Tuesdays with TMAC – Volusia Highlighted by Two Top Tens!
(Bill W) February 17, 2015 – Terry McCarl and the TMAC Motorsports #24 team finished up the week at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida with a pair of top tens in the four races they competed in. The Altoona, Iowa driver now focuses on one of his favorite venues, East Bay Raceway Park in Barberville, Florida for this weekend’s Ronald Laney Memorial.
The All Star and World of Outlaws events at Volusia see some of the most competitive fields of the year. “It’s definitely one of the toughest events of the year,” says TMAC. “Between this and Charlotte, you get the best of the Outlaws, All Stars, PA guys, Knoxville guys and some California guys. If you’re off the slightest bit, you’re in trouble.”
TMAC used the final All Star show in Florida on Thursday as a warm-up. He came home with a tenth place finish. “Things went pretty well,” he says. “We were shaking things down, and just getting comfortable. We came out with a top ten, so it was a pretty good start to things.”
Friday the World of Outlaws opened their season, and TMAC was 14th quick. “We qualified well,” he says. “We had a good battle with Lucas (Wolfe) in the heat race. We just didn’t get the start we liked (finishing second). Without winning the heat and getting into the Dash, you’re in trouble.”
He would start in row eight for the main event. “Volusia is such a tricky place,” says TMAC. “We tried some different setups. I tried some things in the feature that my wife (Lori) told me wouldn’t work. She was right. They didn’t. I had to pull in during a red flag. We had a NASCAR pit stop, which definitely made it better.”
TMAC would finish 17th on Friday, and went on to the next day. “We just got qualified bad (22nd) on Saturday,” he says. “We did make it through the heat (going from sixth to fifth). We didn’t have to run a B all week, which is pretty good for this place. Every night, I felt we learned a bunch.”
He would find some late speed in Saturday’s feature. “We had just got lapped by (Donny) Schatz and the yellow came out,” says TMAC. “There were only a few lapped cars behind us. We passed a few cars on a late race restart. That didn’t matter, because they weren’t lapped cars.”
The momentum helped for Sunday’s finale, where TMAC would qualify 11th. “We went back to the setup we had used on Friday and qualified well,” he says. “We won the heat race. We ran eighth in the Dash, but we were battling. I got by a couple of guys and they got me back. We were battling Joey (Saldana) the whole time.”
The feature would see him run ninth. “It ended up being a really fast racetrack,” says TMAC. “We were right there with Lucas the whole race. I was working on something, moving around to try to get by him and (Danny) Lasoski got us. The rest of the race, we were right on those two guys and we ended up ninth.”
It was a solid start to the season. “Getting two top tens wasn’t bad,” says TMAC. “We had planned on doing a little better, but our week wasn’t too bad. Gary Isom, who has helped me before has been over in Australia, but he’s coming back next week. It will be good to have Gary back helping us.”
As always, TMAC and the family are surrounded by friends in Florida. This weekend, the three-night Ronald Laney Memorial commences at East Bay. “The Ronald Laney Memorial is always a great event,” he says. “East Bay is one of my favorite tracks. We get to hang out with a lot of good friends. Randy Burnett with Burnett’s Rock and Landscaping is down here along with the folks from Myers International Midways and Buttman Barbeque. We also picked up a new sponsor in Dynasty Stucco. Hopefully, we can run up front for them.”
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 2005, TMAC passed Jeff Shepard on a late restart to take an All Star Circuit of Champions win at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida. Shepard was second, followed by Chad Kemenah, Danny Smith and Craig Dollansky. TMAC had won at least one race in Florida in six straight seasons.
"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, Dynasty Stucco, 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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