By Bill W
April 22, 2014 – The season opener at the Knoxville Raceway didn’t disappoint, and Terry McCarl was in the middle of it all, laying down quick time and checkering fifth in the feature. The stiff competition will be there all summer long, but the seven-time track champion will be ready week in and week out.
TMAC qualified quickest in the 32-car field with a lap of 15.085 seconds. “We have a good motor,” he says. “It wasn’t one of those deals where you went out early or late and the track hurt you. We went out amongst the heavy hitters. (Engine builder) Tommy Rider kind of changed the motor around, and I really like this thing. It’s a brand new motor. The credit goes to that not me. That, and the A.R.T. chassis is rolling around so well right now.”
The first heat race included two-time champion, Brian Brown, ex-Outlaw Craig Dollansky, Ian Madsen, Lynton Jeffrey and others. TMAC made his way from sixth to fourth. “I tightened the car up in the heat, and tried a couple of things,” he says. “I was just way too tight and not rolling in the corner. It was a tough field. You throw in a couple more guys, and that was a feature.”
The 20-lap main event had fans on the edge of their seat. It was a dogfight in positions four through eight, and TMAC was right in the middle of it. “I don’t know what was going on up front, but from where I was, it was crazy,” he says. “You’re never happy to run fifth, but that’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had doing it. It’s like an Outlaw show, and you race it that way. In a local race, you can make mistakes and get away with it. In an Outlaw show, you pay the price. That was the way it was Saturday.”
TMAC battled with Brian Brown, Justin Henderson and Mark Dobmeier at times during the feature. Those battles included slidejobs and numerous close calls. “It was a 130 m.p.h. chess match,” says TMAC. “On the start, I was right on Brown coming out of two, and I had a difficult time getting by him. He and I were going at it. We were both getting over the cushion and out of the groove and cutting across the track. We were in heavy traffic, and (Justin) Henderson went by us both. It was crazy. I was able to get by Brown, and then I had a good run on Justin and I did wheelie coming out of turn four. I had to get off of it.”
With positions gained and lost, TMAC ended up fifth and exited the first night third in what will surely be a hectic point race all season long. “It was everything I thought it was going to be, and everything I was hoping for the fans,” he says. “The competition was crazy, and it’s just the beginning. You’re going to get the travelers like Shane Stewart, Rico (Abreu) and the Buffalo Wild Wings car coming in quite often. Maybe they should add about five laps and bump the purse a little bit, because it’s tough money right now.”
To check out opportunities to partner with TMAC Motorsports on a nightly basis, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com or call 515 957-0020!
Front Row Challenge Tickets on Sale!
The 19th Annual Casey’s General Stores/Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge presented by Searsboro Telephone Company will be held Monday, August 4 at the Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Tickets are now on sale! For more information, call Front Row Challenge Enterprises, LLC at 515 957-0020. For further information, stay tuned to www.OskyChallenges.com!
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!
This Month in TMAC History!
On April 27, 1991, TMAC drove the Offill #88 to victory at the San Jose Fairgrounds over Rick Martin, Tom Henry, Scott Luhdorff and Danny Olmstead.
“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 Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, Bosma Poultry, SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, DeBerg Concrete, Colin Bulmer – Bayaire Industries, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, Justice Brothers/Gillund Enterprises, Ryan Yager Trucking, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Rens Trucking, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, T&P Brothers, Winters, DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Jocko’s Sprint Parts, Sander, Brown and Miller, Pro Shocks, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnett’s Rock and Landscaping, Van Der Brink Trucking, Van Der Brink Designs, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Buttman BBQ, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, Justice Brothers, KSE Steering, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Weiland Racing, Butlerbuilt, PBS Bushings and Mote Fasteners.