LEMOORE, Calif. — For any driver who faces the grueling World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series campaign, the rare trip home is a welcome respite, and this is especially true for Lemoore, Calif., native, Carson Macedo.
Over the past two weeks, Macedo took advantage of some downtime to not only visit family in the Golden State, but also get some laps on the tracks where he cut his teeth.
The winningest driver on the Outlaw tour this season, Macedo tackled a Trophy Cup prelim at Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, Calif. and a NARC Fujitsu General Sprint Car race hosted by The Dirt Track at Kern County Raceway Park.
The pair of nights presented Macedo the chance to reconnect with the team he credits for laying the foundation of his sprint car career, Tarlton Motorsports.
“Ultimately, when I started out my sprint car career, it probably would’ve never happened without the Tarltons,” Macedo told SPEED SPORT. “They were the ones who gave me the opportunity to race in the first place. The financial side of it was just really not that possible for me and my mom and dad.”
Owned by Tom and Tommy Tarlton, the matte black No. 21 has been a staple on the California ovals for more than two decades. Macedo got his chance behind the wheel of the iconic machine in 2012. Two years later, he won his first WoO race with the team, and the following year he brought the Tarltons their first NARC championship.
“They gave me a shot when I was 16,” Macedo said. “I drove for them for four years out here full time on the West Coast and then kind of moved back east and the rest is history, been back there ever since.
“They, obviously, have an amazing operation here in California,” Macedo added. “They have a beautiful shop with Shane Watts and Drew Warner working day in and day out, making sure all of this equipment is extremely nice, well-prepared, and well-kept. Anytime I can fly home and have the opportunity to race out here, I definitely take advantage of it.”
On top of rekindling the driver-team dynamic that paved the path in Macedo’s early career, he and the Tarltons share a familial tie, making their outings somewhat of a family reunion as well.
“My family connection with them is basically my mom’s dad, so my grandfather, and Tom Tarlton, Tommy’s dad, are brothers,” Macedo explained. “So, Tom is my great uncle and Tommy is my cousin.”
Even after departing from California to expand his racing ventures, the Tarltons have continued to support Macedo’s efforts. The Tarlton name appeared on the Kyle Larson Racing No. 2 when Macedo drove for Larson in 2019 and ’20, and the name has continued to ride with him as he’s driven for Jason Johnson Racing the past two seasons.
These last two weekends presented Macedo the chance to return to the seat of the iconic Tarlton car and briefly immerse back in the local sprint car scene that helped shape him.
Macedo’s route to the top ranks of the sport is a common one for the best Golden State gassers. It’s difficult to further a career only competing on the bullrings of the west coast, so while Macedo moved east in 2016, he’s not forgotten where he came from and keeps a close eye on the happenings in California.
“I definitely watch all the races, especially with Mitchell Faccinto, my cousin, driving the primary (Tarlton) car,” Macedo said. “I definitely think the level of competition is still really good out here. Every local area has their guys that really excel on the tracks that they race at and they’ve got their cars really close and good on these tracks.
“I think you look down the pit area here and there are substantially good race cars,” Macedo continued. “You’ve got Corey Day, Bud Kaeding, Ryan Timms, my brother (Cole), Mitchell, Shane Golobic, Ryan Bernal, Justin Sanders, Dominic Scelzi. There are a lot of good guys. It’s definitely races I keep up with because a lot of them are really good races. A couple of weeks ago at Tulare and Hanford they put on amazing shows.”
Shifting the focus to his travels on the Outlaw tour, Macedo is looking for a strong close to his campaign at this week’s World Finals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
While he isn’t in contention for the World of Outlaws championship this year, Macedo has put together two great seasons aboard the JJR No. 41 that have seen his career Outlaw win total soar from six to 28. Finishing 2022 with another trip or two to victory lane could only serve to help his already blooming confidence heading into next season as Macedo looks to become only the third California-born World of Outlaws champion.
“We’ve had a great year,” Macedo said. “Ultimately, I’d love to be in the race for the points at the end and go into Charlotte with a chance to win the championship, but we’ve just had a few mishaps, but we’ve got a lot of things to be proud of and look back at. We can improve on some things, but I’m happy with the way the season been overall. We’ve got a lot of wins. We’re looking, probably, at third in the points unless something really crazy happens, we’re pretty solidified there.
“We’ve got the three nights at Charlotte, one more than normal, for us to go race full nights,” Macedo added. “It’s the last weekend of the year. Hopefully, we can close out strong. I think myself, Philip Dietz, Clyde Knipp and Nate Repetz are all looking forward to 2023 and what we can bring to the table next year to try and get just that little bit better to contend for a championship.”