Macedo Survives Kofoid’s Late Charge for First Win of 2026
Column By: Alex Nieten / WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SERIES – OSBORN, MO – Midwestern race fans rejoiced when US 36 Raceway returned to the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car calendar, and Friday night showed why.
The Osborn, MO oval earned a reputation for offering some of the most thrilling Sprint Car racing you can find. A high banked bullring that puts leaders in traffic in just a few laps. It doesn’t get much better than that.
US 36 didn’t let us down as The Greatest Show on Dirt made its way to the “Show-Me State” for Friday’s KC Classic. After a year away, the country’s best Sprint Car drivers made their way back to the Missouri track.
A Macedo brothers front row set the stage for a wild opening segment as Cole and Carson fought it out like siblings. Carson stalked his younger brother early and even made contact with his right-rear tire in a moment that surely had their parents holding their breath. Both maintained control, and Carson slid ahead a couple circuits later to take command.
But the race was far from over as a late caution set up a thrilling duel to the checkered between Carson Macedo and Michael “Buddy” Kofoid. The two stayed close together as Macedo neared traffic, and Kofoid narrowed the gap as lapped cars got thicker. With only two laps remaining, Kofoid pulled next to Macedo, and the two raced wheel-to-wheel for an entire rotation. Macedo managed to muscle the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 ahead as the white flag waved, and that was the space he needed. He paced the final circuit to score his first win of the year even while being down on power.
“I was in big trouble there,” Macedo admitted. “I looked over with about five to go, and I was down a cylinder. It sounded like a tractor. I was like, ‘Man, I don’t know what we’re going to do.’ I felt really down on power with the way the track was. That was not in my favor at all. I could see Buddy, and I was getting worse and worse. I was just trying to block all I could.”
The first triumph of 2026 was the 59th of Macedo’s career, elevating the Lemoore, CA native above Jason Meyers to take sole possession of 16h all-time. It gave Jason Johnson Racing a home state win as the Missouri-based operation secured its 83rd overall World of Outlaws checkered flag. Macedo also trimmed a little out of David Gravel’s championship lead as the distance between the two now sits at 52 markers.
Kofoid held on for second aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 83 for his second straight runner-up result and moved ahead of Logan Schuchart for fifth in points.
David Gravel rounded out the top three, notching his eighth podium in 10 races this season with the Big Game Motorsports crew.
Sheldon Haudenschild and Emerson Axsom completed the top five.
