WHIPPING ’ROUND THE GROVE: AFTER GOING OUT LATE IN TIME TRIALS, MACEDO DRIVES THE ALBAUGH – YOUR ALTERNATIVE #41 TO ANOTHER TOP TEN FINISH AT WILLIAMS GROVE IN THE FINALE OF THE C&D RIGGING SUMMER NATIONALS

MECHANICSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA (July 27, 2024) – When the dust settled after the race on Friday night to open the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals at Williams Grove, where Carson Macedo picked up a third place finish, the Jason Johnson Racing (JJR) #41 sprint car team quickly went back to work to maintenance and prepare the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 speed machine to compete again at the famous Williams Grove Speedway for night two of the Summer Nationals. They returned to the unique shaped oval speedway on beautiful mid-summer day on Saturday night ready to go racing again. This famous half-mile oval located here in Central Pennsylvania holds so much history with racing greats such as Mario Andretti, Gordon Johncock, Roger McCluskey, Tommy Hinnershitz, Lynn Paxton, Keith Kauffman, Steve Kinser, Donny Schatz, and Kyle Larson, just to name a few, all showcasing their incredible talents at this half-mile oval and collecting victories. Carson Macedo owns three, too, including winning the prestigious Williams Grove National Open back in 2021. A quick walk through the outside and inside pit areas, with a jaunt over the newly installed bridge to crossover the backstretch, revealed 33 teams present on Saturday night of the C&D Rigging Summer Nationals finale. It was finally race day again in Central PA – World of Outlaws style!

With the size of the competitive field of sprint cars below 38, the drivers would time trial in as single group in Sea Foam Qualifying. Carson’s night began as they drew the highest numbered pill, meaning he would go out late in time trials. After going out for a few hot laps, Carson pulled to the back of the Border International hauler so Philip Dietz, Robby McQuinn, and Adam Zimmerman could go to work to make some necessary adjustments before qualifying. The Californian waited patiently in the staging line until it was his turn to time trial as he would go out last. He rolled out on the track and into turn one. With the track usually scrubbing off some speed throughout time trials, Carson got his Maxim Racing machine up to full speed by the time he came off turn four to take the green flag. He made his way around the unique paperclip shaped oval and raced towards the timing stripe to stop the clock on lap one in 17.116 seconds, which was a good lap. Carson did not hesitate as he had more work to do with another lap ahead of him. He used his momentum to carry the Tarlton and Son/High Performance Lubricants/Walker Performance Filtration #41 forward with speed as he was still competing against the clock on lap two. He hustled off turn four and down the front straightaway one last time crossing under the checkered flag in 17.180 seconds this time by. The better of his two time trial laps was seventh quick overall. Brent Marks, with Heath Moyle spinning the wrenches, established the fastest lap of the night in time trials at 17.034 seconds to earn the Simpson Quick Time Award.

The Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 of Carson Macedo would be in the third of four 8-lap heat races where he would start on the outside of row one beside Monrovia, Indiana’s Justin Peck. A pair of talented Pennsylvania-based racers, Troy Wagaman Jr. and Austin Bishop, were in row two. Michael Walter and Friday night’s winner T.J. Stutts were in row three with Freddie Rahmer and Landon Crawley in row four. They all would be racing to earn one of the coveted transfer spots from the heat race directly to the feature.

The field of speedsters were all lined up and ready to go when the field came off turn four with Justin Peck blasting down the front straightaway into the lead. He was just ahead of Carson Macedo and Austin Bishop when lap one was completed.

Carson had a fast hot rod and was hitting on all cylinders in the runner-up position as he started to close in on the leader and to position himself as a contender for the lead. He was close after the second lap and on the third circuit worked the low side through turns three and four and exited with the lead.

He had the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 hooked up when the white flag was displayed indicating one more lap to go. Carson did not look back and raced under the checkers first 2.289 seconds ahead of Justin Peck in second with Troy Wagaman Jr. completing a last lap pass to finish third. Austin Bishop and T.J. Stutts rounded out the top five with the remaining finishers moving into the Last Chance Showdown (LCS).

Moving his way into his 29th Toyota Dash, where he would start sixth in the six lap race, Carson climbed into the cockpit and battened down the hatches using his Crow Enterprizes safety belts. Donny Schatz and Brent Marks would start from the front row with Daryn Pittman and David Gravel in row two. Lance Dewease pulled to the inside of Carson in row three with Giovanni Scelzi and Justin Peck in row four. When the green flag came out the first two row raced down the frontstretch side-by-side. Carson moved the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Complete Parts & Equipment/Boltz Family #41 Maxim into fifth directly ahead of Lance Dewease. Phil Dietz had the forty-one fast again as Carson closed in on fourth running David Gravel to see if he could gain a position. He would peak underneath the current series point leader but couldn’t find a clear lane. Daryn Pittman found a way around Brent Marks to take over the runner-up position on lap four. Throughout the remainder of the race with each completed lap, the field started to stretch out and put some distance between themselves on the track. Donny Schatz cruised to the win ahead of Daryn Pittman with Brent Marks coming home third. David Gravel crossed the finish line fourth with Carson Macedo completing the top five. Lance Dewease, Justin Peck, and Giovanni Scelzi filled the final three position in the finishing order.

The field of talented speed stars was set for the money paying portion of the final night at the$20k-to-win, 30-lap C&D Rigging Summer Nationals feature event at Williams Grove. The cars were called to the track for the start of the race as the excitement began to peak. With the always incredible fireworks show behind them, the drivers went four-wide to show their appreciation to these great fans. Carson broke the four-wide formation and raced back into the inside of row three where he would start in fifth starting spot beside Pennsylvania legend Lance Dewease. It was time to go racing at Williams Grove Speedway – World of Outlaws and PA Posse style! Buckle up.

The green flag was out with Donny Schatz seizing the early lead directly in front of Daryn Pittman and David Gravel. Carson Macedo was riding in the fourth position on the scoreboard as he made his way by Brent Marks early looking to make some moves when opportunity arose around the historic speedway.

On lap 5, Brent Marks roared back by the driver of the forty-one to reclaim the fourth position. The leaders were setting a quick pace around the half-mile oval and five lap later they had caught up to the slower cars at the back of the pack. The top three were bunched together and the next time around David Gravel moved by Pittman to take over the second spot.

The driver of the Big Game Motorsports #2 was not done as he was pressuring Schatz for the lead and the next time by took it. He was now at the top of the scoreboard as your leader, but the next time by the ten-time World of Outlaws Champion, Donny Schatz, scooted back by into the top spot. Carson was still holding down the last position in the top five behind Schatz, Gravel, Pittman, and Marks.

On lap 14, the caution flag flew for Sheldon Haudenschild who tagged the wall hard exiting turn four but he never stopped on the track. He would get his running position back when they would go back to green with Schatz leading Gravel to the halfway point of the race. Carson restarted in row three beside Justin Peck who used the outside lane to his advantage moving Macedo back to sixth when they got up to speed.

On lap 18, David Gravel wrestled the lead away from Schatz again as Carson was dueling with Giovanni Scelzi trying to hold onto the sixth position in the running order. Scelzi slid by Macedo as did Lance Dewease putting Carson back to eighth.

With seven laps to go, Carson was still battling for the lowest number position he could achieve as he raced with Dewease for the seventh spot. Carson drove low through turns one and two and raced down the backstretch after gaining the spot.

On lap 25, the final caution of the night came out for Kelby Watt who rolled to a stop under the bridge on the back straightaway in the Bill Rose #6. David Gravel was out front with Schatz, Marks, Pittman, and Peck hoping for one last shot.

When the green flag was thrown again Gravel led Schatz as the two sparred for the lead. Gravel was relentless and held onto it to collect his 100 career World of Outlaws feature win. Donny Schatz came home second with Brent Marks coming home in the sow position. Daryn Pittman raced a good run to come home fourth with Justin Peck securing the final spot in the top five.

Carson raced home in seventh place, his 35th top ten finish of the season – a 79.55% top ten success rate, to end the mid-summer racing festivities at Williams Grove Speedway. Carson and the Albaugh #41 team will head north into New York on Sunday for the Empire State Challenge at Weedsport Speedway. If you can be at the race, do the next best thing . . . tune in on DIRTVision!

Carson Macedo Uses His Momentum to Drive Around in the Albaugh – Your Alternative #41 on the Final Night at the Summer Nationals! 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.

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

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