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Carson Macedo Beats the Outlaws at the Gold Cup

Carson Macedo scored his first ever World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series victory at the Gold Cup Race of Champions Friday night, delivering an impressive performance that saw him battle past and then hold off the series' reigning champion.

"I'm just speechless," Macedo said after beating the 41 car field. He joins the ranks of non-Outlaw drivers like Greg Hodnett and Dale Blaney who have bested the Outlaws this season and taken home a win.

The young driver started on the outside pole at Silver Dollar Speedway next to Daryn Pittman. As Pittman led through the early laps, Macedo did what few others Friday night found success doing - racing the high side.

"I had to go up there on the start next to Daryn and I just hit it wrong," Macedo said. "But I could feel that it was good. I'm glad I did."

On a caution and subsequent restart on lap seven, Pittman gave Macedo the opportunity he needed. The Tommy Tarleton Racing driver got around the past champion coming out of turn two and led the field back to the start/finish line.

With just nine to go, another caution gave Pittman an opportunity to get around Mecado - and he did just that. Unfortunately for Pittman, a red flag brought on by a wreck involving Brad Sweet, Paul McMahan and Andy Gregg right after the green flag flew reset the field to the previous lap, forcing Pittman to give up the lead.

Macedo, a Fresno, Calif. native, did not make the same mistake twice. When the race restarted he held off a hard-charging Pittman - a feat Mecado repeated again following the final caution of the night on lap 25.

"I can't even say how happy I am," Macedo said. "This is really like my first real win. To do it here with the Outlaws is unheard of. I'm so happy, so happy. This is the stuff kids dream about."

With his win, Mecado became the 20th different driver to win a World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series event this season. He also became the 10th different non-Outlaw driver to find himself in victory lane during 2014.

Pittman, who finished the night in second in his Great Clips car, said he was disappointed he was not able to pull out the win Friday night. He congratulated Mecado, noting he knew a little something about what it meant to notch a first win at the track.

"Congrats to him," Pittman said. "That first, that's pretty special. I got my first win here on a prelim night a long time ago, back in 2000, so this place is pretty special to me in that sense. So obviously this is a win that he'll never forget."

Pittman said, looking forward, his team will regroup and talk about how they can adjust to be a little better tomorrow.

"I was tight on the top and maybe a little free on the bottom," Pittman said. "I thought I had a pretty good balance as far as a car that could move around and run both. I really just wanted to get in traffic more. I really thought I was going to be able to maneuver pretty good in traffic and it just seemed like when we got there to it we got another yellow."

Mecado was not the only California driver to best the Outlaws and make it into the history books for the first time. Bobby McMahan, an Elk Grove, Calif. native, battled with 20-time champion Steve Kinser for the third position, ultimately finishing in that spot and taking home his first ever podium finish in a World of Outlaws feature.

"It's like a win to me," McMahan said. "With all the guys… this is great for us."

McMahan, who started the feature eighth in his American Tool & Manufacturing car, worked his way through the field, benefitting late from the red flag on lap 21 that sent several front running cars into the pits. He traded positions with Kinser, but ultimately came out on top as Kinser finished in fourth.

"He's the King for a reason," McMahan said. "He kind of showed me the middle there getting through one and two. I was rolling the top and I was rolling it pretty good. That's how I passed him. He got me there in the middle and I thought I can't let that happen again."

Donny Schatz's lead in the championship points standings slipped slightly to 197 over second place Daryn Pittman. Paul McMahan is in third 298 points out of the lead.

The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series returns to Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif. on Sept. 6 for the second night of racing action at the Gold Cup Race of Champions. The Outlaws then take on Antioch Speedway on Sept. 7 before returning to the Midwest.

Follow the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WorldofOutlaws, like it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws, or check out the latest videos on YouTube at www.youtube.com/WorldofOutlaws.

SILVER DOLLAR SPEEDWAY NOTES: Carson Macedo is the 20th different winner of the season… Carson Macedo and Bobby McMahan both scored their first ever podium finishes with the Outlaws… Daryn Pittman picked up his fourth quick time of the season… Mason Moore was the KSE Hard Charger Award recipient for the night after advancing 16 positions in the A main to finish in eighth.

SEASON WINNERS: Donny Schatz - 20 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 15, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 19, Lawrenceburg Speedway on May 27, I-96 Speedway on May 31, River Cities Speedway on June 20, 34 Raceway on June 27, Cedar Lake Speedway on June 29, Lernerville Speedway on July 15, Autodrome Drummond on July 26, Cornwall Motor Speedway on July 27, Ohsweken Speedway on July 29, Knoxville Raceway on Aug. 9, Junction Motor Speedway on Aug. 12, Nodak Speedway on Aug. 17, Castrol Raceway on Aug. 22 and Aug. 23, Skagit Speedway on Aug. 29 and Aug. 30 and Grays Harbor Raceway on Sept. 1); Daryn Pittman - 13 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 14, Calistoga Speedway on April 6, Devil's Bowl Speedway on April 19, Williams Grove Speedway on May 16 and May 17, Orange County Fair Speedway, May 18, New Egypt Speedway, May 20, Dodge City Raceway Park on July 4 and 5, Lincoln Speedway on July 17, Fulton Speedway on July 23, River Cities Speedway on Aug. 15 and Southern Oregon Speedway on Sept. 3); Kerry Madsen - 5 (Stockton Dirt track on March 22, El Paso Speedway Park on April 15, Lakeside Speedway on June 7, Eldora Speedway on July 12 and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 3); Joey Saldana - 5 (Perris Auto Speedway on April 12, Salina Highbanks on April 25, The Dirt Track at Charlotte on May 23, I-80 Speedway on June 6 and Jackson Speedway on June 13); Brad Sweet - 5 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 14, Tucson International Raceway on March 8, Calistoga Speedway on April 5, Knoxville Raceway on June 14 and Beaver Dam Raceway on June 28); David Gravel - 4 (Merced Speedway on March 28, Eldora Speedway on May 3, Wilmot Raceway on May 9 and Lebanon Valley Speedway on July 20); Paul McMahan - 4 (The Dirt Track at Las Vegas on March 5, Tri-State Speedway on May 10, Limaland Motorsports Park on July 9 and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on Aug. 1);Cody Darrah - 2 (Kings Speedway on April 11 and Lernerville Speedway on July 15); Shane Stewart - 2 (Eldora Speedway on May 2 and Willamette Speedway on Sept. 2); Sammy Swindell - 2 (Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 on April 26 and Eldora Speedway on July 11); Rico Abreu - 1 (Thunderbowl Raceway on March 15);Christopher Bell - 1 (Jacksonville Speedway on May 7); Dale Blaney - 1 (Attica Raceway Park on May 30); Lance Dewease - 1 (July 20 at Williams Grove Speedway); Greg Hodnett - 1 (July 18 at Williams Grove Speedway); Roger Crockett - 1 (I-94 Speedway on June 21); Mark Dobmeier - 1 (Huset's Speedway on July 2); Steve Kinser - 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 16); Carson Macedo - 1 (Silver Dollar Speedway on Sept. 5); Stevie Smith - 1 (Lincoln Speedway on May 14).

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