By Bill W, Steve Lafond photo
April 20, 2010 – Terry McCarl will undergo surgery today on the biceps tendon on his left arm. He tore it in a freak accident installing the signs on top of the t-shirt trailer. It appears the injury will have him out of racing action for a significant period of time.
The Altoona, Iowa driver is obviously bothered, but also realizes that things could be worse. “Whenever I start feeling sorry for myself, I think about (brother) Tommy (who died of cancer) and a lot of others, and realize that things could be a lot worse,” says TMAC. “That said, it’s very very difficult watching someone else drive your car. It was my idea to put Sammy (Swindell) in the car, and he filled in for me a few years back when I broke my leg. I really like he and (wife) Amy, and of course, we sponsored Kevin a bit last year.”
Owner Tod Quiring has inserted Sammy Swindell in the Big Game Treestands #24 while TMAC is on the mend. “Starting at the Jackson WoO race on May 1, Sammy Swindell will be driving the Big Game Treestands #24 in replacement of the injured Terry McCarl,” he says. “A complete schedule is yet to be determined. Stay tuned.”
Although it is tough to watch, TMAC will be his biggest fan. “I’m a Big Game guy at heart, and that’s where the allegiance will be,” he says. “Tod is the best owner a driver could ask for. He is always super-supportive. Drivers are insecure by nature, but I don’t have to feel that way with Tod. That makes this a little easier to take.”
A typical racer, TMAC wants to defy the doctor’s predictions once again. “They are saying three months (minimum), but in the past, I’ve been able to cut that down,” he assures. “I appreciate what Joey Saldana is doing right now with his broken hand, because I’ve done that in the past too.”
This is more than just a broken bone though. “The concern is that this is a tendon and not a bone,” says TMAC. “With a bone, as long as you can deal with the pain, you can’t make it worse. This is a lot different. They’re saying I’ll lose all the strength in my left hand, and can’t do anything with it for six weeks. At that point, we move to the one pound dumbbell.”
The team was gelling at the time of the injury last Thursday. “The disappointment comes from knowing that we were on track,” says TMAC. “We have had a lot of bad luck things happen, like the crash at Tulare, and the throttle linkage problems at Volusia. I really felt like things were back on track at Pocola. Not only were we fast, but I felt we meshed as a crew on that trip.”
Right now, one thing that will keep the mind occupied are the other family members racing endeavors including Austin. “One thing this will do is give me some time to work with Austin,” says TMAC. “I’m really excited about that. I think we’ve put a deal together to run most weeks at Knoxville. I don’t think we’re chasing points or anything, but it will be fun. If something gets torn up, he just won’t race for awhile.”
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
Steve Fields asks: What are Carson’s racing plans this year?
TMAC Answers: We’re building Carson a car to run in the 305 class around Iowa. Obviously, at 15, he won’t be running at Knoxville. It’s an old car from 2001 that we have at the shop. He’s also going to what we are calling “Pace Camp” for three weeks out in California in July. He’ll run for three weeks with Scott Coffman from Pace Chassis in the Micro-Sprint. I’m looking at the positives. This will give me some time to work with both Austin and Carson a bit.
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 was victorious at the Sharon Speedway near Hartford, Ohio on this date in 1997. Driving the Holbrook Motorsports #8H to the win, he was followed by Ed Lynch Jr., Mike Lutz, Davy Jones and Jarod Larson.
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.