Carson Macedo and the Jason Johnson Racing team had a full range of emotions in a span of about seven hours during the 44th annual AGCO Jackson Nationals Saturday at Jackson Motorplex.
The Lemoore, Calif. driver lost the Saturday afternoon show in heartbreaking fashion with a last-lap pass from Logan Schuchart (Hanover, Penn.).
During the evening session, he went from the worst King of the Hill time to the best car in the feature.
Macedo wheeled the Albaugh #41 from eighth to first in the 35-lap main event and outlasted a different Shark Racing teammate, Jacob Allen (Hanover, Penn.), for his ninth World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series win.
The win not only puts him back atop the pedestal as the winningest driver on tour in 2022, but it also makes Macedo the winningest driver in JJR’s short, but storied history with 20 wins.
It was a fitting moment as the team earned its 50th World of Outlaws win at the site of Jason Johnson’s final victory on June 9, 2018.
“Losing that one earlier stung a lot, so it feels extra good to find some redemption in the one that counts,” Macedo said in Victory Lane. “It’s incredible to stand up here with nine wins this season. I hadn’t won even five races prior to joining JJR, and now we’re able to click off wins and execute as a team when it matters most. When I was a little kid I thought the World of Outlaws was the most amazing thing in the world, so this is all still a dream come true for me.”
Macedo took the lead on Lap 17 and cruised to a 2.757-second margin of victory over Allen at the checkered flag.
David Gravel (Watertown, Conn.) rounded out the podium as he was third in the Big Game Motorsports, Billion Automotive No. 2.
Gravel started from the outside pole in the 35-lapper, faded back to fifth early on before rallying and returning to a podium spot at his car owner’s home track.
“I felt like we had a good car, but we just came around too late to make anything happen,” Gravel said following his 14th podium of the season. “I really want to get this Billion Automotive car into Victory Lane. We deserved one at Huset’s and I think we were close tonight.”
After challenging for the top spot early, James McFadden (Alice Springs, NT, Australia) slipped back to finish fourth and Spencer Bayston (Lebanon, Ind.) was fifth.
Rounding out the Top were Knoxville Nationals champion Donny Schatz (Fargo) in sixth, Giovanni Scelzi (Freesno, Calif.) seventh, championship points leader Brad Sweet (Grass Valley, Calif.) in eighth, Anthony Macri (Dillsburg, Penn.) ninth, and Sheldon Haudenschild (Wooster, Ohio) earned the Hard Charger Award for driving from 21st to 10th.
Skylar Prochaska (Lakefield) was one spot away from driving in the feature as he placed fifth in the Last Chance Showdown. Earlier, he was eighth in his heat and 17th in qualifying.
Matt Wasmund (Jackson) placed seventh in the Last Chance Showdown, sixth in his heat and was 35th in qualifying.
Kaleb Johnson (Sioux Falls) was ninth in the Last Chance Showdown, ninth in his heat and 28th in qualifying.
Brooke Tatnell (Sans Souci, NSW, Australia) would finish 17th in the Last Chance Showdown after being involved in an accident with Kasey Kahne on the final lap:
Tatnell earlier was ninth in his heat and 18th in qualifying.
Also Saturday night, Scott Brandt (Andover) led all but the opening lap of the 20-lap Upper Midwest Renegades Sprint Car Series feature.
Jake Kouba (Minneapolis) rallied from seventh into the runner-up position within the first six laps. He focused on the top groove while Brandt hugged the bottom lane, maintaining a lead of approximately one and a half seconds before Kouba made up ground in the closing laps to finish second by only 0.948 seconds.
Jon Lewerer (Andover) filled out the podium.