Tuesdays with TMAC – Back Home!
(Bill W) April 9, 2013 – Terry McCarl and the TMAC Motorsports/Country Builders Construction team is glad to be back home in Iowa as they prepare for a busy season of racing in the Midwest. The California tour with his good friends, the Offill family came to a close with last Friday’s event at Antioch Speedway. Unfortunately, the race scheduled for Calistoga was a wash.
TMAC timed in 25th quick at Antioch. “We’re just kind of missing it,” he says. “It seems we’ve been a step behind on these tight, tacky, short tracks. I like the car too tight, even on a tight racetrack and we had it too loose in qualifying at Antioch. I kind of ran the wrong part of the track. After the checkers, I found the line and the car was awesome!”
The Altoona, Iowa driver was unable to make the top five transfers in his heat after starting seventh. “We were out of the invert in the heat,” says TMAC. “We almost got to fifth. It’s one of those tracks. I’ve been around in California long enough to know that tracks like Merced, Chico and Antioch are usually more slick qualifying than they are in the feature. Instead of loosening up all night, you are tightening up. I knew that and we were better at all three places as the night went on. We just got behind in qualifying.”
Starting in row three, TMAC found the B to be more than just an exercise in going through the motions. “It got pretty interesting,” he says. “I got into fourth. We had a yellow and we dropped back to sixth on the restart. I think one time we were four-breast coming off of turn two. There was a little more pressure to make the feature with the Country Builders folks there with us.”
That’s when things got harder. “Someone got sideways in front of us and our right rear got over their left front,” says TMAC. “We were three or four feet in the air. How I didn’t flip was amazing. I came straight down on my neck and back though. There was a red and we looked at the car. We couldn’t believe there wasn’t anything broken.”
Once in a transfer spot, it wasn’t over yet. “We got our way up to fourth, and with five or so laps to go, the motor started sputtering,” says TMAC. “I started thinking it might be fuel. I don’t have a full-time crewmen, but it was good to have Richard Brown and Keith and Brian Offill. We forgot the fuel! It sputtered and got worse and worse. I was praying for the white flag and it finally came. I think we only beat (Dominic) Scelzi to the line by a foot.”
Then, the bad news came from Ocean Speedway. “I received a call between the B and the A, that at Watsonville where Carson was racing, Lori was involved in an accident where a car flipped into the fence,” says TMAC. “We don’t think she broke anything, but she’s got some big, nasty bruises. She didn’t want to miss seeing Carson race. I’m a little mad she didn’t go to the hospital.”
Knowing that she would be fine and was staying at the track, TMAC strapped up for the feature. “That was a shock,” he says. “I was glad she was going to be o.k. I went out on that little track starting 23rd. I had a bit of a vibration, and I didn’t want to get in anyone’s way. I’m not chasing points, and you have to get to 15th before money makes a difference.”
Despite the DNF, TMAC pulled some enjoyment from local Shane Golobic’s win over the Outlaws. “It was great,” he says. “We were parked next to them. I raced with his Dad John at San Jose. Country Builders has been a sponsor for them for a long time too. It was just fun to see that. It had to be a real thrill for John.”
It was time to come home. “We loaded it up in one piece and took off for Iowa,” says TMAC. “We had a lot of fun with the Offill family. It was good to see some old friends, and to see Carson getting some laps out there in California. Now we can go back and focus on what we need to do to win a championship at Knoxville.”
To check out opportunities to partner with TMAC Motorsports on a nightly basis, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com or call 515 957-0020!
Websites for the McCarl Gang!
Driverwebsites.com develops the websites for the McCarl boys. Check out www.TerryMcCarl.com, as well as www.AustinMcCarl.com and www.CarsonMcCarl.com!
This Month in TMAC History!
On April 15, 2005, TMAC won the first ever race in the history of the ASCS-Midwest series at Nebraska Raceway Park in 2005. After having to pass Don Droud Jr. to win the B main, TMAC started the Mark Burch Motorsports #1m in the 16th starting spot, and aided by a caution flag, took the lead from Brian Brown on the 16th go-around. At the finish, he bested Billy Alley, Brown, Mike Chadd and Jason Martin.
"Tuesdays with TMAC"!
"Tuesdays with TMAC" is an up close and personal look at colorful sprint car veteran Terry McCarl. To receive "Tuesdays with TMAC", send an e-mail to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with "TMAC" in the subject line.
TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, “Lord I Apologize BBQ Sauce”, Deanfield Farms, Bosma Poultry, Eagle Motorsports, DeBerg Concrete, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, SCE Gaskets, Justice Brothers, 212 The Boiling Point Bar & Grill, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Pick Farms, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Superflow Technologies, T&P Brothers, Mediacom, Larry Fleck Trucking, Winters, DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Jocko's Sprint Parts, Sander, Brown and Miller, Pro Shocks, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Van Der Brink Designs, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, Justice Brothers, KSE Steering, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Weiland Racing, Butlerbuilt, PBS Bushings and Mote Fasteners.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia