HAUBSTADT, Ind. — Cole Macedo passed James McFadden on the final lap to win Saturday night’s World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series feature at Tri-State Speedway.

The race featured five different leaders during 40 laps on the quarter-mile oval with Macedo and McFadden exchanging slide jobs during the closing laps and Macedo taking the checkered flag first by .398 seconds.

Aaron Reutzel led the early laps with Tyler Courtney and Sheldon Haudenschild, who cut a tire while leading with seven laps remaining also taking turns at the front.

“I know he’s probably upset with me, but I really wanted to win that race,” Macedo noted. “These races are tough to win, I’m gonna give it everything I have. James [McFadden] is a great driver and I have the utmost respect for him; I want to run everybody clean. I beat him to the line there and just tried to protect the bottom the best I could.”

Before eighth-starting Macedo and 11th-starting McFadden battled at the end, the beginning was between the front row of Courtney’s Clauson-Marshall Racing No. 7bc and Reutzel’s Roth Motorsports No. 83.

Reutzel paced the opening four laps before Courtney drove by on lap five. It quickly became a non-wing affair as former USAC standouts Courtney and Hunter Schuerenberg ran 1-2 with both drivers chasing their first-career World of Outlaws win.

Courtney led a race-high 19 laps aboard the NOS Energy Drink TURBO machine until Haudenschild in his own NOS Energy Drink whip wheeled by him to take command on lap 24. Mastering lapped traffic, Haudenschild ran off to a 2+ second advantage before a flat left-rear tire sent his Stenhouse Jr. Marshall Racing No. 17 to the work area on lap 33.

Inheriting the lead with seven to go, Macedo brought the field back to life in his Jason Johnson Racing No. 41 and immediately received a challenge from McFadden in the Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb No. 9. They ran side-by-side for a handful of laps until J-Mac finally cleared his slider coming to the white flag.

McFadden officially led lap 39, but Macedo was quick to cross under him and steal it back entering turn one. The duo made contact fighting for real estate on the bottom and nearly allowed Courtney to sneak by them both as they went down the backstretch. Macedo made the move to go low in the final two corners and did just enough to survive McFadden’s onslaught.

It was Macedo’s second victory of the season.

“I could see him peeking his nose and I knew I needed to stay in front or he would pull the trigger hard enough,” Macedo said. “I saw the white come out and knew I needed to capitalize. This is a great win for our Jason Johnson Racing crew. I’m glad I can get Phil, Nate and Clyde back to victory lane.”

A dejected McFadden came home with a close second-place effort following his victory in Friday’s show at Kokomo Speedway.

“He was racing like a bit of a d–k head to be honest,” McFadden said. “He chopped me and put me over the tires and jammed it off the fence a couple of times. I kept giving him room and I probably shouldn’t have; I should have parked him and cleared him. I feel bad for letting my team down. Second is decent, but I probably needed to be a bit ruder.”

Courtney finished third.

“I think it was just inexperience in lap traffic,” Courtney said. “I’ve had more laps around here than those guys, but I just struggled with where to put the car. To rebound tonight with a podium against the best drivers in the country, maybe the world, is really awesome for our team.”

Schuerenberg earned his second-career World of Outlaws top five, and first since Tri-State in 2018, aboard the Vermeer Motorsports No. 55. Reutzel wrapped up the top five.

To see full results, turn to the next page.