World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series driver Carson Macedo shared he wants to pilot a Dirt Late Model and revealed the track he’d like to make his debut at.
Macedo, who is one of the top Sprint Car drivers in the country and is currently fourth in the Outlaws points, shared his desire to race in a Dirt Late Model during the most recent episode of DIRTVision’s Pit Bull.
He said, “It is fun to watch late model racing, I know that. I’m good buddies with RTJ (Ricky Thornton Jr.) too and I feel like some day I’d love to race one myself, but I’d think just to say I did it. Late Model racing is fun to watch especially at places like Fairbury or Pevely, little places like that. It’s cool.”
When asked by host Hannah Newhouse what his dream track would be to run a late model, Macedo replied, “If I was going to run one, look, I probably wouldn’t embarrass myself at a place like the Dome. As a Winged Sprint Car driver, you’d just be foolish to think that you’re going to go run some little tiny quarter mile and be competitive. I think that’s way harder. I see the way them guys have to basically run the thing in there on the right front like it’s a Non-Wing car. I don’t think I’m going to be comfortable doing that.”
“I’d probably be much better off showing up to like, honestly, like Eldora or somewhere like that,” he continued. “Really, like, literally Eldora. And I need to pray that I’m in an extremely good car that’s mechaniced by maybe Bob Pierce or Nick Hoffman or something so that I have a really good shot at running decent. And then I can run the car really straight like a Winged Sprint Car and hopefully be competitive.”
“I think Non-Wing Sprint Car racing’s the same,’ Macedo added. “I mean you guys see it every year at Ventura. I’m like the wrecking ball because I’m trying to race at a level that is way up here when I am really this comfortable. So I feel like the late model would probably be no different. I think a Non-Wing Sprint Car though is very similar. Like if you get it on a big track it feels like you’re running a Winged Sprint Car. And I feel like I would be just as comfortable as a Justin Grant at maybe at a place like Eldora, but not so much at Ventura.”
Macedo is no stranger to Eldora Speedway. He won the 2021 Jokers Wild and the Knight Before the Kings Royal races there. He won the Knights Before the Kings Royal again in 2023. He finished third in the Kings Royal in 2022, and second in the 2023 Eldora Million. This year he finished sixth in the Kings Royal.
Macedo’s brother Cole shared similar thoughts if he was given an opportunity to drive a Dirt Late Model, “I’d want to go to a track where I have, not an advantage, but somewhat of a hope: being in a good car, bigger track, where you don’t have to get the thing so bent.”
“But, honestly, I think, Late Models are built more for me,” he continued. “I’m 6’2 and 180 lbs. I feel like that’s more of the build for some of these guys. I probably would excel more in that. Maybe I need to switch over into that at some point.”
While the Macedo brothers seemingly won’t be in a Dirt Late Model any time soon, Aaron Reutzel will make his debut at the Gateway Dirt Nationals driving for Gordy Gundaker. During an appearance on The Dirt Parlor, Gundaker announced the deal, “Aaron Reutzel will be driving for me at the Dome this year in 2026, which I’m super excited about. It’s going to be so much fun.”
Reutzel went on to explain why he wanted to compete in the Dome, “Watching it this year I was like that would be-. I’ve always kind of wanted to drive a late model, but just being so different, it’s like I don’t know if I really want to or not. Then the Dome came along and it’s like, to me, the Dome is kind of like Chili Bowl. You do get a lot of people that don’t belong, but-. So I feel like if there’s a place I’m going to run a late model, it’s probably there, where I could probably screw up and run into someone, but it’s like, ‘Hey, it’s the Dome, bud!’ I’m probably going to have to use the, ‘Hey, it’s the Dome.’”
“I’ve wanted to run a late model. I’ve thought about it. And even when you finally came through and said, ‘Alright. Yup. You’re in if you want it.’ I was like, ‘I don’t know. I even asked my brother-in-law. I was like, ‘Man, what do you think?’ He goes, ‘You better do it!’ He goes, ‘I want to go.’ I even asked my parents and stuff like, ‘What do you think?’ And everyone’s like, ‘You better go do it.’ Like one, you’re not going to get this good of an opportunity again to do it. And there’s no better place to go do it. And your stuff’s really fast there too.”
“And then just the whole going there and having good people to hang out with and a trailer to go to, and have some drinks, and the whole picture. I’m super, super excited,” Reutzel added.
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