Macedo On Volusia Win: ‘It Means A Little Extra’

Carson Macedo celebrates his World of Outlaws win Wednesday at Volusia Speedway Park. (KR Poole Photos)

BARBERVILLE, Fla. – Fifty-one days prior to Wednesday night, Carson Macedo wasn’t sure what his World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series season would bring, if anything at all.

At that point, he was in an Australian hospital, nursing a broken leg from a wakeboarding accident that both scuttled his planned racing campaign Down Under with Dyson Motorsport and injected doubts into whether he’d be able to start the year on time with the United States’ leading sprint car tour.

But one surgery, 10 screws, a metal plate, and a lot of grit later over nearly two months, and all of those doubts were erased as Macedo stood in victory lane at Volusia Speedway Park.

A wire-to-wire win in the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals for Jason Johnson Racing put a smile on the Lemoore, Calif., native’s face and – while he was in some discomfort – had thoughts of jubilation in his head rather than thoughts of the pain he’d recently endured.

In short, it made Macedo’s 48th career Outlaw victory one of his greatest yet.

“This is just one of those situations where you’re just grateful and thankful,” Macedo said after Wednesday’s victory. “Winning Outlaw races is never easy, but after coming off an injury like a broken leg – which has been probably the most challenging injury I’ve ever had, especially mentally because it takes you off your feet – it means a little extra.”

A fractured tibia and fibula, similar to the injury suffered by 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott in 2023, meant that Macedo was on crutches for much of the Outlaws’ offseason and far less mobile than normal as he worked through the healing process.

But the surgeon who treated Macedo in Australia, before the latter returned stateside, shortened that process as much as possible and was credited by the driver for his for his work.

“I had a lot of time to sit around and think about the dumb decision I made that led to me breaking my leg, so I’m extra thankful for the doctor that treated me in Australia (Dr. Peter Gifford). He’s an amazing lower limb surgeon that got me back on my feet quicker than I think most people would’ve been able to,” Macedo noted. “He did an incredible job. My injury, the surgery, the wound and everything have all cleaned up really nicely.

“I couldn’t be more thankful to be here and to rebound because of him.”

Perhaps notably, Macedo tipped that he leaned on Elliott for advice during the winter because his injury was so similar.

“It was almost exactly the same. I don’t know that mine, as far as the severity (of the injury), was one way or the other … but I was lucky that (Elliott) was kind enough to let me bounce some ideas off him as to what the recovery was going to look like and what to expect,” Macedo explained.

“It was really kind of him to help me through that process.”

Carson Macedo en route to victory Wednesday at Volusia Speedway Park. (KR Poole Photos)

Despite the fact that Macedo has been a top-three driver in the Outlaw point standings each of the last four years – from 2021-’24 – he was still on edge coming into this year’s opener because of the leg injury.

“There was a little bit of doubt in my mind coming in, because I didn’t know for sure that I could do a hundred-percent job behind the wheel,” he admitted. “I felt good, but until you’re out there on the track and make some laps and actually use (the leg), you don’t know if it’s going to keep up. But after hot laps I was pretty confident, and I just tried to carry that confidence into the rest of the night.”

Macedo dominated the night, going unchallenged out front for the 25-lap duration, but admitted a late stoppage for Buddy Kofoid’s flip with three to go threw a small wrench into the works.

“When I was racing, it was like I couldn’t even feel the injury; I felt totally normal. Then, all of a sudden the red comes out, and (the leg) had a heartbeat that felt bigger than the one in my chest,” Macedo recalled. “I could feel it (getting) sore. It hurts a little bit – not bad – but just enough that it kind of bothered me a bit.

“Just thankful I was able to make it through all 25 laps. The lap traffic was probably the most challenging part, because the car starts getting tight (in turbulent air) and you have to use the brake to get you through (the corners). Overall, though, for the most part I felt solid and like I could do my job.”

Though Wednesday’s feature was for show-up points only – full Outlaws feature points kick off with Thursday night’s action at Volusia – Macedo noted that the momentum of a win is important no matter whether it’s a full points race or not.

“We left Volusia last year in catch-up mode,” Macedo said. “We were way back, I think more than 100 points, and that was a sting for us. It took a lot to get those points back. And when you look back at the end of last year, you think what it could have been like if we had those races back. This time, we just came in here with the mindset that we could do a good job, after we ended last year with balance in the car and with this (bigger track) package.

“We brought the same stuff back and Philip (Dietz, crew chief) did a great job with it for me. Every little thing adds up and it means a lot to start this way and be in the mode of winning races.”

And as for any extra curriculars, Macedo did say there’s a few things he won’t be doing anytime soon.

“I think I might just stay off of a snowboard or wakeboard for the near future, especially while I’m racing and trying to do this professionally. It’s just not worth it, as much as it is fun and something I enjoy.

“Maybe someday when I retire, I’ll go back to it.”

That retirement won’t be anytime soon, as Macedo and the World of Outlaws sprint car field return to action at the DIRTcar Nationals Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 6-8, at Volusia Speedway Park.

Every lap of the World of Outlaws season can be streamed live through DIRTvision.