Team Jack Foundation #41. He waited on the concrete push lane in the infield and when it was his turn and his Kistler Engines power fired he wheeled up onto the banking in turn one and built up his speed down the backstretch. Carson exited turn four hungry as he took the green and started to chew up the real estate around Eldora Speedway. He was digging and making his way in forward motion as he stopped the clock following the first lap in 13.419 seconds. Relentlessly, the Lemoore, California native wanted more after a sub-par first lap and was riding the edge in the JJR #41 trying to better the clock. The talented driver’s second lap came in only slightly better at 13.341 seconds, which ended up being a disappointing 21st quick overall in Group B when time trials concluded. Daryn Pittman drove the quickest lap of the night out of Group A with a time of 12.943 seconds.

After the rain returned over the speedway the rest of the Knight Before the Kings Royal program was postponed until Saturday morning at 11:00 AM. When the cloud cover gave way to blue skies and the sun it was time to reboot the Knight Before the Kings Royal during the day.

Missing out on the inversion to the heat races, Carson and the JJR #41 team were forced to run the 8-lap non-qualifiers race where they were slated to start beside Logan Schuchart on the front row. When the Shark Racing team elected to forego the non-qualifiers race, McKenna Haase slid up a row beside the Durst/Buckwalter Trucking/Premium Coach Group #41 Maxim in row one. Haase stomped on the accelerator and drove into the top spot over Macedo entering turn one and led the first circuit. The yellow lights came on for Logan Fenton who could not make it back into the pit area at the backstretch entrance. When they went back to green flag racing, Haase again seized the lead and led from start-to-finish to take the win over Macedo, Skylar Gee and Cap Henry who each would tag the back of the field in one of the four heat races based on where they finished.

Carson Macedo would tag the rear of the second 8-lap heat race where he would start from the 11th position aboard the Boltz Family/Tiger Towing/FK Rod Ends #41 Maxim. Spencer Bayston and Parker Price-Miller rolled from the front row with Brock Zearfoss and Brad Sweet in row two. Tanner Thorson and Kraig Kinser, Robbie Price and Ayrton Gennetten, and Robbie Price and Alex Bowman were all lined up between the front two rows and Carson Macedo. When they field crossed the chalk stripe the drivers wage war on the daytime surface and raced through the flying dust. Carson moved up to eighth at the end of lap one and gained another position the next time around. He was digging to try to earn a transfer spot in the top five, but it was all-out around the top in single file order as the laps clicked down. Spencer Bayston was showing the way at the front of the pack with Brad Sweet right behind. They would finish that way followed across the finish line by Parker Price-Miller, Kraig Kinser and Sam Hafertepe Jr. Carson finished seventh as he raced under the checkers behind Brock Zearfoss.  

Missing out on a transfer position, the cool and calm Californian settled in and worked with Philip Dietz, Clyde Knipp, and Nate Repetz to get the JJR #41 ready for the 12-lap Micro-Lite Last Chance Showdown (LCS), where the top four advance to positions 20-24 for the feature. The Albaugh #41 would get started from the inside of row four from the seventh starting position with Brady Bacon to his outside. Those two followed the front row of Brock Zearfoss and Brian Brown, row two with James McFadden and Jacob Allen, Marcus Dumesny and Lachlan McHugh. Brian Brown took control of position one with Zearfoss battling behind him. Carson moved into the sixth position after lap one and then moved into the top five on lap two. He was working hard inside his Maxim Racing office and at the halfway point of the race powered into the fourth position. He maintained that critical spot in the running order in the finishing order as Carson crossed the finish line behind Brian Brown, Brock Zearfoss, and James McFadden to earn a spot in the feature.

Digging out of the early hole requires teamwork and the JJR #41 team showed their persistence and willingness to work together for a better outcome as they prepare the Albaugh – Your Alternative#41 for the 25-lap Knight Before the Kings Royal – daytime edition #2 as last year’s race was run on Sunday afternoon. Carson Macedo still had some heavy lifting to do as he would start from the 24th starting spot. He climbed into the cockpit of the Tarlton and Son/Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/WELD Racing #41. These daytime tracks are usually not preferable, but the team at Eldora did a splendid job giving the drivers a track that could be raced. When the green flag flew it was polesitter Rico Abreu to the lead with Brad Sweet and David Gravel chasing. Carson picked up two spots early before the red flag flew for Kasey Kahne who had a vicious flip in turn four after contact with the outside retaining wall. With fuel dispensing all over the track, the officials made it an open red for the teams to top off the tanks and make minor adjustments for the balance of the feature. When they went back to green, Abreu still led but Gravel moved into the second position ahead of Sweet. Carson Macedo was actively working and making his way forward making bold moves. Over the next few laps, Carson was on the move. He moved up into the top 15 when the yellow flag came out for Danny Dietrich who spun but did not stop after Tyler Courtney came down across his nose without making contact. The field reset and went back to green. David Gravel made his way by Rico Abreu a few laps after going back to green. The next yellow came out on lap 14, this time for Parker Price-Miller, who rolled to a stop on the topside of turn two. Carson Macedo moved the JJR #41 into the 11th position eagerly looking to enter the top ten. David Gravel brought them back to the green as Macedo hustled the forty-one up to 8th place. With 5 laps to go, a yellow for debris in turn 3 saw David Gravel leading Rico Abreu, Brad Sweet, Spencer Bayston and Hunter Schuerenberg. Carson was secured in the eighth position racing with Justin Peck. When they got back up to speed Macedo raced into the sixth position after some wheel-to-wheel action. David Gravel raced to the win over Abreu and Sweet with Bayston and Schuerenberg rounding out the top five. Carson Macedo did an incredible job to earn the KSE Racing Hard Charger Award honors with his sixth place finish! From the Non-Qualifiers race to a sixth place finish in the Knight Before the Kings Royal. What a run for the forty-one!

A Team Effort Helps Macedo Recover for a 6th Place Finish in the Daytime Edition of the Knight Before the Kings Royal! Photo Credit: Cameron Saich

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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.