WRANGLING AT WEEDSPORT: A TOP FIVE FINISH IN THE EMPIRE STATE CHALLENGE ON A SLICK AND TECHNICAL WEEDSPORT SPEEDWAY SURFACES CLOSES OUT THE WORLD OF OUTLAWS ANNUAL VISIT THROUGH NEW YORK

WEEDSPORT, NEW YORK (July 31, 2021) – After trekking across the state of New York from the west to upstate in the lakes region Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT) style, Carson Macedo and the JJR #41 team were hard at work getting their speed machine ready for competition at Weedsport Speedway’s 3/8-mile, D-shaped clay oval. This facility is absolutely beautiful and the racing action is always filled with excitement from start to finish. As the race fans meandered through t-shirt alley, the teams throughout the pit area finalized their strategy for the night. New York adopted its’ nickname, The Empire State, in the 19th century as a reflection of the state’s expansive wealth and resources. There were a total of 27 teams checked into the track on Saturday night for The Empire State Challenge with their drivers looking to add to their wealth when the checkered flag flies at the end of the night.

The time trial order was set off the draw for Slick Woody’s Qualifying, which positioned Carson Macedo as the eleventh driver to take to the track for his two laps against the clock in the Mesilla Valley Transportation (MVT)/Border International/Engler Machine & Tool #41 Maxim. He pushed off and navigated the unique shaped oval as he came flying back to the waving green flag. He flew through the first set of turns and continued down the backstretch and through the higher numbered turns at the other end of the track. It took him 14.026 seconds to cross the timing stripe after the first lap, and 13.821 seconds the second time around as the checkered flag flew on his qualifying laps. The late Greg Hodnett set the bar high back on May 17, 2015, establishing the one lap track record with a lap of 13.401 seconds. Carson’s best lap on this night positioned him seventh quick overall on the final speed charts, with Logan Schuchart setting quick time with a lap of 13.582 seconds.

The starting lineups three 8-lap Drydene Heat Races were posted. Carson Macedo’s quickest lap positioned him in the third starting position beside Brock Zearfoss. Logan Schuchart and Wayne Johnson were in row one. Joe Kata and Kraig Kinser were in row three. Carl Bowser and Jared Zimbardi made up row four, with Scott Kreutter tagging the rear of the starting grid. When they rolled over the chalk stripe and towards the waving green flag, Wayne Johnson drove into the lead with Schuchart and Macedo right behind. Carson was right on the rear nerf bar of the Shark Racing #1s entering turn three and drove the Tarlton and Son/High Performance Lubricants/All Pro Auto Reconditioning #41 Maxim underneath Schuchart and into the runner-up position. Wayne Johnson was rolling on the bottom and building a substantial lead over Macedo. Johnson took the win over Macedo as those two would advance onto the dash as Schuchart came home third, followed by Zearfoss, Kinser, and Zimbardi who all secured transfer spots into the feature event.

Earning a shot to race for his starting position in the feature through racing in the DirtVision Fast Pass Dash, Carson would get started from the inside of row three aboard the Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Jonestown KOA/Durst Inc. #41 beside David Gravel. Wayne Johnson and Donny Schatz paced the field from the front row with Brad Sweet and Sheldon Haudenschild in row three. Donny Schatz took command of the top spot down the frontstretch with Carson entering the first set of turns on the low side. He barely missed the rubber in turn two and was shuffled back from third to last quickly. Schatz led from start-to-finish to take the win over Gravel and Haudenschild with Sweet, Johnson and Macedo completing the finishing order.

When the modified cars finished up their last chance race, the 8-minute horn sounded to summon the teams to the track for the 30-lap Empire State Challenge at Weedsport Speedway. Clyde Knipp pushed the Albaugh – Your Alternative/Tiger Towing/ISC Racers Tape #41 onto the track as Carson awaited a push start in turn four. The engines throughout the field fired as they aligned in their two-by-two starting order. Carson would get to work from the sixth starting position and when the green flag waved he raced into the fifth spot ahead of Brad Sweet. Donny Schatz was motoring at the front of the field with David Gravel and Sheldon Haudenschild pressing right behind. The race for second was on at the halfway point as Gravel and Haudenschild were battling. The leaders were encroaching on the rear of the field as they were beginning to navigate the traffic. On this technical track it certainly would not be easy. It allowed fourth running Brad Sweet and fifth running Carson Macedo to close in as the top five were rim riding around the top of the track on the thin cushion. Haudenschild worked his way by Gravel with 11 laps to go and quickly started tracking down Schatz for the lead. He caught Donny with 8 laps to go and took over the top spot. Gravel also worked his way by Schatz and was starting to close in on Haudenschild, but the laps were dwindling. With two laps to go, Haudenschild tangled with a lap car and spun in turn one to bring out the yellow flag. David Gravel was fortuitous and inherited the lead with Schatz, Sweet, Macedo and Logan Schuchart right behind. A green-white-checkered restart would determine the winner of the Empire State Challenge. Gravel stomped on the gas and led the remaining distance, taking the win over Brad Sweet and Donny Schatz with Carson Macedo wheeling his entry home in fourth, and Logan Schuchart rounding out the top five. Another consistent and good run for the forty-one!   

Carson Macedo Navigates the Slick Surface to Bring Home a Fourth Place Finish at Weedsport in the Empire State Challenge! 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.