JACKSON, Minn. – Carson Macedo officially led the distance of Friday’s 30-lap World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series main event at Jackson Motorplex.
However, the Californian’s win during the 41st annual AGCO Jackson Nationals was anything but simple.
Macedo held off multiple bids for the lead and a slew of slide job attempts from Daryn Pittman and Logan Schuchart to score his second Outlaws triumph of the season.
Macedo garnered the pole position for the A-main after winning the dash. He quickly took the top spot once the green flag waved on the non-stop main event. Macedo entered traffic around lap eight, but things got extremely dicey during the final dozen laps.
With 12 laps to go, Schuchart slid Macedo for the lead in turns one and two, but Macedo returned the move in turns three and four, edging Schuchart at the flagstand by .055 seconds.
It was the tightest move of the race for Macedo, who not only overcame close racing with Schuchart and Pittman, but thick traffic as well.
“We raced each other pretty hard,” Macedo said. “My guys are doing a great job. We got into the dash after a tough heat race. We picked off laps from there.”
Pittman and Schuchart waged war in the final handful of laps for the runner-up position, with Pittman coming out on top.
“Our car is really good,” Pittman said. “Carson did a great job. He got through traffic really well.”
Schuchart rounded out the podium.
“Carson ran a great race and picked his lines good,” Schuchart noted. “He’s really tough and so is Daryn and all these guys out here.”
Brad Sweet, who won the AGCO Jackson Nationals opener on Thursday, finished fourth with Ian Madsen rounding out the top five.
David Gravel and Madsen set quick time during their qualifying groups to kick off the action. Gravel, Schuchart, Madsen and Pittman were the heat race winners.
Tasker Phillips claimed the C-main and Jason Sides won the Last Chance Showdown. Shane Stewart took the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 11th to seventh.
Macedo joined Heartland Steel RaceSaver sprint cars presented by Wyffels Hybrids feature winner Bill Johnson as drivers who were victorious during the second round of the event.
The finish:
1. 2-Carson Macedo (1); 2. 83-Daryn Pittman (2); 3. 1S-Logan Schuchart (3); 4. 49-Brad Sweet (5); 5. 18-Ian Madsen (4); 6. 41-David Gravel (6); 7. 5-Shane Stewart (11); 8. 15-Donny Schatz (8); 9. 1A-Jacob Allen (7); 10. 09-Matt Juhl (10); 11. 7-Justin Henderson (14); 12. 4-Terry McCarl (13); 13. 49X-Tim Shaffer (15); 14. 17-Sheldon Haudenschild (18); 15. 41S-Giovanni Scelzi (17); 16. 11K-Kraig Kinser (12); 17. 3-Jac Haudenschild (16); 18. 83R-Lynton Jeffrey (19); 19. 44S-Trey Starks (22); 20. 2KS-Austin McCarl (23); 21. 55-Brooke Tatnell (20); 22. 19-Brent Marks (24); 23. 7S-Jason Sides (21); 24. 19P-Paige Polyak (9).