SINGLETON, Australia – While the large majority of American race drivers have unplugged from frenetic lifestyles the week of New Year’s, Carson Macedo has arranged other plans across the globe.
The 25-year-old Californian is vacationing this Christmas weekend with Australian car owners Sean and Felicity Dyson in the New South Wales area, and is set to gratify several desires over the next month.
Atop those arrangements, needless to say, are 19 days of racing sprint cars and midgets at some of Australia’s top dirt tracks spanning this Tuesday, Dec. 28 to Jan. 29.
“It’s just a really good opportunity for me to stay in the seat,” said Macedo, who just last month completed his first season with Jason Johnson Racing touring the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series.
In all, Macedo has over a dozen sprint car races scheduled in the Dyson Motorsport No. 99 at the following facilities: Mount Gambier’s Borderline Speedway (Dec. 28 and Jan. 20), Avalon Raceway (Dec. 30 and Jan. 19), Archerfield Speedway (Jan. 1, 5, 7, 8), Toowomba Speedway (Jan. 9), Maryborough Speedway (Jan. 10), Lismore Speedway (Jan. 12), Sydney Speedway (Jan. 15) and Premier Speedway, Warnnambool (Jan. 21-23)
Macedo has additional midget races planned at Sydney on Jan. 14 and the Brisbane Australian Midget Title event at Archerfield Speedway on Jan. 28-29.
“During the offseason, when everybody else is not racing, I’m able to still continue to make laps and have seat time and be in the car as much as possible,” Macedo said.
The joys that come with the trip – dinners and outings and backyard cricket games with the Dyson family of four – keeps the business side of Macedo in check and free from superfluous strains ahead of another grueling World of Outlaws season.
“They are kind of like family to me,” Macedo said. “I enjoy the time I spent with them, even if it’s only a month and a half.
Macedo totaled 12 wins in a third-place series finish this past year in the JJR No. 41 – a new career high – embellished with his first Crown Jewel in the Williams Grove National Open.
His flight home is booked for Jan. 30 – the week JJR treks southeast for Feb. 7 opening night of the DIRTcar Nationals at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park – and Macedo is simply trying to segue consequent success into the new season.
“It’s just a really good, fun time during Christmas,” Macedo said. “We play backyard cricket and exchange gifts and all hangout and have a good time together. Between that and New Years, and being able to race for a whole month, it’s just a good time to wind down and hangout, and enjoy the slow pace and fun.
“At the same time, I’m over here racing and staying sharp, being the best I can be for the World of Outlaws season ahead.”
Other sprint car travelers such as Brock Zearfoss, Donny Schatz and Kyle Larson have all raced in Australia in recent years, but Macedo stands as the lone American on such an odyssey this winter.
Worldwide restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic have tightened of late and the ramifications nearly disallowed Macedo’s trip.
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