GAS CITY, Ind. — Among the new faces in the pit area for Wednesday’s second round of Indiana Midget Week at Gas City I-69 Speedway was reigning World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series rookie-of-the-year Carson Macedo.
The Lemoore, Calif., native was wheeling the Tarlton & Son No. 21t for the Tarlton family for which he drove sprint cars for in his home state several years ago.
The Tarltons also sponsor Macedo’s World of Outlaws efforts with Kyle Larson Racing.
Macedo, who will race with the Outlaws on Friday and Saturday nights at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., explained that while it was a late decision to make the trek out to the Hoosier State for Midget Week, it was one that made sense considering he’d already be in the area for the weekend.
“We just wanted to come out and have some fun,” said Macedo. “The Tarlton family was coming out already from California, so we threw this midget in the back of a little trailer, towed it behind the motorhome and got it out here. We brought it here in the KLR No 2 rig, but it just worked out, really.”
In a turnaround from his lone previous visit to Gas City in 2016, when he was crashed out in the B-main, Macedo made the feature and finished eighth.
“I’d been to Gas City once in 2016, driving for Keith (Kunz), and it’s a little tiny place that can get pretty racy,” Macedo noted. “I don’t remember exactly how my night went, but it’s Midget Week and anything can happen, but hopefully we can put in a couple of good showings the rest of the week.
“It’s been a little while since I’ve been in the midget, but it’s always nice to get back in it and run well.”
— Macedo wasn’t the only World of Outlaws driver competing Wednesday, as 2013 WoO champion Daryn Pittman made an appearance in his No. 21.
Pittman, who traditionally runs a midget at the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals and makes rare appearances elsewhere, qualified for the main event through his heat race and finished 14th.
It was Pittman’s first USAC midget appearance since the Jason Leffler Memorial at Illinois’ Wayne County Speedway last fall.
— Ohio’s Aaron Leffel made his first sprint car start of the year at Gas City, stepping up from the USAC D2 midgets after winning several championships at that level.
Leffel’s new sprint car is a DRC chassis with a Myers Chevy engine, sponsored by Redbone Customs and Erwin Chrysler. He finished eighth in his B-main but ended the night with a clean car — his main goal.
“Our goal was to roll this thing back onto the trailer in one piece and have some fun through the course of the night,” Leffel said. “We did both of those, so that’s a positive for our program.”
Leffel swept a pair of USAC D2 midget races indoors at the Southern Illinois Center in DuQuoin, Ill., in late February before turning his focus to sprint car competition.
— It was a pleasant surprise to see California teenager Carson Sousa in the Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports pit area Wednesday, helping the six-car team with operations and tidbits through the day.
A standout in outlaw karts who made his USAC midget debut last fall, Sousa tipped that he’s been in the Midwest “for about a month” helping KKM, and that he flew out from the Golden State in part to help his friend and fellow young gun Daison Pursley.
“Hopefully, being able to work with KKM and being around their team can teach me a lot,” Sousa said. “I’m trying to soak in as much as I can. Maybe it could lead to future opportunities, you just never know.”
— Multiple drivers performed double duty on Wednesday night, led by Justin Grant, who struggled in the midget feature but won the sprint car main event.
Others competing in both classes at the quarter-mile oval included Kevin Thomas Jr., Thomas Meseraull, Brady Bacon, Dave Darland and Clinton Boyles.
Meseraull and Thomas have indicated intentions to race sprint cars and midgets all week long.