California’s Carson Macedo wins 34th Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway
-
Carson Macedo, center, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Brandon Croney/Special to the Eagle
-
Brandon Spithaler takes a turn during practice for the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Brandon Croney/Special to the Eagle
-
David Gravel takes the turn during hot laps in the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Brandon Croney/Special to the Eagle
-
Carson Macedo takes a turn during practice before the Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup at Lernerville Speedway on Tuesday, July 22, 2025. Brandon Croney/Special to the Eagle
BUFFALO TWP — Carson Macedo took the lead on the initial turn of the first lap of Tuesday night’s 34th annual Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup and never looked back.
Racing at Lernerville Speedway for the first time since 2021, the Lemoore, Calif., native kept in front of Sye Lynch for the rest of the 35-lap Kubota High Limit Racing Sprint Car series feature, earning the $25,000 prize.
“I’ve actually been really pretty average, not very good here in the past,” Macedo said afterwards in victory lane. “I was like, ‘Man, I hope I can figure it out and kind of get it together.’ But I just felt really solid all night. I felt like I missed it just a little bit in time trials going around the top. But ultimately, we were able to cover, win our heat race, really execute the dash and then just felt really good during the whole feature.”
Lynch, whose father, Ed, won the 2002 Don Martin Memorial Silver Cup in upset fashion, slipped behind Thorson in the late going and finished third.
The race had four restarts, including three within the opening six laps. Butler native Brandon Spithaler caused a brief stoppage during the 26th lap, and Kyle Larson, a four-time Silver Cup winner, headed to the pits at the same time after getting tied up with Kasey Kahne during the sixth lap. Macedo sped off out of the single-file restart, leaving Lynch behind for good. Lynch overtook Thorson for second soon after.
“Pulling the trigger and coming here was obviously a really good idea,” Macedo said. “It feels good to win a High Limit race — never won one — and it feels good to put my name on that list.”
Thorson had taken pole position of the feature with a first-place dash finish. Macedo climbed from sixth in that event to the front row at the beginning of the main event.
Before that, Macedo beat Justin Peck and Larson in the first heat. The event totaled 31 cars, 25 of which reached the feature.
