Tuesdays with TMAC – Visiting With the Outlaws!
(Bill W) June 9, 2009 – Terry McCarl returned to some World of Outlaws racing with success last weekend at the Lawrenceburg Speedway in Indiana. After leading the majority of the feature on Friday night and settling for second, he registered another top ten on Saturday. This weekend finds the Big Game Treestands #24 in IRA action in Wisconsin, and returning to local action at Knoxville and Huset’s.
Despite coming out late in the order on the high-banked 3/8 mile oval, TMAC laid down the third quick time of the night. “The motor was really running well on Friday,” says the Altoona, Iowa driver. “We drew a late number, but we still came out with third quick, so you had to feel good about that.”
Fortune smiled when a second row starting spot in the heat, turned into the front row. “Craig Dollansky and Todd Kane tangled in front of us,” says TMAC. “We were able to move to the outside of the front row. I think the inside was the better place to be, but we were able to win it anyway.”
Luck continued in the dash. “We drew a good number for the dash, and it didn’t rain out for a change (referring to Eldora a couple months back),” he says. “We were able to get out and win the dash by quite a ways, so we felt good about things heading into the feature. We were so hard on the left that the lower part of the nerf bar on the left side tore off during the heat. We left it off for the rest of the weekend.”
The team is feeling good about things right now. “We’ve got some great power supplied by Don Ott and Gary, Brandon and I are working well together right now,” says TMAC. “We’re not worried about points. We came to win, and our confidence is at a high level right now.”
TMAC shot out into the lead on the high banks. He would lead the first 19 laps, before sliding high in turn four, and opening the door for Joey Saldana. “Joey is awesome on a high-banked track like that,” he says. “The places we go, like Eldora and Kilgore are big Saldana tracks. There was a rut in three, and the track was puckering me up a bit. I think we’re good on those tracks too, and out in the open, I don’t think anyone would have caught us. I only made one mistake in traffic really, and he took advantage. I hung right behind him the rest of the way, waiting for one of his, but it never came. I think the two of us smoked the rest of the field, kind of like we did at Tulare (CA).”
The second place finish was something to build on, heading into Saturday, where TMAC qualified ninth. “I jumped the cushion both laps qualifying, so to come out with ninth was pretty good I thought,” he says. “It’s a testament to the way our motor is running.”
TMAC started up front in the heat, but fell to fourth. “I really missed the boat on our heat setup,” he admits. “The track slicked off quite a bit. Lately, I’ve been staying neutral on setup, not taking chances, but it backfired. I took a shot at (Jason) Meyers in one, and got loose. That allowed Steve (Kinser) and Jac (Haudenschild) by and we were fourth like that.”
Starting outside row six, TMAC did what he could, and moved up to ninth by the checkers. “We had a good car for the feature, and if we were starting up front, I feel we would have done well,” he says. “You have to be right on with these guys, and we weren’t in the heat race. But anytime you get a top ten, you can’t complain too much.”
TMAC was impressed with the new configuration and look of the Lawrenceburg Speedway, where he once held the one-lap track record on the old quarter mile. “Lawrenceburg Speedway is a beautiful facility,” he says. “I was able to talk to the mayor and some city council members that would like to grow this into a big event.”
This weekend, the Big Game Treestands #24 team heads to Oshkosh, Wisconsin on Friday to compete with the IRA, before returning to Knoxville and Huset’s Saturday and Sunday.
Websites for the McCarl Gang!
Driverwebsites.com has developed websites for the McCarl boys. Check out the new look of www.TerryMcCarl.com, and check out the newly developed www.AustinMcCarl.com and www.CarsonMcCarl.com!
Front Row Challenge/Ultimate Challenge Tickets On Sale!
Order your tickets now for the $10,000 to win Front Row Challenge, and $15,000 to win Ultimate Challenge at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa. Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday beginning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to renew your seats!
Infield Party Passes for the August 10 and 11 events will be $25!
For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com.
In"Terry"gation
Don Hamilton from Burlington, IA asks: Will you ever offer a picture of three generations of racing with Lenard, yourself and the boys?
TMAC Answers: I’m not really a huge picture guy, but I should be. We definitely have some old shots of Lenard, and some different shots of ourselves and the kids. Maybe a photographer could put something together with the three generations, but we’re not really in that business, I guess. We need to get a good shot of all of us. Stay tuned to the website, our web guy does a great job with photos.
Got a question for TMAC? Send it to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for TMAC" in your subject line.
This Day in TMAC History!
TMAC has two wins on this day in history. In 2000, he drove the Jensen Construction #55 to an NCRA win at the Park Jefferson Speedway near Park Jefferson, South Dakota. Aaron Berryhill was second, ahead of Randy Nygaard, Micah Schliemann and Kenny Hansen. In 2002, TMAC topped a Huset’s Speedway field. Jake Peters, Butch Hanssen, Gregg Bakker and Justin Henderson rounded out the top five that night.
Website Updates
Keep up to date with McCarl Motorsports at www.TerryMcCarl.com. We keep it fresh for TMAC fans!
"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 Big Game Treestands, AmeriCashAdvance.com, DeBerg Concrete and Remington Treestands.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@iowatelecom.net