Tuesdays with TMAC – New Ride for 360 Nationals/Special Scheme for Nationals!
(Bill W) July 30, 2013 – It’s been a busy couple of weeks for Terry McCarl in preparations for Southern Iowa Sprintweek as a driver and promoter. He mixed in a win at Rock Rapids aboard the Jeremy Scadden Construction #6 in JSTS action with a couple of events at Knoxville in preparation for the upcoming Nationals.
TMAC first paired with Scadden for the JSTS Speedweek opener in Sioux Center, Iowa on July 17. “It was a bit of a scramble to get my seat in the car, and we barely got it in for hot laps,” he says. “We went out in the heat and got to second right away (from fourth). The car felt awesome. We broke a throttle linkage and we fell out. We started dead last in the B and we won that. We started towards the back of the A and actually got to sixth at one point. We had a caution and I thought we had a possible top three going. We had the stubber break off on the left rear shock. The stubber came off and that made us loose. We ended up eighth.”
The next night was fruitful at the Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids. “We had a chance to work on the car a little bit,” says TMAC. “They had some heavy hitters there, with a great car count. We were really good. We were able to win the heat, and started fourth in the feature.”
The feature went well, with TMAC taking the win going away. “We were starting behind Rico Abreu, Justin Henderson and Brian Brown and had a lot of good guys behind us,” he says. “The car was just awesome. I could go anywhere on the track I wanted to go. We basically drove by them. The car rolled around there so nice.”
TMAC was happy to win for Scadden. “It was a lot of fun to drive, and Rock Rapids is a fun racetrack,” he says. “They have great fans. I was really happy for Jeremy. They hadn’t raced a while and were down on engines. That was pretty amazing and I felt great for him.”
Things moved to Fairmont, Minnesota the next night. “We won the heat again,” says TMAC. “We were able to get the jump on Brian Brown on the start, and then he was able to get back by us. It wanted to lay rubber already and I thought we were in trouble. I was able to drive back around him on the high side and we set sail.”
It looked like another sure win until an official’s decision intervened. “We had three restarts and I started in the same spot every time,” says TMAC. “Everything was fine. The fourth restart, I took off early on purpose a little bit. They called it back, which was fine. I decided to go back and start in the original spot that I had the first three times. It really didn’t matter, it was laying rubber. I just rolled into the throttle; I didn’t even get on it. They unbelievably called me for jumping again and sent the leader back two spots…we ended up third. I’ve never heard of that in my life. They said Brian was right on my bumper in turn one, so needless to say, it wasn’t very professional on JSTS’s part. It was unfortunate, because we had another race won for Jeremy, and to lose it on something silly like that was unfortunate.”
On July 20 at Knoxville, a heat race incident cost TMAC. “We were looking good,” he says. “It looked like we were going to win the heat race with a couple of laps to go. I thought we had a shot at winning it. I don’t know if we ran over something or what, but we had a flat under caution there and I didn’t realize it. We went down in three and four under green and we blew a tire. I’ve never really seen anything like it. It bent the inside of the right rear wheel. It bent it so bad it ripped the right rear brake caliper off. It all got stuck in there. I wasn’t concerned. We could change it and I just needed to pass one car to get in the A…but there was no way my guys could change it. As it was, we barely got the brakes off and the wheel on for the B main.”
After winning the B, TMAC charged from 21st to 7th in the main event. “The car was great in the B main and the feature,” he says. “But with the luck we’re having, of course, the feature went green to checker with no cautions.”
In All Star action a week ago Sunday at Huset’s Speedway, TMAC qualified second before getting through his heat and finishing sixth in the Dash. He would run fourth in the feature. “We made it through the heat o.k., but we had a hole in our right rear,” he says. “You have to use the same tire in the heat and feature, so we had to plug it. Luckily, it held. We got going pretty well, but I got stuck behind (Tim) Shaffer and Cap Henry for a long time. By the time I got by them, it was too late to do anything with the leaders.”
Last Saturday night at Knoxville, TMAC posted a solid top three finish. “The car was running really well again,” he says of his A.R.T. chassis powered by Rider. “It was a solid finish. We weren’t as good as Brian (Brown) or (Bronson) Maeschen, so we have to pick it up for the Nationals. I’m excited for this week and next as good as the car is running right now.”
TMAC will be running the C&H Motorsports #83 at the 360 Nationals this week. He’ll qualify Friday. “I’m excited to partner with Aaron Call and Janet Holbrook for the 360 Nationals,” he says. “It was an easy decision when they called.”
Look for a special paint scheme for the Knoxville Nationals. “We are promoting the ‘Snow Dominator’ from www.theSnowPlow.com!” says TMAC. “We will have a new scheme for the Nationals that I think fans will like.”
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!
TMAC won the 360 Nationals in 1996, 2001 and 2009. He is second on the all-time list with 67 feature laps led. In nine championship events, he has five top ten finishes. He has competed in eleven 360 Nationals events.
"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, SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, DeBerg Concrete, Colin Bulmer – Bayaire Industries, 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, Rens Trucking, 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