By Bill W, Tim Aylwin photo
October 25, 2011 – Terry McCarl ran last weekend in the Berryhill #97 at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway near Mesquite, Texas. An eighth place finish in the finale was the weekend’s best in a huge field sanctioned by the Lucas Oil ASCS National Series. The Altoona, Iowa driver is mulling over his next racing venture.
TMAC drove for Berryhill, who suffered an injury earlier in the year at Devil’s Bowl. “Aaron and I have been friends since 1992, when we were both going for Rookie of the Year with the World of Outlaws,” he says. “I’ve also always been friends with Bob and Jane Berryhill, Aaron’s parents. We stay with them a the Chili Bowl, and Carson is #97 because of them. It’s fun to go spend time with Aaron and Jimmy, his mechanic.”
The track reminded the veteran of his early days at the famous ½-mile banked oval. “The weekend was really like ‘Old School Devil’s Bowl’…heavy as heck the first night, and slick the second night,” says TMAC. “It used to always remind me of California, because when it is heavy you have to keep loosening the car up as the night goes on. In the Midwest, usually you tighten the car as the night goes on.”
Friday’s prelim saw a fourth place heat run followed by a fourth place run in the B. “The first night we kind of started on the bottom, and the guys on the top got a good run,” says TMAC. “We just couldn’t pass. We had a pretty tough B, and we started fifth and ran fourth. There just wasn’t a whole lot anybody could do.”
The track for the finale was much drier. “Saturday was fun,” says TMAC. “I was in the sixth heat. Dustin Morgan was supposed to start on the pole in front of me, and something broke in his steering or something in hot laps. He drove straight into the fence and that moved us to the pole of the heat. That was good and bad, because even though we won it, we had to start thirteenth.”
TMAC knew that there was a small window to pass in the main event. “In the heat, it was laying rubber on the top of three and four already,” he says. “It may have been laying some off of two too. We knew going out that we didn’t have much time to pass cars.”
TMAC passed a few cars early in the feature. “I was able to pass Gary Wright and another car in front of me before the yellow came out,” he says. “I had to go back behind them again and got by them. Passing Gary Wright at Devil’s Bowl is quite an accomplishment. There are none better than him there.”
The finish was respectable with everything considered. “We were able to get up to eighth, and that was good considering how quickly the track took rubber,” says TMAC. “We were able to get a couple of those spots late, and Wayne (Johnson) lost a tire. You feel better finishing eighth when you start thirteenth on a track like that, than you would if you started on the pole.”
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!
In”Terry”gation
Derek Harbour asks: What’s the key to having a 410 series like MOWA in the Iowa area?
TMAC Answers: We really need a group like that around the Knoxville area. My Dad was saying it when I was a boy. We need an IRA type series here, so we can hit some of the tracks in a 150-mile radius of Knoxville. I would do it if I was a little older and not so active racing. When we did the “King of the Hill” series, it went great. We just need someone to start promoting it. The racers need to do whatever they can to help the promoters. At Jacksonville a few weeks ago, it wasn’t the best race, but we were able to give away over 100 hats to the kids, and we did the same at Burlington. Things like that, like giving away older hats are what we need from the racers. We need to help the promoter make money. Once we do that, they can put up the higher purse.
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 Month in TMAC History!
This week in 2000, TMAC won in USCS (United Sprint Car Series) action at Volusia Speedway in Volusia, Florida. He drove the Mulligan #3 to the win over Kenny Adams, Mike Woodring, Sport Allen and Terry Witherspoon. In five career starts with USCS, TMAC has never finished outside of the top five and has two wins. His other win also came at Volusia in 2001, as he topped Terry Gray, Adams, Jim Raptis and Allen.
“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.
VerMeer Motorsports would like to thank TK Concrete, Maxim Trucking & Concrete Pumping, Tulip City Agency, Logan Contractors Supply, Van Maanen Electric, Tony’s Auto Parts, Monarch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Skyline Ready Mix, QTC (Quality Traffic Control), DPLM (Dennis Parking Lot Maintenance), Van Gorp Construction, Don Ott Racing Engines and Ulrich Motor.
TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Deanfield Farms, Eagle Chassis, DeBerg Concrete, AmeriCashAdvance.com, RFG, Phil and Vivian, Mark Burch Motorsports, Ryan Yager Trucking, 212 The Boiling Point Bar & Grill, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Don Ott Engines, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Country Builders Construction, Engler Injection, Superflow Technologies, Phillips’ Floors, T&P Brothers, Winters, DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Jocko’s Sprint Parts, Sander, Brown and Miller, Morris Automotive, Chase Graphics, Pro Shocks, Mac Tools, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnettt’s Rock and Landscaping, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Bulldog Pest Control, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, Justice Brothers, KSE Steering, CIP Racing Hoods, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Weiland Racing, Butlerbuilt, PBS Bushings.