Tuesdays with TMAC – Another WoO Top Ten!
(Bill W) November 11, 2014 – With a little different circumstances at the Dirt Track in Charlotte on Friday night, there could have been two Knoxville regulars taking wins at the World of Outlaws World Finals. Terry McCarl put himself on the pole for the preliminary event. A few issues changed some setup decisions and he settled for another WoO top ten finish. Nonetheless, the TMAC Motorsports #24 team finished on a high note.
Thursday saw the field qualify for Friday and Saturday’s action. “I kind of missed my line qualifying for both nights really,” says TMAC. “For as bad as I felt my lap was, we still came out decent for Friday (16th quick). For Saturday, it really hurt us going out early. They did a really good job with the racetrack. Both nights, it was good from the beginning and it lasted until the end. I didn’t get a chance to see anyone go out. We were less than tenth of a second off Donny Schatz for the heat invert, and we were 30th quick, so that tells you what the competition is like there.”
Sixteenth quick meant the Altoona, Iowa driver would start on the pole of his Friday heat race. “We had a good battle with Logan (Schuchart) at the start of the heat,” says TMAC.
“We were able to take off from there, and win by quite a ways. The car was the best I’ve felt at Charlotte.”
TMAC continued his hot streak with a Dash win, putting him on the pole for the feature. “We made a few changes to the car,” he says. “Being in the Dash gave us an opportunity to test a little bit. Doug (Rankin), Austin (McCarl), DJ (Brink) and Carson (McCarl)…we put our heads together. There were some small things I wanted to do. It was really the best car I’ve had there.”
The team made an unexpected motor change before the feature. “I had a small vibration in the heat, and it got a little bit bigger in the Dash,” says TMAC. “We pushed off for the special 4-wide salute with all the classes, and it felt like it was getting worse. I got a little paranoid and felt like we needed to change it. We changed to a good motor, but it had about thirteen nights on it.”
Without time to look at the track during the late model feature, TMAC relied on word of mouth. “I still felt if the car was on, we would be fine,” he says. “We were changing the motor, and we had the tire guys and some others come up and say the late model guys were laying down some rubber. We didn’t have any hard tires, so I made the corporate decision to loosen the car up from where we were in the heat and the Dash. That was a huge mistake. It didn’t end up laying rubber. It wore the tires out, but it never laid rubber.”
After starting up front, he would checker tenth. “We were just loose from the word go,” says TMAC. “It was unfortunate, because we were really good up to that point. As it was, we got another top ten with the Outlaws. I don’t know how many we’ve had this year (thirteen top tens and five top fives in twenty shows), but we’ve had a good record with the Outlaws.”
TMAC’s 30th quick effort for Saturday’s finale put him behind the 8-ball. He started sixth in his heat, with only the top four transferring. “We were behind five fast guys,” he says. “Actually, we got a great start. I was able to get by Cody (Darrah) and I had a shot at (Danny) Lasoski. I kind of misjudged where Kerry (Madsen) was going and that slowed me down. It was actually a hell of a race, but we ended up sixth.”
He would start tenth in the B, and after challenging for a transfer, ended his night mid-pack. “It was a pretty tall order,” says TMAC of a top four transfer. “Everyone was so strong. We had a good start. A couple guys got piled up, and I just missed it. We restarted sixth and we got up to fourth. Lasoski got into the fence a ton, and I was right behind him. That got me slowed down, and Lynton (Jeffrey) and (David) Gravel just smoked me. I got to moving around and trying to make something happen after that.”
TMAC was happy about the weekend. “All in all, we had a great car,” he says. “To win the heat and the Dash on opening night was cool. I feel a lot better, and think we’ll have some good notes for next year if we go back. It was great to see Brian Brown, another Knoxville guy pick up the feature win Saturday. It shows how tough the guys are around here.”
He is also thankful for the help from some great partners. “We had a lot of help that gave us the opportunity to go down to Charlotte,” says TMAC. “We have to thank SuperFlow Dynos, Jet 24-Hour Fitness in Mooresville, North Carolina and Lincoln Auto Auction.”
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 this week in 1992, TMAC embarked on the Slick 50 Series races in Arizona. TMAC ran seven races over six weekends that winter at the Manzanita Speedway near Phoenix in his own #27 machine following his rookie season with the World of Outlaws in the Offill #88. His best finish was eighth, coming on January 3, 1993. In the winter of 1993/1994, TMAC would return to the series in Arizona, this time competing in five features at the Canyon Raceway.
"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@hotmail.com with "TMAC" in the subject line.
TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, Bosma Poultry, SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, DeBerg Concrete, Colin Bulmer, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, Justice Brothers/Gillund Enterprises, Ryan Yager Trucking, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, SuperFlow, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Rens Trucking, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Snap On Tools, Sposato Paint, Winters, Kilani Fender, Inc., DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Taco Bravo, Brown and Miller, Pro Shocks, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Van Der Brink Trucking, Van Der Brink Designs, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Buttman BBQ, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, KSE Steering, Snyder Lawn & Landscaping, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Butlerbuilt, PBS Bushings and Mote Fasteners.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
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