WARMING UP WITH WORKOUT AT I-55: THE TOUGHNESS CHALLENGE WEEKEND AT FEDERATED AUTO PARTS RACEWAY AT I-55 BEGINS WITH A SOLID NIGHT AND A TOP FIVE FINISH AFTER 35 LAPS OF BULLRING EXCITEMENT!

PEVELY, MISSOURI (August 6, 2021) – The battle continued through the tough World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season long scheduled as the teams moved back to the Midwest on Friday night at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 to kick off the two-night Ironman weekend heading into the prestigious Knoxville Nationals next week. For the thirteenth year, this weekend of racing is one that is highlighted on the competitor’s schedules. The Ironman is more than a race. It is an event. These two days of racing in Missouri tests the character and focus of the teams and drivers. The track is a high-speed bullring that is challenging, fast, and demands the best each driver and team has in order to be competitive. There were 33 teams registered at the pit gate voluntarily ready and willing to take on the Ironman challenge weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.

Carson Macedo and his JJR #41 team were excited to race as they prepared their Tarlton and Son/Liquid Trucking/Pro Powder Coating #41 Maxim for Slick Woody’s Qualifying. Each driver has two shots to lay down their quickest lap in time trials. Carson climbed into the cockpit of his high speed rocket and prepared for his turn against the ticking stopwatch. He would be the eleventh driver out on the track. When Donny Schatz completed his attempts, Carson grasped the steering wheel with his K1 Race Gear gloves as his engine fired. He wheeled his way onto the track and got up to speed coming out of turn four. He blasted under the green flag to start lap one. He drove around the cushion and carried his speed down the backstretch and into turn three. When he exited turn four he crossed the start/finish line in 10.701 seconds. Keeping his right foot planted and turning left, Carson was looking to pick up any time possible that he left on the track during his first lap throughout his next one. When he raced underneath the waving checkered flag his second lap was scored much better at 10.544 seconds. When time trials concluded, the faster of his two laps was sixth overall with Parker Price-Miller, driving the Roth Motorsports #83, setting quick time with a lap of 10.438 seconds.

With the starting lineups for each of the 10-lap Drydene Heat Races being established off of each driver’s quickest lap, Carson would start on the outside front row in the second of four heat races in the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/BR Motorsports/Engler Machine & Tool #41 Maxim. He shared row one with polesitter Logan Schuchart. Row two was made up of Donny Schatz and James McFadden, with Kraig Kinser and Danny Dietrich in row three, and Jake Neuman and Kevin Ingle in row four. When the yellow lights dimmed and the green lights illuminated, the field of cars filled the air with the sweet sound of 410 racing engines in Pevely, Missouri. They blasted down the frontstretch that runs parallel to Interstate 55 and into turn one. Schuchart was leading as Carson battled early with Schatz from the runner-up position. Macedo would seize control of the second position, but Schuchart was running around the edge and already had some distance between himself and the Lemoore, California speed chauffeur. Schuchart would not be denied as he took the heat race victory by 1.983 seconds over Macedo with Schatz, McFadden and Kinser securing the remaining three transfer spots.

Making his way back into the 8-lap DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson headed over to the frontstretch to test his gambling skills at the pill draw for starting positions. He would be the sixth driver to pull a number with a 4, 7, and 8 still available and he selected the ‘8’ pill. Sheldon Haudenschild and Cale Thomas sat in row one, David Gravel and Spencer Bayston in row two, Brad Sweet and Logan Schuchart in row three, with Macedo sharing row four with Jacob Allen. When they got the green light to go, Haudenschild didn’t hesitate and drove into the top spot. Carson maneuvered the Tiger Towing/LogoDaddy/Meyers Constructors #41 into the seventh spot ahead of Allen and immediately went to work on Bayston for the sixth position. Just after the halfway point of the race he sealed the deal and was now running in the sixth spot. Haudenschild raced across the finish line first to earn the pole position in the feature with Schuchart, Thomas, Sweet and Gravel completing the top five. Carson brought his forty-one home sixth with Allen and Bayston rounding out the finishing order.

By virtue of his sixth place finish in the dash, Carson would get rolling from the outside of row three beside David Gravel in the 35-lap NOS Energy Drink Night Before the Ironman feature event at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55. As is tradition with The Greatest Show on Dirt, the 24-car starting field went four-wide to salute the fans that were in attendance in the “Show-Me” state. It was ‘go-time’ in Pevely, Missouri! The green flag dropped and Haudenschild and Schuchart were battling for the lead. The leaders exited turn four and down the frontstretch when third starting Cale Thomas spun and collected the hard-charging Justin Peck who flipped at the exit of turn four after clipping Thomas to bring out the red flag. Without a fully completed first lap, it would be a complete restart but this time Carson Macedo would slide to the inside of row three in the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Dissolvalloy Downhole Revolution/Durst Inc. #41 Maxim with Jacob Allen to his outside. The green flag waved again with Logan Schuchart jumping into the lead at the start over Haudenschild. The Hanover, Pennsylvania native would lead the first six laps before surrendering it to Sheldon Haudenschild who was looking to repeat his dominance at I-55. Haudenschild was now leading over Schuchart and Sweet with the ‘Big Cat’ digging on the bottom of the track. Gravel was nestled in the fourth position with Macedo close behind in fifth. Haudenschild and Schuchart were ripping the top as Sweet and Gravel were hugging the bottom on this slick and technical surface. The track conditions slowed down the competitors speeds slightly, but the racing was tremendous. Carson was searching high, then low, and also through the middle for speed opportunities. Haudenschild quickly got into lap traffic quickly and was masterful maneuvering through the crowd with Sweet and Gravel now giving chase with Schuchart and Macedo running in the top five. Throughout the remaining laps of the 35-lap feature, no one would have anything for the Wooster, Ohio talent at I-55 as he took the win over Sweet with Gravel rounding out the podium. Haudenschild lapped every car up to seventh in the field, which is downright ridiculous against some of the best in the business and truly incredible. Logan Schuchart came home fourth with Carson Macedo securing a top five finish. Another great run for Macedo and the forty-one in the Night Before the Ironman at I-55!

A Top Five Finish in the Night Before the Ironman at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55!

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.