Tuesdays with TMAC – Iowa Volunteer!
(Bill W) March 23, 2010 – The Big Game Treestands #24 team and driver Terry McCarl are getting a welcome break from racing action this week as they regroup and prepare their next assault. Last weekend found them at the Volunteer Speedway in Bull’s Gap, Tennessee for Kasey Kahne’s two-night “King of Bull’s Gap” promotion with the World of Outlaws.
Things started sour for the Altoona, Iowa driver with an uncharacteristic poor qualifying time. “I don’t known exactly what happened in qualifying,” he says of Friday’s effort. “We have a good motor that’s been fast at Charlotte and in Volusia. It’s the freshest motor we have. We were off on the fuel or something. At 33rd quick, you’re screwed.”
Track conditions were far from what TMAC remembered in 2007. Kasey Kahne set a new track record, over 1.5 seconds under the old mark. “The track is super-banked and they had it way too wet,” he says. “The last time we had been there, it was awesome. You could slidejob people, and you could throw a blanket over the top five. This time, they put a burm about 15-20 feet up the track. They screwed the track up, to be honest. You just couldn’t pass anyone. You need to have a wide track heading into the corners, and we didn’t have that.”
The team needed a motor change. “We didn’t have time to change it for the heat (dropped out), so we had to get it done for the B (initially starting in row seven),” says TMAC. “Our motor with twelve nights on it ran great. We did well to stay out of trouble, and somehow made it through there. The car doesn’t work well when the motor isn’t on.”
After grabbing the fourth and final transfer, TMAC finished 16th in the feature after starting in row twelve. However, one of the Outlaw lapped rules bit him a bit. “It was difficult to pass, but we got by a few,” he shares. “We stayed out of trouble, but unfortunately, Joey (Saldana) lapped me and the yellow came out right away. Unfortunately, we passed some guys, but it didn’t count because we had been lapped. We did a Hell of a job just to make the show to be honest.”
The track conditions and qualifying results were much more to TMAC’s liking on Saturday. “Saturday night, it was slick and up on the fence,” he says. “We came out early in qualifying, and set quick time. I think we showed them where the track was. I drove it up on the fence. After being 33rd quick (Friday), seventh was awesome. Unfortunately, with the heat invert, you feel like you’re kissing your sister…no offense to (sister) Cindy…inside row two.”
After a fourth place heat finish, he stumbled to a 19th place finish in the main event. “It was difficult to pass,” says TMAC. “We missed the setup a bit. We went with 200’s on the back and that wasn’t good early in the race. At the end, it was, but we lost some spots.”
The Outlaws will be “Okie’s from South of Muskogee” on April 10 at the Outlaw Motor Speedway. “We need some time to regroup as a team,” admits TMAC. “I’m looking forward to a break more for the team than for me. They can get up to Minnesota and get things together. I’ve torn up more this year than I did all year last year, so this is a good time to get things back in order.”
Front Row Challenge/Ultimate Challenge
The 15th Annual Front Row Challenge and the 9th Annual Ultimate Challenge will be held Monday and Tuesday, August 9 and 10, 2010 at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Advance ticket holders from 2009 can purchase the same seats NOW by calling McTwo Promotions, Inc. at 515 957-0020.
Tickets will be open to the public on March 23. Visa, Mastercard and American Express are welcomed. Visit www.OskyChallenges.com for further details.
Websites for the McCarl Gang!
Driverwebsites.com has developed websites for the McCarl boys. Check out www.TerryMcCarl.com, and check out www.AustinMcCarl.com and www.CarsonMcCarl.com!
In"Terry"gation
Michael Allison asks: What do you think of Knoxville’s new 440 c.i. rule?
TMAC Answers: I think it’s a great idea. Guys like my dad (Lenard) have three motors sitting there that would work. All it takes is a four-inch crank. I know there are a lot of those dash-12 motors around. You know the guys down around Farmington (MO) are running 430’s. I think it’s a good idea. Karl Kinser had stacks and stacks of heads back in the day, and a smart guy would get a hold of him. I bet he still has them. I bet Gilbert Sonner has a bunch too. This is a great opportunity. People want to complain about the cost of racing, then go out and buy a 53-foot trailer. The coolest thing I saw was two winters ago. Mitchell Dumesny (Max’s son) had an old ambulance pulling an open trailer (in Australia). That’s someone that really wants to race.
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!
On this date in 2001 at Sedalia’s State Fair Speedway in Missouri, TMAC finished fourth with the World of Outlaws, driving the Holbrook #8h. Paul McMahan won the event in Warren Johnson’s #U2 ahead of Craig Dollansky and Mark Kinser. Joey Saldana was fifth. TMAC went back to the #24 in April and reeled off 22 wins that season including the Danny Young Memorial at the Iowa State Fair Speedway, the 360 Nationals at Knoxville, and during NCRA Speedweek at the Salina (KS) Highbanks Speedway.
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, Remington Treestands and Rossie Feed and Grain.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@iowatelecom.net