Tuesdays with TMAC – 2014 in Review!
(Bill W) December 23, 2014 – A record eighth Huset’s Speedway track title highlighted the 2014 season for Terry McCarl. The Altoona, Iowa sprint car driver also finished a close second at Knoxville Raceway. The competition at both tracks was arguably at the highest level ever seen. TMAC was able to record wins for three different owners including TMAC Motorsports along the way. The veteran is looking forward to 2015, where the Front Row Challenge he promotes will pay $20,000 to the winner for the first time, and the National Sprint League will bring more 410 racing to the Midwest.
Over the course of the season, TMAC recorded thirteen top tens and five top fives in just twenty features with the World of Outlaws. “We had a good year with the Outlaws,” he says. “We skipped Tucson, or we were going to be in the top five in Outlaw points heading to California. We had a sponsor commitment in Las Vegas. We just had a lot of great finishes with them. We would have liked to have picked off another win, but it was a good year.”
The early success in the season was not reserved for the Outlaws only. “We ran third at the ‘King of the 360’s (at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa),” says TMAC. “We had fast time and led for a while with the Outlaws in Tulare. We ended up running third there. We just had some great finishes there. Until Knoxville started and we got to the first part of May, we just had one motor and one car.”
TMAC’s wins on the season came in three different cars. “We were able to win three in Jeremy Scadden’s car, two for Jimmy Davies, and of course in our own car,” he says. “That was kind of cool. Driving for Jeremy and Jimmy really helped to offset our costs. To run every week at Huset’s in Jeremy’s car was great.”
Adversity struck in early June with the Outlaws. A rainout at Knoxville sent the team down to the road to Kansas City’s Lakeside Speedway with the WoO. “We had the Lakeside incident and we destroyed the car,” says TMAC. “We just didn’t have a car for the next week at Knoxville. It was the first of June and we didn’t have a backup car. We were able to have Jeremy loan us his #6 car, and we were able to finish second at Knoxville with the Outlaws.”
TMAC was able to carry Jeremy Scadden and his #6 to the Huset’s championship, while finishing second in points at Knoxville in the TMAC Motorsports #24. “You always want to win, but again, with our issues and our team…and with all the rainouts, I think we did really well,” he says. “To win the Huset’s title for Jeremy was really big for me. We wanted that for him. He also won the hobby stock title there, so he’s really the Jack Roush of Huset’s, I think. He loves racing, and he does everything he can to do that. I was really happy for him.”
The veteran also turned in a solid Knoxville Nationals in August. “We were back in business there,” says TMAC. “We were able to run fourth on our qualifying night, and seventh in the finale. We were right there, and we’re back to where we’re capable of winning that thing.”
Another premiere event is October’s Trophy Cup at the Tulare Thunderbowl in California. “It’s the toughest 360 race in the country,” says TMAC. “We were there with our ASCS engine against a lot of drivers who had open motors. We drew 98 out of 100 to qualify and ran third the first night. We had a little bit of a motor problem, which was our issue, and Clyde Lamar was kind enough to loan us an engine for the second day. We started a ways back and ended up eighth, so it was a good trip.”
TMAC won his heat and the Dash at the prelim of the World Finals in Charlotte with the Outlaws before suffering some mechanical issues in the feature and finishing tenth. “We ended up back at Charlotte and we had a top ten there,” he says. “I think, along with Volusia at the beginning of the season, those are the two toughest fields you’ll see outside of the Knoxville Nationals. We just had a great year.”
He is excited about the prospects for 2015. “Sure, we’d like to have had some more wins, and I think we’ll be able to do that this year,” says TMAC. “(Crew chief) Doug Rankin has been a huge asset for us and has really helped me. Austin (McCarl) was a big help again, but he’s going to try and race more on his own next year. Doug and I know each other well after a year, and I think we’re both happy with our situation heading into 2015.”
The National Sprint League will offer more opportunities for 410 racing in 2015. “I’m excited about the NSL,” says TMAC. “It’s been needed for years in this area. The PA Posse and Ohio drivers have a lot of races close to them. Then you have the All Stars you can go out and race with too out there. Now we have that around here as well, and I think we’re going to build the fan base for sprint car racing in the Midwest.”
The TMAC Motorsports team is gearing up for the new season. “We’ve got a strong team,” says TMAC. “I’ve got a spare car already. The Snow Plow folks and Randy Anderson have helped me to build an arsenal of engines here. We’re starting the year with two cars and three engines, and we’re working on a fourth.”
The Front Row Challenge will be NSL sanctioned and offer $20,000 to the winner. “I’m really excited about that,” says TMAC. “We’re in the top five as far as payoff for 410 racing in the country. That’s exciting for Oskaloosa and the 410’s. It’s going to be a great year for sprint car racing all around.”
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.
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Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
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