0
0
- By Alex Nieten
- Published: December 18, 2023
- Photo Michael Jaworecki/Myracenews
The Californian is looking forward to a fresh start next season with a first championship on his mind
Carson Macedo and Jason Johnson Racing are set to return to the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series in 2024, committed to achieve their goal of winning a Series title.
It’s a dream the Lemoore, CA driver has had since he was a kid, and one he inches closer and closer to every year with JJR.
“I know it’s been my dream since day one. I’ve always wanted to be a World of Outlaws champion,” Macedo said. “For the longest time, it’s been the ultimate place in the sport, and I think it still is. There’s just a lot of history there, and it’s the reason we’re so excited about going Outlaw racing.”
This season will mark Macedo’s sixth consecutive with The Greatest Show on Dirt and fourth since partnering with the team formed by the “Ragin’ Cajun.” Led by team co-owner and crew chief Philip Dietz, Macedo and JJR have been one of the tour’s strongest forces over the past few years. Of Jason Johnson Racing’s 59 World of Outlaws wins, Macedo has supplied the most with 29.
The duo emerged as early title favorites in 2023 after 16 consecutive top 10s and multiple weeks atop the standings. But a pair of accidents resulted in injuries that kept him from competing at his highest level.
“There were some ups and downs, obviously, but ultimately I was happy with how we ended up considering all the stuff that happened,” Macedo said of 2023. “My wreck at Knoxville was unfortunate. We were leading the points at that point, and I felt like we had a lot of momentum on our side. That kind of knocked me back. It took me a little while to recover. I had another wreck in Skagit where I fractured my vertebrae but kept racing. I feel like there were a lot of trials and tribulations on my part as a driver. I kind of felt really bad for my team because unfortunately
they were having to deal with me being not 100%. All in all, though, it was still nothing to hang our hat about.”
With 2023 behind him, Macedo is eager for 2024 to get rolling. However, he’s not waiting for the new year to get back racing. Macedo is currently partaking in a small slate of Sprint Car races in Australia with Dyson Motorsport. It’s all about ensuring he’s ready for next season, both mentally and physically.
“What I’m looking forward to the most about 2024 is being in a fresh state of mind and fresh body and being healed up and being 100%,” Macedo said. “I’ve taken a lot of action in my personal life to try and work out with a bit of a better routine and do more stretching and do a lot more to heal my body up.”
The JJR #41 has its main cast of supporters returning along with a new addition in the form of the Scott Boyd family. All of the pieces are there. And as 2024 unfolds Macedo and company hope to complete the puzzle to reach one of Jason Johnson’s highest goals when he established JJR in 2010 – a World of Outlaws championship.
“I think what’s so unique about the World of Outlaws is the history and the brand behind it,” Macedo said. “You look at the past champions over the years, and they’re incredible race car drivers. That list is so short of World of Outlaws champions that you realize how tough it is to accomplish something like that. I think for JJR it would mean the world to everybody. I know that was Jason’s dream.”
The 2024 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car season begins at Volusia Speedway Park (Barberville, FL) for the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, Feb. 7-10. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
