From Bill W
May 13, 2014 – Much has been said and written about the 410 class at Knoxville Raceway, but the 360 class is pretty salty itself. When you are struggling with the handling on your car as Carson McCarl was last Saturday, you find that out quick. The Altoona, Iowa driver finished 14th in the feature last Saturday night, and the Mastell Brothers Trailer Service #27 team is putting a different car together for this week at Knoxville.
Saturday started with qualifying, where Carson was 11th quick. “We just can’t get qualified where we need to be (top 8),” he says. “We qualified in about the same place we have been. I just haven’t been rotating the corner like I should be.”
A fifth place finish in the heat ensured a spot in the first nine rows of the feature. “We didn’t get a good start,” says Carson of the heat. “We were decent though. We’ve just been struggling and it continued on Saturday.”
Handling issues arose in the feature, where Carson started in row six. “I was having a heck of a time with a push in turn two,” he says. “Every time I exited, I felt like I was heading towards the pit gate. It was just doing weird stuff.”
He would checker 14th. “When I would enter (the corner), I would be too tight,” says Carson. “It wanted to send me to the fence. When I came off the turn, I would get loose. I don’t know what the deal was.”
Hopefully, the team has found the remedy as the schedule gets busier the next two weeks, starting with Knoxville on Saturday. “We’re putting a new car together,” says Carson. “This is an Eagle I ran a few years ago in the 305 class. We’re going to see if we can get a little faster. I know my motor is good, and we call this car ‘Old Faithful’, so I’m looking for some good things this weekend.”
Carson would like to thank Mastell Brothers Trailer Service, Inc., Deanfield Farms (Gary and Sally Dean), Berryhill Racing, Vortex, Rossie Feed & Grain, Hoosier, DeBerg Concrete, HRP, Engler Machine, Phil and Vivian, Rider Racing Engines, Justice Brothers-Gillund Enterprises, Country Builders Construction, CM Rock, Bayaire Industries, Hinchman Racewear, Schoenfeld Headers, BMRS, Crow Safety, Butlerbuilt, KSE, Aurora Rod Ends, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, Bell and Jocko’s for all their help!
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Keep up to date on Carson’s racing at www.CarsonMcCarl.com!
Twitter: @CarsonMcCarl