KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Carson Macedo turned the tables on Knoxville Raceway during Thursday night’s qualifying program for the 62nd NOS Energy Knoxville Nationals at the historic half-mile dirt track.
The last time Macedo raced at the Sprint Car Capital of the World, he left the track in an ambulance.
Macedo was involved in a wild crash that saw his Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 sprint car flip and catch fire during the June World of Outlaws stop at Knoxville Raceway. Though he suffered only minor injuries, he had to be cut from his burning car.
But in his return to racing at Knoxville, Macedo was up on the wheel and delivered his first preliminary night triumph during the Nationals and his fourth Knoxville Raceway triumph.
“I felt really good to be out there making laps again,” said Macedo, whose car is painted with green and yellow flames this week. “It was a little bit of an eerie feeling coming back, but Knoxville Raceway is incredible, that’s why we brought this car this weekend as a tribute to the fire and safety crew.
“It sucked there for a few weeks not feeling well, but I feel good now and it’s great to be back at Knoxville.”
Macedo started fourth and took the lead on lap-16 restart, sliding under Anthony Macri, who led the first 15 laps of the event.
The race was stop-and-go in nature the rest of the way, with two red flags and yellow flag. But Macedo was up to the task on every restart, including the final one after Jamie Veal flipped on lap 22 of the 25-lap race.
“I didn’t like seeing any of those flags,” Macedo said. “It’s no secret that Spencer Bayston and Kyle Larson are among the best in the business. I knew it was going to be tough.”
Larson, who languished around fifth for much of the race, made a late charge to pass Bayston in the closing turns and steal second place. In addition, Larson, who qualified ninth and drove from seventh to victory in his heat race, was high point man for the two qualifying nights and will start on the pole on Saturday night.
“While I’m racing, my goal is not to pass everybody and be the high point guy,” said the driver of Paul Silva’s No. 57. “I knew if I finished in the top eight I would be starting in a good spot and my goal was just to not mess it up.”
Bayston finished third in the CJB Motorsports machine and is locked into his first Knoxville Nationals A-Main.
“It’s something I have been trying to do,” Bayston said. “I never made a Knoxville Nationals A-main this is my first one, and to do it after being a little bit behind after qualifying. It’s huge. I had overwhelming joy crossing the finish line.”
Macri held on to finish fourth in the Clauson Marshall No. 7bc and also locked into Saturday’s main event, while fast-qualifier Rico Abreu romped from 21st to finish fifth and will share the front row with Larson on Saturday night.
Wednesday night winner Donny Schatz and Logan Schuchart, who finished seventh on Thursday, will start on row two Saturday night.
The Boxscore
Fast Time: Rico Abreu, 15.703 seconds (54 cars).
First Heat (10 laps): Zach Hampton, Brock Zearfoss, Carson Macedo, Lachlan McHugh, Rico Abreu, Sam Hafertepe Jr., Tim Kaeding, Tanner Holmes, Ryan Roberts, Joe Simbro.
Second Heat (10 laps): Kevin Thomas Jr., Spencer Bayston, Jamie Veal, Brad Sweet, Daryn Pittman, Shane Stewart, Dylan Cisney, Harli White, Matt Wasmund, Shane Golobic.
Third Heat (10 laps): Kalib Henry, Austin McCarl, Garet Williamson, Dusty Zomer, Bill Balog, Kelby Watt, Kaleb Johnson, Buddy Kofoid, Clint Garner, Frank Rodgers III.
Fourth Heat (10 laps): Kyle Larson, Logan Schuchart, Colby Copeland, Anthony Macri, Skylar Prochaska, Ryan Timms, A.J. Moeller, Noah Gass, Bill Rose, R.J. Johnson.
Fifth Heat (10 laps): Ayrton Gennetten, Brian Brown, Cory Eliason, Ian Madsen, Chris Windom, Sawyer Phillips, Jordan Goldesberry, Austin Bishop, Gage Pulkrabek, Rusty Hickman.
C Main (10 laps): Shane Golobic, Ryan Roberts, Clint Garner, Bill Rose, Matt Wasmund, Joe Simbro, R.J. Johnson, Trent Pigdon, Frank Rodgers, Gage Pulkrabek, Bill Wagner, Cody Ihlen.
B Main (12 laps): Rico Abreu, Buddy Kofoid, Shane Stewart, Daryn Pittman, Tanner Holmes, Bill Balog, Chris Windom, Tim Kaeding, Sawyer Phillips, Harli White, Kaleb Johnson, Ryan Timms, Shane Golobic, Kelby Watt, Noah Gass, Skylar Prochaska, Clint Garner, Dylan Cisney, Jordan Goldesberry, Bill Rose, Austin Bishop, A.J. Moeller, Sam Hafertepe Jr.
Feature (26 laps): Carson Macedo, Kyle Larson, Spencer Bayston, Anthony Macri, Rico Abreu, Austin McCarl, Logan Schuchart, Dusty Zomer, Michael Kofoid, Brock Zearfoss, Brian Brown, Garet Williamson, Shane Stewart, Colby Copeland, Ian Madsen, Lachlan McHugh, Ayrton Gennetten, Kalib Henry, Zach Hampton, Jamie Veal, Brad Sweet, Cory Eliason, Daryn Pittman, Kevin Thomas Jr.
