BULLRING BATTLE: Macedo Trumps Bayston for Second Jacksonville Victory
COLUMN BY: Alex Nieten – WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINT CAR SERIES – JACKSONVILLE, IL – Jacksonville Speedway has done it again.
It’s tough to live up to the hype that the Illinois bullring brings. Fans come to watch the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series expecting to see one of the best races they’ll witness all year. And that’s exactly what Jacksonville continues to provide.
The Greatest Show on Dirt rolled into the “Land of Lincoln” on Thursday for the Hy-Vee Perks 40, and the sold out grandstand was once again treated to a wild main event.
This time around it was Carson Macedo and Spencer Bayston dueling it out for the top spot while battles everywhere raged on behind them. Bayston got the early jump, but Macedo wasted no time snatching second from his brother then ripping the top around Bayston for the lead on Lap 3.
The war was far from over as Bayston reeled the Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 back in as they fought traffic. The Lebanon, IN native threw a slider, and the two traded the top spot a few times before Bayston wrestled it away. But one mistake would wind up costing the Stenhouse Jr./Marshall Racing No. 17 as Bayston pounded the wall in Turns 3 and 4, allowing Macedo to slip back around on the 18th circuit. Bayston took one last shot on a late restart, but it wasn’t enough as Macedo pulled away to the checkered flag.
“I was able to get to the top before anybody else,” Macedo said. “I don’t think they knew that it was there. Then I just got messed up in lapped traffic, and Spencer was able to get by me. Then he plowed the wall, and I was able to cross back over and get in front of him. That was kind of the race. I knew on that last restart when I had some clean air I was in a good spot. I was hoping it would lock down, but it really didn’t lock down that much. Big thanks to this team.”
Macedo became the fourth multi-time winner this season, joining David Gravel (five), Michael “Buddy” Kofoid (five), and Anthony Macri (two). The Lemoore, CA driver is up to 60 career World of Outlaws wins, becoming the 16th driver to reach that mark. He’s also the first competitor through seven Jacksonville visits for The Greatest Show on Dirt to win a pair. The 29-year-old topped the 2019 race aboard the Kyle Larson Racing No. 2.
Bayston brought the NOS Energy Drink No. 17 home second for his best finish since winning the season opener.
Polesitter Cole Macedo finished third to make the Macedo brothers bookend the podium. It marked his best finish of the season so far in the TwoC Racing No. 2C.
Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel completed the top five.
FEATURE RESULTS:
NOS Energy Drink Feature (40 Laps): 1. 41-Carson Macedo[4]; 2. 17-Spencer Bayston[2]; 3. 2C-Cole Macedo[1]; 4. 18-Sheldon Haudenschild[9]; 5. 2-David Gravel[6]; 6. 83-Michael Kofoid[5]; 7. 15-Donny Schatz[13]; 8. 19-Joel Myers Jr[7]; 9. 1S-Logan Schuchart[10]; 10. 6-Kasey Jedrzejek[16]; 11. 17B-Bill Balog[12]; 12. 45X-Rees Moran[11]; 13. 27-Emerson Axsom[22]; 14. 7A-Will Armitage[3]; 15. 7S-Chris Windom[20]; 16. 51-Ashton Torgerson[23]; 17. 16C-Skylar Gee[21]; 18. 92-Zach Daum[17]; 19. 29-Brayton Lynch[19]; 20. (DNF) 9X-Paul Nienhiser[15]; 21. (DNF) 23-Garet Williamson[18]; 22. (DNF) 51B-Joe B Miller[8]; 23. (DNF) 22-Riley Goodno[24]; 24. (DNF) 37-Bryce Norris[14]
