TMAC NEWS - JUNE 2007
Tuesdays with TMAC – High Plains Drifter!
(Bill W) June 26, 2007 – Word on the street has sprint car driver Terry McCarl quitting his day job to join the actor’s guild. He would not deny or confirm anything after an opportunity presented itself in Dodge City. “They’re talking about redoing the TV show ‘Gunsmoke’,” says TMAC. “I’m hoping to get a job as Festus Haggen. I’d like to be Marshal Dillon, but I don’t think that would go over too well. I’ll have to see who plays Miss Kitty before any announcements will be made.” The Altoona, Iowa driver has taken to the ESPN2 cameras as of late, but his results on the track with the World of Outlaws are putting his move to Hollywood on hold…at least for now. The racing started last Wednesday at the Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia. TMAC took to the ½ mile knowing that the motor under the hood had seen its better days. “The motor we had in was a little bit tired,” he says. “We were going to try to squeak one more night out of it. We qualified 16th, which normally is about perfect, but we were one car shy of four heats, so instead of being on the front row of the heat, we were in row three.” Managing a transfer to the main event by finishing fifth in his heat, TMAC knew his car was getting better. “We had a good car. I like when we do smart things mechanically. The motor was running alright, but not that great early. All night long, we got the car and motor better.” Starting outside of row eight for the big show, he managed to surge forward on a track that isn’t always conducive to passing. “We had a good car for the feature, and to go from 16th to 10th was a good finish for us. To get a top ten there was respectable,” says TMAC. Pointing all tow vehicles West towards the High Plains, the WoO held a two-day stop at Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas on Friday and Saturday. The track has always been a challenge to get a grip on for TMAC. “We’ve always run well at Dodge City, but I’ve never been real super-comfortable with the car and I don’t know why. I guess it’s kind of a strange track for me. We were solid all weekend at Dodge. I think if we would have drawn a little better (he drew a six) for the dash on Friday, we would have run a little better.” Track prep for the 3/8 mile oval was a challenge, as it usually is this time of year. “It’s hot right now,” says TMAC. “It was around 100 degrees and windy. It’s really tough to do track preparation with those conditions. They redid the track after the heats on Friday, which was great, and they did such a good job…we didn’t touch the tires or anything.” McCarl timed in 8th quick, putting him on the front of a heat race in which he won. A seventh place finish in the dash set him up inside row four for a main event in which he would finish where he started. “Come feature time, it was a bit difficult to pass, because it was fast. I’d rather have that any day over a tire-eating track. We were respectable again, the car was good,” he says. Saturday was even better. “The track was perfect for the feature on Saturday night,” says TMAC. “There was a huge storm coming in before time trials so they didn’t water it much. They did the right thing. We got through time trials with it a little dry. The guys who went out late were at a bit of a disadvantage, but Daryn (Pittman) went out late and was eighth quick, so if you had your car right, you could still get through there. We managed fourth quick, which is good.” A fourth place heat run, and a sixth place finish in the dash put TMAC outside row three for the feature. From the start, he was on his game. When the green flag fell at the outset, McCarl immediately jumped into third, and that’s where he would finish. “Come feature time, the track had a good bottom and a good top up to the fence,” he remembers. “If a guy had his car right, it was a great track to race on. We had a great start. I think we were a bit better than (second place) Joey (Saldana) at the beginning, and on some of the yellows I tried to get by him. With where we are in the points, we’re going to try and go for wins and not worry where we finish after that. I almost lost third to Tim Shaffer when he slid me on one of the restarts…but we got back by him.” Overall, the results were pleasing to the driver of the Big Game Treestands #24. “We had a good car. I thought we could get Joey a time or two, but he was a little better than me. Daryn was gone from the word go. Unfortunately, for the fans it may have been a better race if he didn’t start on the front row. He definitely had the better car, and blew us away on every restart. Late in the race, I found a little something on the bottom of three and four, and I think we would have had second with another half lap. Unfortunately, it was 30 laps instead of 31!” Things have been going in the right direction for TMAC Motorsports. “My car was working the best it had all weekend in the Saturday night feature, and that’s definitely what you want. I feel like if I drive well, we mechanic the car right, and we do our best, we have to feel good about that weekend!” The fan turnout was outstanding. “Dodge City is a real nice facility. The fans are awesome out there! They don’t get to see the 410 Outlaw sprint cars very often. Some of the people out there use the word Outlaws to describe the 360s around there. I’m sorry, but the name Outlaws to me is synonymous with the World of Outlaws.” Last night turned long after a couple of delays for track prep at Rapid Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota. The results were again good for TMAC, as he turned in the 7th quick time of the night (“no-man’s land” according to Terry), and charged from 15th to 9th in windy feature conditions to register his sixth consecutive top ten finish on the 3/8 mile oval. TV Time Joining Tony Bruce Jr. and Jason Martin, who are both natives of Liberal, Kansas, TMAC participated in a couple of skits for the ESPN2 broadcast. The first took place on Front Street where a sheriff warned the Outlaws about coming to town. Taking note of McCarl and his shotgun, the sheriff eyed him sternly and said, “You’re already on probation McCarl!!” The second skit involved a stagecoach ride and ended in Terry asking the driver if he wanted to drive Martin’s #36 a little later at the raceway. Promoting the sport is always important to TMAC, and this was no different. “It’s one of those deals that’s kind of corny to go do, but it’s fun. We did a lot of stuff for that, but they obviously only use a little bit of it. If it makes for a better show, or more fun for the fans, then it’s well worth it,” he says. Another Busy Week Two North Dakota tracks await the WoO on Friday and Saturday. On Friday, they will take on the locals led by Mark Dobmeier at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks. Dobmeier has won six of the eight events he’s entered on the 4/10 high-banked oval this season, and he scored a win in the Rush Racing #8 against the WoO last October at Wilmot Speedway. Saturday, the Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo will host the traveling band. The race on the ½ mile banked oval will be televised Sunday at 12:30 p.m. EST on ESPN2. On Sunday, the WoO will travel to Cedar Lake Speedway near the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin to tackle the 3/8 mile high-banked oval. brIn"Terry"gation Randy in Tampa, FL asks: Is it true you used to be a disco duck at the skating rink, spinning records at the sock hops before you got into racing? TMAC answers: Mr. Randy Burnett really shows his age and not mine with this question about sock hops. There is some truth and some fiction in this question. I worked at a skating rink (Skate East in Des Moines) for about five years. Skate East was one of my first uniform sponsors. Skating was my form of racing back in the days. We went to Florida, California, Michigan and all over the place. My four-man relay team could have won Nationals easy, but I broke my shoulder racing go-karts. Needless to say, my teammates were not happy with me! If duck means “DJ” then that’s what I was, and how I met my wife. 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. Did you know? TMAC is a 2-time winner of the Jerry Richert Memorial held annually in September at the Cedar Lake Speedway. On September 6, 2003, he won ahead of Kerry Madsen, Ricky Logan, Brooke Tatnell and Danny Smith. On September 11, 2004 he bested Tatnell, Jason Solwold, Travis Whitney and Mike Reinke. TMAC also has two wins at the River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks. On June 3, 1999 he beat Jim Lambert Jr., Jason Sides, Lou Kennedy Jr. and Shane Carson in NCRA action. A NOSA race on August 22, 2003 saw him best Wade Nygaard, Brad Pake, Logan and Mark Dobmeier. Website Some behind the scenes photos, including TMAC testing ESPN2 “Jackslash” Sean Buckley’s professionalism can be found here by clicking on “Dodge City Raceway Park”: http://www.luvracin.com/03states/Kansas.htm Keep up to date with McCarl Motorsports at www.TerryMcCarl.com. We keep it fresh for TMAC fans! Front Row/Ultimate Challenge Update Order your tickets for the Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge and Searsboro Telephone Ultimate Challenge today! Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to order! Infield Party Passes are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the race! For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com. "Tuesdays with TMAC" 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, Bosma Poultry, Inc., AmeriCash Advance, and Ground Max Hunting Blinds. Bill Wright Bill W Media Monroe, IA USA sprntcar@iowatelecom.net |
||
| TMAC Third on ESPN2 Boothill Showdown! 6/24/2007 - Contact: DIRT MotorSports d/b/a World Racing Group Tony Veneziano, World of Outlaws PR Director Note: New Email Address: 405-623-1442 • tveneziano@dirtcar.com Pittman Cashes in at Dodge City in Summer of Money Dodge City, KS—June 23, 2007--By: Tony Veneziano, World of Outlaws PR Director Daryn Pittman has always considered Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas to be a home track, even though he was born and raised in Owasso, Oklahoma which is five-and-a-half hours away, and now lives in Pittsboro, Indiana. Heading into the Boot Hill Showdown Presented by Max Jantz Excavating on Saturday night, Pittman had finished fourth or better in his last three starts at the state-of-the-art 3/8-mile facility. In front of a number of family and friends on Saturday night, as well as his car owner Reeve Kruck, Pittman earned the win in the second event of the “SuperClean Summer of Money” on ESPN2 for the World of Outlaws. The event will air on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. Eastern, 11:30 a.m. Central. “Any win is awesome,” said Pittman, driver of the Titan Garages Maxim. “I am just pumped. I’m glad to be back in victory circle. I’ve loved this place every time I have been here. For it to be on ESPN2 is even better. My car owner is here, my parents are here, and I have a lot of family members here.” Pittman used a strong start on the high side of the race track to take the lead heading into the first turn with Joey Saldana in-toe. Early in the race he built some sizeable advantages that were negated by the caution flag right as he was about to enter heavy lapped traffic. On each restart Pittman would quickly pull away and ended up winning by over two seconds. After being bound up in lapped traffic for most of the race on Friday night, Pittman was the benefactor of a couple of cautions that opened up the track for him on Saturday night. “I don’t know if I was happy to be in traffic or not,” said the winner. “I felt like we were the fastest car in clean air. Every time we got to lapped traffic I was able to get by them without having to slow up. I got by a few of them and the way in which I got by them, I figured that some of the other guys were struggling to get around the lapped cars. Lapped traffic is part of racing and sometimes it works with you, and it didn’t hurt us tonight.” After winning the second heat from the outside of the front row, Pittman lined up second for the Crane Cams Dash. He won that event to earn the pole position for the A-Feature. At the end of the night, his A-Feature win was the only event that saw a winner come from a non-outside front row starting spot. “I really wanted to run second in the dash,” admitted Pittman. “When we won the dash, I felt a little better that we could get a good start. They moved the tires down a little (on the track) and it got a little wetter. I was a bit nervous, but still confident we could beat him into the first corner.” After celebrating his win in the second event of the “SuperClean Summer of Money,” Pittman and his team quickly began to pack their truck and trailer for the 631 mile trip north that awaits the World of Outlaws as they head to Black Hills Speedway in South Dakota. “We like to win and have a week off to celebrate, but we have a 10 hour driver tomorrow and then race again Monday,” he said. “We just have to do it again then. We’ve been a Top-Five car the last month and a half. The car is fast and that makes it fun to show up and drive every night.” Saldana started the A-Feature on the pole after winning the Crane Cams Dash. He stuck with Pittman for a number of laps after the opening green flag. His second-place finish was his 20th Top-Five of the season. “It was a good run for us,” said Saldana, driver of the Open Joist Mopar-powered JEI. “We are doing things a lot different here. Justin (Adams- Team Director) and I are trying to get on the right page. When you come out here and race with these guys they are all pretty tough.” After winning the first event of the “SuperClean Summer of Money” last Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway, Terry McCarl turned in another strong run at Dodge City. His third-place finish was his sixth Top-Five of the season. He gained three spots on the opening lap of the race after a strong start, and ran third the rest of the way. “ESPN2 has been great for us, hasn’t it,” smiled McCarl, driver of the Big Game Treestands Eagle. “We really have things turned around and are on track. My crew is really gelling and doing a great job for me. We are gelling more and more and that is very important. We are running good and I can’t say enough.” Tim Shaffer lined up 10th for the A-Feature and methodically worked his way to the front, as he finished fourth. He gained two spots on the opening lap of the race and two more on the second lap, as he got around Donny Schatz and Danny Lasoski. On the fourth lap he moved around Steve Kinser for the fifth spot. He contended with Jason Solwold for the next several laps before moving into fourth. For the last half of the race, the native of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania battled with McCarl for the third spot. “The guys gave me a great car,” said Shaffer, driver of the Casey’s General Store Maxim. “It was operating well. We finally had a little luck for the feature. In the dash we had a (fuel) nozzle get knocked off. To start 10th and pass cars like we did and get up there is a great run for us.” After having a long night in the opener of the Boot Hill Showdown Presented by MJE, Saldana was very satisfied with the performance of his team. He also made up some ground in his battle with Donny Schatz for the World of Outlaws championship. “I would have liked to have won, but you can’t be picky when you run seventeenth on the first night and second on the second night,” said the 2006 winner of the Boot Hill Showdown. “We learned something and did a better job. The first night we struggled and paid the price and tonight we did a lot better and got a good result.” During a couple of late cautions, McCarl repeatedly pulled down below Saldana and Pittman, as he studied the track. For the native of Altoona, Iowa, who finished seventh on the opening night of the Boot Hill Showdown Presented by MJE, it was his fourth straight Top-10 finish. “I was just trying to see if there was any rubber laying down there, and figure out a game plan,” he explained. “If you are going to run third, you might as well run fourth. I was trying to make a run on Joey (Saldana) on the starts and see if we could get up there to Daryn (Pittman) in traffic but we never got it done. If you lose a spot trying to do that who cares, we are trying to win these races.” Shaffer like many of his fellow competitors had nothing but positive things to say about the way that track officials prepared the surface for racing both nights, despite battling temperatures that were well into the 90’s, as well as heavy winds and some light rain that hit the track right before hot laps. “This place has a great surface,” he said. “They do a great job of preparing it, and it doesn’t take them very long. There was a little bit of a bottom in the feature, so we had two lanes in different corners. It was a great track.” Steve Kinser started and finished fifth in the Q Oil Maxim. He fell back to seventh on the 12th lap, before getting around Donny Schatz on the 13th lap to move into sixth. He then got around Jason Solwold on the 17th lap to earn his 16th Top-Five finish of the season. Jason Solwold finished sixth in the City Wide Insulation Maxim, with Craig Dollansky seventh in the Karavan Trailers Maxim, Danny Lasoski eighth in the Roth Motorsports JEI, Jac Haudenschild ninth in the Wright One Construction Maxim and Donny Schatz rounded out the Top-10 in the Snap-on Tools J&J. The World of Outlaws return to action on Monday, June 25 at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, South Dakota. |
||
Tuesdays with TMAC – Finally!
(Bill W) June 19, 2007 – Over a month of frustrations were swept away when Terry McCarl was victorious at his home tracks of Knoxville Raceway and Huset’s Speedway last weekend. The Altoona, Iowa native won in front of an ESPN2 national television audience when he beat the World of Outlaws on Saturday night at Knoxville. He didn’t stick around long to celebrate, as he traveled to Brandon, South Dakota where he put on a driving clinic, winning in a back-up car from the tail of the Huset’s event Sunday night. Knoxville In the WoO’s last tune-up for the Knoxville Nationals, TMAC ran into some familiar territory when he drew a bad number for time trials on a track that was losing its battle to the sun and heat. “I was really worried about qualifying,” he says. “I went back to square one on my setups instead of listening to other people or doing different things. I went back to what I know as a mechanic. It was a good test, because that’s what can happen in the Nationals going out late. I seem to draw a late number every year, so that was a good test. To put it on the front row of the heat race was really big for us.” Put it on the front row he did, qualifying 11th quick. Finishing second behind Craig Dollansky in the heat race set McCarl up for the dash. Waiting in line to draw and be interviewed for the dash, TMAC struck up a conversation with the WoO point leader about the rubber-down racetrack that had developed after the heat races. “(Donny) Schatz was trying to egg me on about saying something about the track conditions and get the crowd behind me. I said, ‘You know, I’ve been the bad guy a little too much this year, and it’s time for you to be the bad guy.’ He didn’t want to do that, he thought Knoxville would be mad at him. I said, ‘You’re a Knoxville Nationals champion, what can they do to you? Your name is on the plaque out front, they can never take that away.’ So when I went up to be interviewed, I told them that Donny had something to say about the track.” After TMAC drew a three for a starting spot, Schatz appealed to the crowd for their opinion on the track surface. The crowd responded enthusiastically that something should be done, and after the dash and B main, Knoxville officials reworked the bottom of the track. TMAC was happy with the officials’ decision. “I was impressed. In all my years, I’ve never seen (Knoxville) do anything to the track during the night. I heard on the radio who was pushing to do it and it was (race director) Ralph (Capitani). Whatever reason it was done, I commend them for that. Regardless of whether we won, I was happy that they did it. It was what needed to be done for the fans. A lot of people at Knoxville don’t realize that a lot of tracks do maintenance every night during intermission. The fans usually don’t mind, it’s a time to go to the restroom or get something to eat. They don’t pay $25 to watch a follow-the-leader deal. This time of year, the heats are being run in daytime conditions, and maybe it’s a time to start the program a little later too.” An impromptu opportunity developed to mingle with the fans during the track work. “Schatz, Dollansky and I got to come up into the crowd and sign autographs. We also got to throw out 30-40 Big Game T-shirts, so that was good too. That makes it fun for the fans. It’s not about the racing all the time when you get to do that, and I think the fans love it.” A third place run in the rubber-down dash, had put TMAC inside row two for the 25-lap feature. Randy Hannagan took off like a rocket, leaving former track champions Kerry Madsen and McCarl in his wake. He was using the low reworked groove, while TMAC was one of the few drivers trying to hammer in the high side cushion. By lap seven, Hannagan’s lead seemed insurmountable, but a caution bunched the field. On lap nine, Madsen’s left rear exploded, putting TMAC on Hannagan’s bumper for the first time since Haubstadt. Hannagan refused to give in, and pulled away from McCarl and Dollansky, who briefly challenged the lead pair. On lap 19, Hannagan had trouble lapping Dennis Moore Jr. on the low side, while TMAC stayed true to the cushion, and took the lead for good. The $10,000 victory at his home track was a long time coming. When asked about his key to the Knoxville win, he simply stated, “No broken shocks or other parts, and no flats. That was the first step to success I think!” “It’s great to win at home anytime,” he says. “We don’t get to play in front of our family and friends, and especially our sponsors very often. It was really great, because they were all there. Some of my crew guys that aren’t usually around like Ron Wignall, Tony Sposato and Pat Leo were all there with us too. Marty Barber even came down from Sioux Falls; he always used to help me there on Sundays. Having the race be on ESPN2 made it all the more special too.” Huset’s No grass grew under TMAC Motorsports feet after their big Saturday win. It was on to South Dakota, and Huset’s Speedway for weekly racing action on Sunday night. Confidence was high, but the heat race ended up throwing in an unforeseen obstacle. “The car we had was brand new at Knoxville. I said to myself, ‘Man, we’ve got a great car here that’s working great.’ Then someone spun out in front of me in the heat race, I spun to miss him, and Billy Alley had nowhere to go, and plowed me right in the side. So, we pretty much junked that car.” Quick action was called for. “We called (sponsor) Big Game Treestands (Tod Quering) up in the grandstand, as well as Bosma Poultry and Deberg Concrete and left it up to them if we were going to pull another car down in the trailer. They probably had a couple of six packs underneath them, and they were willing to pay the price if we junked another one! They made the call, so we pulled another one out!” “We were in the last heat race, and Huset’s runs the show off pretty quick. We didn’t have a whole lot of time to get ready, and actually I think my crew may have been a little ticked off to have to do all that work. It ended up working out good.” With hard work from crewmen Greg McCormick, Rodney Tiner Jr. and others, the car was made ready to start on the tail of the feature. “We ended up winning the feature from the back, and it was a great show for the fans and my sponsors…they were really happy,” says TMAC. The 25-lap event only saw two cautions, but a late one allowed the #24 to reel in Mark Dobmeier, who has been hard to beat at Huset’s this season. Kiss and Tell TMAC is known for puckering up in victory lane and no one is safe. On Saturday night, flagman Doug Clark found himself the closest victim. “It was good stuff,” says TMAC. “He’s the first and only black man I’ve ever kissed! Saturday wasn’t the first time I’ve kissed him though!” Clark was close again on Sunday night at Huset’s, but things went a different way. “I asked him right off the bat, and he really wasn’t going for it, so I found (American Dirt Network proprietor and Huset’s announcer) ‘Hot’ Rod Pattison since Clark was being a little reluctant! Hey, when I win, I’m excited!” Four More Four more shows are lined up this week for the WoO. The ½ mile Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia awaits on Wednesday night, before the boys head for Dodge City Raceway Park in Kansas on Friday and Saturday. On Monday, the venue will be the Black Hills Speedway near Rapid City, South Dakota. Saturday’s Boothill Showdown at Dodge City will be televised on ESPN2 the following morning at 12:30 p.m. EST. TMAC is complimentary of the 3/8 mile oval. “Dodge City has a great facility. They’ve done a great job with it! Anymore, there are no tracks we don’t like. The guys we race with are tough every night. We have a diverse group of tracks coming up. That’s what makes racing with the Outlaws so interesting.” A-MAC and C-MAC Austin McCarl finished second and Carson McCarl finished fifth and set quick time at English Creek Speedway south of Knoxville in Saturday afternoon Micro-Sprint action. “It was a good learning experience on a day-time track,” says dad. In"Terry"gation Eric in Newton, IA asks: Congratulations on your win this weekend and reaching 43 wins to be tied with Earl Wagner for all time wins at Knoxville. Wolfie passed that number in 1986 and it was a real big deal then for that record to fall. I know he is the King, but It's still hard to believe Steve Kinser passed that mark by only winning WoO shows. Lasoski has more than doubled Earl's total. But here you are with 43 wins, standing next to Earl. It has to be a big achievement in your career. Can you describe that feeling or put it into perspective what that number and record means to a track historian like you? Also thanks for doing your best to entertain the Knoxville fans during the grader races. TMAC answers: To be in the top five with such elite drivers is an honor in itself. Maybe we can get enough to at least catch Steve or Doug someday. I’ve been going to Knoxville since I was about four years old, and a lot of the guys that I’ve passed on the list have been my heroes. It’s a great honor. 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. Did you know? Terry’s win at Huset’s Speedway was his 79th career trip to victory lane there, which dwarfs all others on the all-time list. Danny Lasoski is second in the record books with 38. Website Check out Knoxville Photos from Dave Hill and Dennis Krieger, as well as the Huset’s Victory Lane shot from Todd Hoffman. Keep up to date with McCarl Motorsports at www.TerryMcCarl.com. We keep it fresh for TMAC fans! Front Row/Ultimate Challenge Update Order your tickets for the Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge and Searsboro Telephone Ultimate Challenge today! Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to order! Infield Party Passes are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the race! For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com. "Tuesdays with TMAC" 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, Bosma Poultry, Inc., AmeriCash Advance, and Ground Max Hunting Blinds. Bill Wright Bill W Media Monroe, IA USA sprntcar@iowatelecom.net |
||
McCarl Wins at Huset’s Speedway Tony Veneziano, World of Outlaws PR Director 405-623-1442 • tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com McCarl Wins at Huset’s Speedway Brandon, SD—June 18, 2007--By: Tony Veneziano, WoO Sprint Series PR Director Terry McCarl picked up his first World of Outlaws A-Feature win of the season on Saturday night at Knoxville Raceway in the first event of the “SuperClean Summer of Money” on ESPN2, and he followed that up on Sunday night with a win at Huset’s Speedway in Brandon, South Dakota, where the World of Outlaws will race on Tuesday, July 3. After sustaining significant damage to his car during a heat race, McCarl and his team unloaded their back-up car and started the 25-lap A-Feature at the rear of the 19-car field. The native of Altoona, Iowa who is the all-time winningest driver at Huset’s Speedway quickly began to slice his way through the field, as he worked his way to the front, using every inch of the racy high-banked 3/8-mile track. McCarl found himself in the third spot with just six laps remaining. He made the pass for the win with three laps remaining, as he overtook Mark Dobmeier, who won a World of Outlaws event last season at Wilmot Speedway in Wisconsin. “It felt good to win,” said McCarl. “My crew did a great job getting the car ready. At Huset’s they run the show pretty quick, so we had to work fast. I am proud of my crew and all the hard work they put in.” With the win on Sunday night, McCarl now has 79 career wins at the track, where he won with the World of Outlaws last season. He also is a six-time track champion at Huset’s Speedway, a feat that is unmatched in the 50-plus year history of the track. “They have great racing up there,” said McCarl of Huset’s Speedway. “There are always good cars there, and it’s a great place to learn sprint car racing. Look at all the people that have started there from Danny Lasoski to Doug Wolfgang, and the young guys now like Dusty Zomer and Dobmeier. It is always tough to win up there.” McCarl and the World of Outlaws return to action on Wednesday, June 20 at Missouri State Fair Speedway.
WATCH TERRY'S WIN: http://www.keloland.com/videoarchive/index.cfm?VideoFile=061707mccarl |
||
| Back Home Again: McCarl Wins at Knoxville 6/16/2007 - Contact: DIRT MotorSports d/b/a World Racing Group Tony Veneziano, World of Outlaws PR Director 405-623-1442 • tveneziano@dirtmotorsports.com Back Home Again: McCarl Wins at Knoxville Knoxville, IA—June 16, 2007--By: Tony Veneziano, World of Outlaws PR Director One of Terry McCarl’s goals when he first began racing sprint cars at Knoxville Raceway was to win a World of Outlaws event at his home track. After six track championships and 42 career A-Feature wins at the famed half-mile, he finally reached the winner’s circle in a World of Outlaws event at the famed track on Saturday night in the opener of the “SuperClean Summer of Money” on ESPN2. After lining up third for the 25-lap contest, the native of Altoona, Iowa took the lead from polesitter Randy Hannagan in heavy lapped traffic on the 19th lap, and pulled away at the end to earn his first World of Outlaws A-Feature win of the season and fifth of his career. The event will air on Sunday morning at 11 a.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Central on ESPN2, and will be the first of eight consecutive World of Outlaws races that will air on the network on Sunday’s. To get this win in front of the home town fans and on ESPN2 is pretty special,” said McCarl, driver of the Big Game Treestands Eagle. “This is a good warm-up for the (Knoxville) Nationals we hope. It’s good to win for our sponsors on television as well. I am very excited.” Hannagan led from the outset of the race, and opened a couple of sizeable advantages that were negated each time by the caution flag. He kept his car glued to the bottom of the track as he searched for his first series win since 2001. He used strong restarts to maintain the lead in open racetrack, and got a little bottled up in traffic late in the event, giving McCarl the opening he needed on the high side of the track. “We were good for 18 laps,” said Hannagan, driver of the Penthouse Magazine Maxim. “I thought we would be good for 25. It’s a little bit easier when you are running second to push the envelope, because all eyes are on the leader. Nonetheless coming home second is better than coming home third. I’m glad to be back running up front.” Late in the race, Craig Dollansky shadowed Hannagan and McCarl and on a late restart used the middle to groove to make it three wide heading down the back straightaway as he battled for the lead. As the laps wound down, Dollansky moved to the top of track searching for the fastest line around the half-mile. “It was close at the end,” said Dollansky, driver of the Karavan Trailers Maxim. “We got a good run coming off turn two and there wasn’t a lot of room going back into turn three. I though we had a shot at getting the lead there. We had a good race car. We came from eighth in the dash and worked our way up. To run up front in the first ESPN show is very good. I am very encouraged by the job my crew is doing.” McCarl lined up for the A-Feature in the third spot and remained there until the ninth lap when Kerry Madsen lost a left rear tire while battling Hannagan for the lead. For the next nine laps, McCarl studied Hannagan’s every move and patiently waited until the pair encountered heavy lapped traffic with nine laps to go. “Randy was so fast,” noted McCarl. “At the start, he yarded us, and there wasn’t a whole lot we could do. I kept dialing my car in and tried to move around. I tried to pack that top in. There were a lot of marbles up there, and that was the only chance we had because he was so good where he was at. He did a great job in track and I kept building momentum on the top. Whenever there is a chance to run the top, you will see me up there, especially at Knoxville.” After enduring his fair share of back luck over the last month, McCarl was ecstatic to reward his team for all of their hard work with a victory. After a stretch of races that saw him suffer three broken shocks as well as three flat tires, McCarl is hoping his win on Saturday night is a sign of things to come. “There has been a heck of a monkey on our back,” he said. “I can’t thank our sponsors enough for sticking with us. It has been pretty tough. We have been struggling and it is no one’s fault, just a lot of bad luck.” With the win, McCarl gained a position in the World of Outlaws championship standings, moving into the 12th spot. With over half of the season left, he will have plenty of chances to improve on that. He is focused solely on winning races, and is excited for the next seven events of the “SuperClean Summer of Money” that will all be broadcast on ESPN2. “It is so tough with the Outlaws this year,” he said. “If you are just a little off, you will miss the show. It’s tough for everyone, not just me. We just keep buckling up each night and coming back confident.” Hannagan won his first Crane Cams Dash of the season to earn his first pole position. His runner-up finish was his third Top-10 finish of the season. With his team gaining momentum, he is excited for when the series returns to Knoxville in August for the Knoxville Nationals. “We have a good baseline for when we come back for the Nationals and that is what matters right now,” noted the 1995 Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of the Year. “It was good to run up front and get our sponsors some great exposure. Hopefully we’ll get some dividends out of that.” Hannagan who won his first career World of Outlaws A-Feature event on March 24, 2001 at I-55 Raceway in Missouri, was close to winning at Knoxville last season as well. He quietly has been one of the most consistent drivers over the last month of the season, climbing to the 14th spot in points. “It’s a big curve for us this year having 25 guys versus the 15 we had last year,” he shared. “It makes better racing for everyone all the way through. That is what we need right now, good racing and good attendance. We seem to be doing that here lately.” Dollansky lined up for the A-Feature in sixth, and gained two spots on the opening circuit. He also was a benefactor of Madsen’s bad luck inheriting a spot when the Australian lost his tire. He was near the front all night and if either of the leaders would have slipped up, he would have been there to pounce on the opening. “I was good early and got a little loose late,” he said. “I knew I would be in trouble late in the race. I would have liked to have started the race out a little different with the car. Compared to the last month that we have had, I saw some good progress in our race team tonight. That is what we need to do, just take one race at a time and get back to where we need to be.” After winning the third heat, Dollansky and a number of other drivers had a chance to meet with fans in front of the main grandstand, as the track crew reworked the track for about 45 minutes to provide a better surface for the Crane Cams Dash and feature events. “Without a doubt, reworking the track was the right call to provide some good racing for the fans,” said the former World of Outlaws Gumout Series champion. “If they wouldn’t have done that, you wouldn’t have seen some of the racing that you saw. These guys do a good job and work hard here.” Danny Lasoski, the winningest driver in the history of Knoxville Raceway charged from the 11th start spot to finish fourth in the Roth Motorsports JEI. He gained a position on each of the first two laps and steadily worked his way toward the Top-Five. He moved into fifth on the 15th lap and just two laps later worked his way into fifth. Donny Schatz, the current World of Outlaws championship point leader finished fifth on Saturday night aboard the ParkerStore J&J. He sustained damage to his nose wing early in the race and after falling back to 13th early in the event, steadily worked his way back into the Top-10 and ultimately the Top-Five. He now has 29 Top-10 finishes in the 32 events that have been contested this season. Joey Saldana put on a show for the fans, passing more cars than anyone on the track, to earn the KSE Race Products Hard Charger Award, after lining up 23rd and finishing sixth in the Open Joist Mopar-powered JEI. Stevie Smith made the long trip to Knoxville from Pennsylvania to turn a few laps before the Knoxville Nationals in August. The trip paid off, as he finished seventh in the Race Against the Abuse of Children Everywhere (R.A.C.E.) J&J. Tim Shaffer finished eighth in the Casey’s General Store Maxim, with Jason Meyers ninth in the Primerica Financial Maxim and Justin Henderson 10th in the Dan Dan the Sonic Man Rocket. The World of Outlaws return to action on Wednesday, June 20 at Missouri State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Missouri. |
||
Tuesdays with TMAC – Picking Up Speed!
(Bill W) June 12, 2007 – Contact with the wall at Kokomo Speedway while challenging for fifth, and one of those “nowhere to go” moments at Eagle Raceway put a damper on this week’s results with the World of Outlaws, despite fielding fast cars both nights. Nonetheless, Terry McCarl is excited about this week, as he will tackle Tri-City Speedway and Knoxville Raceway with the WoO. Kokomo was familiar ground to TMAC, and a place he has had success. “I consider myself a big track guy, but I always seem to do well on the smaller tracks,” he says. “Last year we ran second, and the night started well this time when we qualified sixth.” A third place run in his heat last Tuesday night and a dash appearance saw TMAC put the Big Game Treestands #24 outside row five for the feature event. The car felt as well as it has in a long time to the Altoona, Iowa native as he stormed into sixth. “It was one of those deals where, as the race went on, I just kept driving it harder and harder. The cushion was right on the fence. The harder I drove into it (cushion) the better the car was. The car was actually feeling so good to me that I was having a little too much fun, and got into the fence a little too hard, breaking the Jacobs’ ladder off.” The contact with five laps to go saw TMAC drop to fifteenth at the checkers, but the night was a confidence builder of sorts. “We did everything but flip,” he explains. “We got up on the fence, and that was unfortunate, because we were working on fifth place, and I thought we had a shot at it. The driver was just a bit overzealous! When I went home that night, I felt good about my driving, and how fast the car felt.” TMAC came out early in time trials last Saturday night at Eagle Raceway in Nebraska. “We were sitting pretty in qualifying. I always run pretty well at Eagle, but it started laying rubber later in time trials. You don’t see that very often. We ended up one spot off the front row of the heat. I don’t like to talk about bad luck, though.” The track was re-worked for the heats, and Terry was getting some help from a familiar source. “I was talking to (former WoO crew chief) Ricky Warner all day, and he helped me with some setups for the feature. I didn’t do some of the things he suggested early, but I wish I would have. We went to push off for the heat race, and the right rear brakes locked up. That was one more goofy thing to add to our list.” The result was a start from the back of the heat and a seventh place finish, sending him to the B main. “Usually you don’t want to run the B main, but a lot of times it’s good because you get to run the track before the feature,” TMAC says. “I tried a little bit of what Ricky was talking about in the B and it really felt good. So for the feature we did some more of the things he was talking about. The car felt really good…kind of like Kokomo. The more I drove, the better my car got and the better my confidence got. We were passing guys and I ran it into turn three a million miles an hour, and the car felt awesome. We were way faster than several of the guys in front of us.” Some of the bad luck crept up again for TMAC in an incident he couldn’t avoid. “I guess (Steve) Kinser got spun out, or something happened up there, and there was nowhere for me to go. I did my best not to hit him in the cockpit and do the least damage to my car. I tried to go between him and the fence. I knew there wasn’t enough room, but that would be the least hazardous path. It bent the front axle. All the other teams helped out in the work area, and we got the axle changed in time, but when we went back to push off, the pitman arm was stripped out. So we missed the restart.” The result was another DNF, but things seem to be going a lot better with a fast car on the track. Terry puts it in perspective. “I drive a sprint car for a living, and my worst day is still a pretty good one! The car has been fast, and the big races haven’t even started yet, so maybe we can look back on this year and say we didn’t run as well as we wanted in the points, but we won some big races!” Brian Kemenah TMAC said farewell to one of his teammates last week. “(Crew Chief) Brian Kemenah left us there after Eldora, and it was sort of a mutual deal. He’s a great guy, and I can’t say enough about him and his family. It’s unfortunate it didn’t work out, but it just wasn’t and I wish I knew why. It wasn’t his fault or my fault, we were in a funk and unfortunately, Brian got caught in the middle of my funk! We had a ton of mechanical stuff that happened, all at once, and I’m real disappointed it didn’t work out. At least I’ve made a really good friend with Brian, hopefully for life, and I’m happy about that.” No Husets Terry had hoped to run Sunday night in weekly action at Huset’s Speedway, where he is the career feature wins record holder. A snag in the WoO 250 mile rule (Huset’s is 238 miles from Eagle), allowed the WoO to shut that idea down even though a clause in the rule allows for consent prior to competing. Terry asked for consent, but was turned down for the first time in three years. He voiced his feelings. “I find the WoO’s decision absolutely ridiculous. This rule was brought about for a good reason, and I agree with it. It was brought about in 1992 when I was with the WoO. There would be a show at a rival track on Friday night, they’d pay a couple of our guys to be there, and jack up the price of admission for the fans, when the WoO would be at a neighboring track the night after their show.” “Last year, I asked permission, and they (WoO) let me do this. The year before, they let me do this. The bulk of my sponsorship is in the Sioux Falls area. They have great fans, and it’s a great place for me to race. We wanted to go up again, we love the track, and maybe we’d make a little money and get some confidence back. Instead, the hierarchy of the WoO, in their infinite NASCAR-like wisdom said ‘No’ this year. I believe the distance from Eagle to Sioux Falls falls 12 miles short of 250, and they didn’t feel that was something we should do, even with the promoter of the track calling them, and the promoters at Eagle not caring. Huset’s races 410’s weekly, which is something that the WoO should support. Huset’s has been on the WoO schedule for 18 years. The promoter even called them to ask them…to let that 12 miles go. I find it ridiculous. If anything, we’re promoting the WoO show coming up, so to me it’s crazy.” “Again, I agree with the rule in principle. You have to protect the WoO promoters, and I am one myself. It costs a lot to put on one of these shows, and I bust my butt to help these promoters any way I can. This is a way for the Rubins’ (Huset’s promoters) to promote their upcoming WoO show (July 3). We have a lot of local sponsors in that area like Bosma Poultry and Deberg Concrete, Inc. up there. They don’t get to see their car race very often. Any time I can run in front of them, it gives them a good feeling about being part of our team, and that helps this team stay on the road with the WoO. It’s not like we’d make a whole lot of money up there, and I see nothing but positives for the WoO in allowing us to go up there. We were 12 miles short of 250, with not another race for four days. Maybe they had nothing better to do in their office. I just don’t understand how it can be o.k. for two years, and now it’s not. The rule was made to protect their promoters and they just hurt one. That’s what has me upset.” A-MAC and C-MAC Friday night gave TMAC a rare chance to watch his sons’ race. Austin McCarl won his second Micro-Sprint feature of the year last Friday night at English Creek Speedway South of Knoxville. Brother Carson broke the track record with a lap of 10.370 (69.43 mph)! “Carson shattered the track record by 7 tenths of a second. Austin broke it first, but his gearing wasn’t really right, so we switched Carson’s. My boys are making me look bad, they’re setting fast times and winning features. They’re asking me what the heck my problem is!” “They have great mechanics in Glenn Freeland and their uncle Kenny McCarl. Now I know how my mom felt when my brother and I raced, and my dad was fielding a car too. I’m nervous as heck! I kept saying, ‘This isn’t worth it!’, but it’s fun.” In"Terry"gation Terry in Lee’s Summit, MO asks: Terry, How is Austin and Carson coming along with their racing? What are the chances of Austin running for the Knoxville 410 Rookie of the Year sometime in the next several years? How would you feel about that? TMAC answers: They are both doing very well. Austin has won two features and Carson has also won two. Carson even broke the track record last week by about 7 tenths. We have never been to English Creek Speedway until this year and I recommend it to any race fan that is in the area. It is a nice facility and a great place to race. As far as the boys racing in the future I would rather that they did not. I want them to be an Attorney or a Doctor but I think that their heart is in racing. Can you imagine the two McCarl boys running at Husets every Sunday? That would be very interesting to say the least! 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. Did you know? TMAC has 42 career 410 wins at Knoxville Raceway. That puts him in fifth place all-time behind Danny Lasoski (88), Doug Wolfgang (60), Steve Kinser (58) and he’s one win behind Earl Wagner, who is fourth. Website Check out the new “Austin and Carson” photo gallery on the website, and photos from Kokomo and Eagle from “PitPass Photos” and Jason Orth. Keep up to date with McCarl Motorsports at www.TerryMcCarl.com. We keep it fresh for TMAC fans! Front Row/Ultimate Challenge Update Order your tickets for the Musco Lighting Front Row Challenge and Searsboro Telephone Ultimate Challenge today! Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to order! Infield Party Passes are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the race! For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com. "Tuesdays with TMAC" 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, Bosma Poultry, Inc., AmeriCash Advance, and Ground Max Hunting Blinds. Bill Wright Bill W Media Monroe, IA USA sprntcar@iowatelecom.net |
||
Tuesdays with TMAC – Crazy Stuff!
6/5/2007 - Tuesdays with TMAC – Crazy Stuff!
|