Tuesdays with TMAC – Sprintweek a Success!
(Bill W) August 15, 2017 – Terry McCarl and the TMAC Motorsports #24 team capped off a successful Knoxville Nationals by making the championship finale. After promoting what many said was one of the best Front Row Challenge’s in history, the Altoona, Iowa driver put himself on the third row of the Knoxville Nationals championship event. TMAC is planning on running with the World of Outlaws this weekend in North Dakota at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks Friday, Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo Saturday, and Nodak Speedway in Minot Sunday.
TMAC was very happy with Southern Iowa Sprintweek. “Most of my prayers were answered over the ten days,” he says. “Everyone was safe, we had great weather, and a great crowd. The Front Row Challenge may have been the best one ever. My son (Austin) made the A main at the Knoxville Nationals. That was something I was really praying and hoping for. It was a great ten days. Knoxville, and everyone did a good job in every aspect. People don’t realize the work and logistics that go into it. John McCoy, Kendra Jacobs and everyone involved did a great job.”
After struggling in qualifying for much of the season, the team put together a third quick effort last Thursday at the Nationals. “I seem to pull things out in these big races sometimes,” says TMAC. “We were third quick, and then I think we pulled the toughest heat in retrospect. We had a great start and we were able to get through there. Getting through the heat is really the key to the whole thing.”
TMAC’s third place finish in the heat meant starting the prelim inside row four. “We kind of missed it in the feature,” he says. “We were o.k., we just weren’t great. We held our own there in seventh, and that put us on the third row of the Knoxville Nationals. We can’t complain about that!”
He talked about his thoughts heading into Saturday night’s championship. “Starting in the third row there…we were solid. We went to the front straight, and I was thinking, ‘I can win this!’ If we had the car, we were capable of winning if things went our way.”
Things started well. “We had a great start,” says TMAC. “We were running fourth coming off of two. It was really rough down in three and four. It was tough to miss it. We were going at it back there and mixing it up. I thought we’d be right there in the top five, but we’ve had some bleeder problems lately and that plagued us a little bit. We got loose and fell back a bit. We had a good run on a restart, and I was on Brian Brown’s rear bumper. I got into a rut in turn three and it threw me into the fence. I thought it knocked the front end out of it, but it bent the front wheel and got us discombobulated. We didn’t have enough time to change much at the break.”
Limping a bit the second half of the race, TMAC would checker 15th. “We just kind of rode around there the second half,” he says. “We ended up 15th, which wasn’t bad at all for the way the car was. All in all, everyone was safe. We were in the game when the car was on, and I’m really fired up for next year and the rest of this year to be honest.”
The team is looking forward to their North Dakota trip. “We really enjoy Grand Forks,” says TMAC. “It’s always a good time. We haven’t been to Fargo in a long time…maybe once since they’ve shortened it. I think we’ve only been to Minot once since we won there several years ago. They have great fans up there, and always have. I remember going there with my Dad as a kid. We’re taking what’s left of our Knoxville Nationals t-shirts up there and hopefully, the fans will stop by and check them out.”
McCarl Family Websites!
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!
TMAC has qualified for 21 Knoxville Nationals finals. He has recorded fives top fives, seven top tens and twelve top fifteen finishes.
"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 SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, Country Builders Construction, Bosma Poultry, Destiny Motorsports, Simplot Grower Solutions, Price Chopper, Hiland Dairy, Searsboro Telephone Company, KC Breweries, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, Justice Brothers/Gillund Enterprises, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, SuperFlow, Schoenfeld Headers, Rens Trucking, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Maxim Chassis, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Snap On Tools, Sposato Paint, Winters, Kilani Fender, Inc., DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Pro Shocks, Bell Helmets, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Octane Ink, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Dynasty Stucco, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, KSE Steering, Snyder Lawn & Landscaping, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Butlerbuilt and Mote Fasteners.
Photos: TMAC had another strong Knoxville Nationals (Chuck Stowe Images)
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia
Website: www.OpenWheel101.com