WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A KLONDIKE BAR?: THE WORLD OF OUTLAWS RETURNED TO RIVER CITIES AND PUT ON AN INCREDIBLE SHOW TO HONOR ELOY GUTIERREZ AS MACEDO MASTERFULLY WHEELS THE ALBAUGH – YOUR ALTERNATIVE #41 TO VICTORY

GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA (August 23, 2024) – Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 Sprint Car Team returned to North Dakota as part of the Second Leg of the World of Outlaws Northern Tour on Friday night at River Cities Speedway along with the stout contingent of stars that tour with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series as well as some very talented local teams. The first time theses superstars visited the “World Famous Legendary Bullring!” back in early June, Carson got off to a fast start by setting quick time and ultimately raced to a fourth place finish in the Don Mack Classic. He was looking to improve on the finishing end of the night this go ‘round at the track with 32 race teams registered and amped up to race in the upper Midwest to start the weekend in the Peace Garden State. Racing at River Cities Speedway is a delicate dance that balances the refinement of ballet with the unhinged pace and craziness of hard rock and roll – World of Outlaws style!

During opening ceremonies a tribute was conducted for a very special person and lost friend to many – Eloy Gutierrez – who earlier this week lost his valiant battle with cancer. Eloy touched so many people’s lives in a positive way as the long-time timing and scoring official . . . be it with that trademark smile he flashed to stopping you to share a few kind and encouraging words when you needed it most. His goal was simple – to always lift you up and leave you in a better place than when the conversation began. Some were even lucky enough to sit and share some time together while enjoying his favorite – a Klondike Bar. He was definitively special and certainly will be dearly missed by his World of Outlaws family and everyone at Jason Johnson Racing (JJR).   

After each driver got a few laps to warm up and test their cars, the crews were busy making some minor setup adjustments hoping to find a little more speed around the quarter mile bullring in Sea Foam Qualifying. One driver. Two laps. Carson would be the 31st driver to hit the track in time trials driving the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/KSE Race Products/Walker Performance Filtration #41. He climbed aboard his Maxim Racing chassis and buckled into his Crow Enterprizes safety belts before rolling into the staging lane. After Devil Lake, North Dakota’s Colton Young #4 completed his timed attempts, Carson jumped on the speed pedal and started the clock on his first of two laps around River Cities. He was balancing speed and pushing the edge. At the end of the opening lap his time was 10.267 seconds. Carson stayed on the gas to see if there was anywhere he could save a few tenths of a second. He would soon find out as the stopwatch this time read 10.345 seconds after lap two. The quicker of Macedo’s two laps positioned him ninth quick overall when the last qualifier took the checkers. Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink #17 stood at the top of the speed charts with a lap of 10.087 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.

The heat race lineups were set and posted as the teams were scurrying around making sure their race packages were set. Each of the four heat races would be 10 laps in distance with the top five finishers locking into the feature with the winners and runner-up finishers advancing to the Toyota Dash to race for their starting position in one of the first four rows of the feature later on the show card.

Carson would line up in the first and fastest heat race by time trial laps from the third starting position. He rolled the Tarlton and Son/Wilwood Racing/Smith TI #41 Maxim up beside Scott Bogucki #10 in row two. Sheldon Haudenschild and Brock Zearfoss were out front in row one with Kraig Kinser and Andy Pake in row three as Brendan Mullin and Adam Sobolik were ready to go in row four.

The potent field of racers was set and off turn four they lit it up as they smoked down the front straightaway and through the first set of turns with Sheldon Haudenschild driving into the lead. Brock Zearfoss in the Moose’s LZ Bar & Grill #3z was right there ready to battle for the lead as Carson Macedo slipped into the show position.

With one lap in the books, the caution flag flew for Scott Bogucki who was sitting idle on the track with a broken front axle after contact racing for the fifth position with Kraig Kinser. He headed to the work are but was unable to make the repairs before the race went back to green.

Sheldon drove his NOS Energy Drink #17 to the front again with the tenacious Brock Zearfoss up on the when giving him all he had in the race for the lead. That battle enabled Carson to close the gap on second running Zearfoss. He was right there and now fighting for the second position, but Zearfoss was relentless and held onto the spot.

Carson did not give up and stayed close to Zearfoss as Haudenschild checked out a bit out front. When the white flag came out it appeared Carson’s chances of making the Dash were slim to none heading into the first set of turns for the last time. But off turn two Zearfoss was off the pace and Carson moved by into the runner-up spot down the backstretch.

Sheldon Haudenschild would take the heat race win as Carson embraced a little Lady Luck to come home second as those two stars would advance to the Dash. Brock Zearfoss coasted across the finish line third with Andy Pake and Brendan Mullen locking down the final two transfer positions out of the first heat race.

Luck intertwines itself into all forms of racing and that would continue on this night as the eight drivers that earned their way into the 8-lap Toyota Dash were on the frontstretch waiting to randomly draw for their starting position. Carson would be the fifth driver to choose with a two, four, seven, and eight pill remaining in the oversized NOS Energy Drink can. When his hand exited the top of the can he had the second highest available pill in his palm – the seven.

Sheldon Haudenschild had a little luck on his side too as he drew the one pill to start on the pole. Buddy Kofoid also had some good mojo as he drew the two pill and would start on the outside of the front row. Bill Balog and Giovanni Scelzi would get their race started from row two with Logan Schuchart and David Gravel in row three. Carson pulled the Scott Boyd Family/All Pro Aluminum Cylinder Heads/Saldana Racing Products #41 to the inside of row four with Garet Williamson to his outside. When the green flag was thrown over the field Sheldon Haudenschild raced off into the lead ahead of Buddy Kofoid and Giovanni Scelzi. Carson maneuvered the Albaugh – Your Alternative entry into the sixth spot and immediately turned his attention towards Bill Balog in a race for the fifth position. Bill Balog had good speed and was racing cleanly as he fought off every attempt Macedo threw at him to take the position. Sheldon Haudenschild would not be denied and continued his perfect night – quick time, heat race win, and now Dash win – by taking the Dash victory over Kofoid, Scelzi, Schuchart, and Balog. Carson raced across the finish line in sixth followed by Gravel and Williamson.

With the night of action closer to the end than the beginning, the field of 24 cars rolled out onto the track for the $12,000-to-win, 40-lap NOS Energy Drink Second Leg of the Northern Tour feature finale at River Cities Speedway. Each of the drivers throughout the starting lineup had earned their way into this race and were ready to get up to speed. Carson Macedo would get the Albaugh – Your Alternative/BR Motorsports/Vortex Racing Products #41 Maxim started from the sixth position in row three beside Bill Balog in the Anderson Maple Syrup #17B.

After the four-wide salute to the fans, a pre-feature event staple made abundantly famous by the World of Outlaws and now duplicated by many, the field lined up in a missing man formation to honor Eloy Gutierrez. Sheldon Haudenschild pulled out of his starting position as the lone car out in front of the field. A spot that was left opened, but filled with love, respect, and deep admiration by all for Eloy Gutierrez. The talented drivers raced back into their two-by-two starting formation prepared to turn order into chaos while attempting to put on an entertaining show that Eloy would be proud of.

When the front row of Sheldon Haudenschild in the NOS Energy Drink #17 and Buddy Kofoid wheeling the Roth Motorsports #83 reached the chalk stipe in turn four they pound the loud pedal with Kofoid getting the edge through the first set of turns over Haudenschild.

Buddy Kofoid led the opening circuit followed by Haudenschild, Schuchart, and Scelzi. Carson used the start to move into the fifth position and by the third lap was pressuring Giovanni Scelzi for fourth. The next time around Macedo drove the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 by the KCP Racing #18 and was now scored in the higher position.

The leaders were already chasing down the cars in the back of the field and dancing through the lap traffic at speed. Those slower disruptors allowed Sheldon Haudenschild to close in on the Mobil 1/Roth Motorsports #83 and soon be in a position to challenge for the lead. It also enabled Schuchart, Macedo, and Scelzi to close in on Haudenschild.

By lap 9, there was a torrid three-car duel for the runner up position behind the leader between Haudenschild, Schuchart, and Macedo. But, Carson was under heavy attack by fellow Central Valley Californian, Giovanni Scelzi, as the Fresno native wanted the fourth spot back from the Lemoore native.

While Carson was busy holding off Scelzi who was still trying to take the spot, Macedo had closed in on third running Logan Schuchart and wanted to battle him for the show position. On lap 12, Carson raced by the Shark Racing #1s into that spot.

The Lemoore, California driver had a fast racecar and now turned his attention to tracking down the blue and orange NOS Energy Drink #17 of Haudenschild. One lap shy of the halfway point of the race, lap 19, Sheldon Haudenschild got up high over the cushion off turn two and got completely sideways shaving all of his forward momentum away. Sheldon miraculously saved it and stayed under power, but the bobble on the track opened the door for Carson to race by him into the runner-up position down the back straightaway.

Soon thereafter, the first caution of the action slowed the action when the #26 of Blake Egeland from Climax, Minnesota slowed on the track. That moved Carson up beside leader Buddy Kofoid for the side-by-side restart with 21 laps to go. Sheldon Haudenschild, Giovanni Scelzi, and David Gravel were right behind in the top five and poised for the restart.

Buddy Kofoid selected the inside lane for the restart putting Carson in the outside lane. When the green came back out Carson got the Tarlton and Son #41 machine up to speed first to move into the lead. He held the spot out front but Kofoid was stalking him and really wanted it back. At the line, Kofoid took the lead back on lap 22 but Carson re-engaged and took back ownership of position one the next time around.

On lap 25, the yellow flag was back out to slow the cars when Zach Omdahl #17z spun in turn four right in front of Macedo and Kofoid, who both took evasive action and avoided any calamity.

There were 15 laps remaining and this race was far from over with Carson Macedo leading Buddy Kofoid, Giovanni Scelzi, Sheldon Haudenschild, and Logan Schuchart back to the green flag. Carson used the clear track ahead of him to put some breathing room between himself and the Roth Motorsports #83 driver . . . at least temporarily.

By lap 30, the leaders were back in lap traffic and things started to tighten up at the front of the pack. Carson still was in the lead with Kofoid and Haudenschild closing in like hungry animals chasing a piece of fresh meat. The pursuit though would come to an abrupt halt on the thirty third lap when eighth running Scott Bogucki went out over the backstretch berm after starting in the 21st starting spot.

There were seven laps to go with the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 out in front of Buddy Kofoid, Sheldon Haudenschild, Giovanni Scelzi, and Donny Schatz. The driver of the forty-one mashed the loud pedal with his Kistler Engines power moving him out in front again of Kofoid and Haudenschild. The leaders would quickly catch lap traffic with three laps to go, but Carson Macedo did a masterful job maneuvering his way through the cars to be the first to the black and white checkered flag. Buddy Kofoid came home second with Sheldon Haudenschild racing home third. Giovanni Scelzi and Donny Schatz rounded out the top five.

After climbing up top of his Vortex Racing Products wing to celebrate under the falling confetti after collecting his fifth win of the season, and 40th career World of Outlaws victory, an emotional winner met with Conner Wade out in front of the car to discuss the race. Without hesitation, Carson began, “I just want to give a huge shout out to Eloy. We miss him very much. It just sucks not having him here. He was a guy that was a friend to you no matter who you were. You felt like Eloy was your best friend because he made it a point to make you feel that way every time you saw him. I know we (everyone) are going to miss him very much.”

As he reflected on the on track action, he stated, “I started to kind of second guess what I was doing there at the end. I was starting to get a little free up top in three and four, but if I got my wing back a little bit, I’d get tight other places. I kind of found a happy medium there and moved around just enough. I could see him (Buddy Kofoid) exiting to my inside off turn four a little bit, so I tried the bottom. It was really slick on entry, but it was really center off, so I could see where he was using that and making up a little bit of ground. It was slick up top in turns three and four as well.” Another great run for Macedo and the forty-one!

Rolling to the Front at River Cities Speedway to Capture the Victory While Competing in the Second Leg of the Northern Tour! Photo Credit: Trent Gower Photography

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.

To stay connected with Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) and Carson Macedo go to www.jasonjohnsonracing.com.

Check out ShopJJR.com to buy all your new Carson Macedo and JJR gear and merchandise.