CONCORD, N.C. — Cole Macedo admits he hit a low point after Kennedale Speedway Park.
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series sophomore got caught up in multiple hard crashes over two nights, straining his TwoC Racing team’s equipment supply.
But Macedo refused to let his head drop too far. The 26-year-old accepted responsibility for what happened on track and opted to join the team in Oklahoma to help the following week. That marked the first step toward a revitalizing stretch.
“It definitely can put a team down, crashing like we did at Kennedale there and crashing pretty much everything we had in the trailer,” Macedo said. “I was super thankful that they all stuck behind me and were understanding. I ended up staying out that week, and I think that meant a lot for the team and myself and everybody. I think it brought the atmosphere back up. They saw that I was there and helping. We all had a good time even as much as we were rebuilding race cars. We enjoyed hanging out together, and I think we built a little bit more of a relationship than we had.”
Since the troubles at Kennedale, Macedo and the group led by crew chief Wayne Johnson have been rolling. The Lemoore, Calif., native wheeled from 12th to ninth at Lawton Speedway, not far from the TwoC shop. The next night at Creek County Speedway didn’t go the way they hoped, but Macedo quickly rebounded. The following Friday at US 36 Raceway, he led laps before finishing sixth. A night later, Macedo bagged his first podium of 2026.
“We absolutely needed a couple good weekends,” Macedo admitted. “The Lawton, Creek weekend, I kind of just told myself like I’m just going to take anything I can get and not try too hard and crash. I just wanted to get through the weekend unscathed and get the ball rolling a little bit. Then last weekend, we obviously qualify good and put ourselves in position, and then you almost have to pounce then, right? Being up front, I pushed a little bit harder than I did the week prior because I was up front.”
A personal highlight of the recent run came at US 36. Cole got to line up on the front row of a World of Outlaws Feature with his older brother Carson right alongside. The two dueled for the top spot with experience eventually leading the elder Macedo to the front and the win. Despite not winding up in victory lane, it’ll still be an experience Cole treasures as he hasn’t been in a spot to battle his brother very often during their time in the sport.
“Me and Carson, we really haven’t got to race with each other a whole lot in our whole careers other than these last couple years,” Macedo said. “So, to be able to line up next to him there in the Dash and line up next to him in the Feature and kind of battle it out with my brother, it’s a super cool feeling. I’m sure my parents were sitting at home, and the rest of my family and the Tarlton family that kind of pushed us through, I’m sure they were sitting there watching us compete at the highest level and side by side, and I’m sure it was a super cool feeling for them. I know it was for me.”
Macedo and the TwoC group are piecing together momentum at the right time. After taking Easter weekend off, the tour hits a stretch that’s almost perfect tailored for this pairing. First up, I-55 Federated Auto Parts Raceway Park, a track where Macedo nearly won in his 2023 debut aboard the Tarlton Motorsports No. 21.
Then there’s Jacksonville Speedway and Tri-State Speedway, a pair of quarter miles suited for any driver that grew up on California’s bullrings. Knoxville Raceway is next, and the historic half-mile is where Macedo first drove the No. 2C and wheeled it from 16th to fifth.
The month of May brings four races in Ohio, which effectively became Macedo’s home away from home when he moved in with the Linder family to pursue his racing dreams. As a result, he’s got plenty of experience at Attica Raceway Park, Sharon Speedway, and Eldora Speedway.
“I think that we’re hitting our stride at the right moment here,” Macedo said. “Looking at the schedule at the beginning of the year, this is the stretch of the schedule I was most excited about. Going to Knoxville where Wayne has lots of laps, Pevely where I’ve led laps and ran well in different cars, and obviously getting back to what I call home a little bit there in Ohio. Attica and Sharon, where I’ve had a lot of laps and had a lot of success. I’m very confident rolling in.”
