PETERSEN MEDIA
After an extended stint back east, Cole Macedo reunited with Tarlton Motorsports for the ‘Road to Dirt Cup’ swing going through Oregon and Washington. The four-race mini-series was ultimately highlighted by Macedo winning his first career NARC/KWS feature event when the series stopped in at Willamette Speedway on Saturday night.
“The ‘Road to Dirt Cup’ was a lot of fun as I got to four new tracks that I have never been to before,” Cole Macedo said. “Drew, Cobe, and Nate had the car good all week long and I was able to get comfortable fast which helped get our first NARC/KWS win of the year, and first for me personally.”
Kicking the week off last Thursday in Medford, OR, Macedo timed in second fastest in time trials aboard the Tarlton and Son Inc./Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions/Executive Auto Sales backed No. 21.
Running second in his heat race from fourth, Macedo advanced to the Dash where his fifth-place finish put him in the third row of the 30-lap feature event. On a very slick racing surface that eventually began taking rubber, Macedo settled in and made sure to hit his marks.
Slipping back to seventh, at the race’s halfway point Macedo settled in and capped the opener off with a Top-10.
Traveling to the new Douglas County Dirt Track in Roseburg, OR on Friday night, Macedo got off to another strong start as he timed in second fastest in qualifying time trials before tallying a fourth-place finish in his heat to lock into the Sunnyvalley Bacon Powered Dash.
Finishing second in the Dash, Macedo shared the front row with Corey Day as the duo led the field to green for the 30-lap finale.
When the green flag was displayed to the field, Macedo drifted back to fourth as he raced with the likes of Chase Johnson and Justin Sanders as they jockeyed for position as the front of the field.
On another extremely slick racing surface, Macedo powered into third on the 11th lap and settled in for the next 15 circuits.
The closing stages of the race saw Chase Johnson get by Macedo as he fell back to fourth, and went on to finish.
Saturday night the series headed to Lebanon, OR and took to the Willamette Speedway for the third round of the ‘Fastest Four Days in Motorsports’.
Timing in seventh quickest in time trials, Macedo picked up the win his heat race and made himself eligible for another Dash. Finishing second in the Dash, the Lemoore, CA driver was once again on the front row of the feature event as he searched after his first ever NARC/KWS win.
When the green lights flashed, Macedo was hard on the throttle as he jumped out to the early lead on a track that soon became very narrow as rubber began to go down. Strong out front, Macedo was able to wire the field as he led all 25-laps and scored the first KWS/NARC series win of the season for Tarlton Motorsports, as well as his first career triumph with the series.
Continuing to head north with Skagit Speedway the ultimate final destination, Sunday marked the final stop of the mini-series as Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, WA played host in an event dubbed as the ‘Timber Cup’.
Again, timing in very well, Macedo ended up third fastest before racing to a second-place finish in his heat race. Qualifying for the Dash for the fourth consecutive night, Macedo’s second place finish put him on another front row.
Settling into second when the race came to life, Macedo chased after Dominic Scelzi until a hard charging Corey Day dropped him back to third on the 14th lap.
Running in third, Macedo had a miscue on the cushion and resulted in him spinning to a stop and going to the back of the field on the 16th lap.
With the race ultimately getting called short after a lap 23 fuel stop, Macedo worked his way back to 13th before the checkered flag was displayed on the 24th marker.
“I have a lot of confidence in this team heading into Super Dirt Cup,” Cole Macedo said. “I was hoping to get some valuable track time on Tuesday night, but with the rain out, we will hit the track on Thursday. Big thanks to Tom and Tommy Tarlton, the Dyson family, and everyone who supports this team and helps us at the track.”
Tarlton Motorsports would like to thank Tarlton and Son Inc., Complete Parts & Equipment Solutions, Executive Auto Sales, Empire Machinery, Durst, Reston Enterprises, Bandy and Associates, FK Shocks, FK Rod Ends, System 1 Ignition, Vortex Wings, and BG Lubricants for their support.
BY THE NUMBERS: Races: 14, Wins: 3, Top 5’s: 5, Top 10’s: 8.
ON TAP: Macedo and Tarlton Motorsports are now set for the Super Dirt Cup at Skagit Speedway that gets underway on Thursday night.
STAY CONNECTED: Stay connected with Tarlton Motorsports by following @Tarlton_Racing on Twitter, or becoming a fan on facebook at www.facebook.com/tarltonracing21.