The Jason Johnson Racing team traditionally sits down before the start of the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series season to set goals for the year with whichever driver they may have.
The current driver of the No. 41 in Carson Macedo checked off another big one on Wednesday night, winning the Jokers Wild as the prelim night to Thursday’s 38th Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway.
“Leading into this year, I wanted to win at those kind of tracks,” Macedo said on DirtVision. “Williams Grove… we also won at Knoxville, and Eldora: I think those are the three mega’s when it comes to sprint car racing. It’s just really cool. In order to win at these race tracks, you have to have a really good really balanced race car.”
Macedo has shown a plethora of speed as of late in the 41 car.
Just over a month ago, he and his team swept the weekend at Knoxville Raceway during the Brownells Big Guns Bash to put him above his all-time career best season win mark.
With a pair of $175,000-to-win Kings Royals coming up on Thursday and Saturday, Macedo will be one of the most confident drivers in the field.
“It’s a really good time to be quick right now,” Macedo said in victory lane. “I feel like my guys are just clicking on all cylinders.”
After starting from the third row of the 25-lap main event, Macedo got a great jump on the initial start.
He used it to propel himself by polesitter Brian Brown, before leading all 25 laps of the preliminary night main event.
“I got a really good start there at the beginning of that race and kind of fired off in third (place),” Macedo said on DirtVision. I was able to cut the bottom real nice and get by Brownie out of (turn) two.”
Brown made a strong showing, though.
In his first night with Danny Lasoski as his crew chief, Brown won the dash in order to start on the pole for the A-Main.
Despite getting passed by Macedo early, Brown salvaged a second-place run by the end of the night and even had a shot to take the lead off of a restart with three to go.
“Yeah, just probably driver error there a little bit (in) those first couple of laps,” Brown said on the broadcast. “I just gave the bottom up and let Carson get a run. He’s a premier driver there, if you give him an opportunity he’s going to take it.”
Going into the next three days however, the run for Brown will speak volumes.
The Knoxville Raceway track champion as seen struggles at some race tracks, but comes into Kings Royal week with a run he’s smiling about.
“Danny came in and did a phenomenal job along with Nate and Ty and my dad,” Brown said. “Just a fun night, man. I haven’t smiled in a while and it’s just good to have a fast race car and be in contention to win these races. That’s where the 21 and all our partners belong.”
As drivers diced and dashed for results on track, a visual phenomenon occurred on the race track.
Numerous cars including that of Bill Balog, Logan Schuchart, and Paul McMahan saw wing panels being ripped from the top of cars. Either braces were coming off or panels themselves were being bent on numerous cars in the field.
Team members contacted relayed the issue to dirt / mud clots hitting the wings, because of how wet the track was.
David Gravel rounded out the podium for the night while Kyle Larson took home the KSE Hard Charger Award after a torque tube had to be replaced early on in the evening. Larson came from the B to take a top 10 finishing position.
Defending Kings Royal and World of Outlaws champion Brad Sweet missed the dash and finished outside of the top 10.
Cars will be back on track on Thursday for the 38th running of the Kings Royal at Eldora Speedway. It can be seen live on DirtVision. Hot laps are scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT.
2021 Jokers Wild Results
1. Carson Macedo
2. Brian Brown
3. David Gravel
4. Kerry Madsen
5. Aaron Reutzel
6. Ian Madsen
7. Rico Abreu
8. Brent Marks
9. Paul McMahan
10. Kyle Larson
11. Brad Sweet
12. Sheldon Haudenschild
13. Donny Schatz
14. Gio Scelzi
15. Spencer Bayston
16. Daryn Pittman
17. Zeb Wise
18. Logan Schuchart
19. Brock Zearfoss
20. Kraig Kinser
21. James McFadden
22. Tyler Courtney
23. Cory Eliason
24. Sam Hafertepe Jr.
25. Dave Blaney
