3/17/2009
Terry McCarl
Tuesdays with TMAC – Podium Run at Chico!
(Bill W) March 17, 2009 – It was a tale of two tracks last weekend at the Mini-Gold Cup at the Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California. For sprint car driver Terry McCarl it was a tale of two nights as well, with track conditions playing a big part in his finishes. He and the Big Game Treestands #24 head to Thunderbowl Raceway near Tulare this weekend for another two-night World of Outlaws event.
Friday opened with a typical tacky ¼ mile Chico surface. After registering the 11th fast time of the night, TMAC ran second in his heat and won the dash after a young fan drew him the pole position. “It was really a cool track,” he says. “It was prepared well, and there were some ruts out there. There was one in one and a couple in three and four. If you could get through there well, you could really move forward. Another time, you’d hook it wrong, and it made it really interesting.”
As TMAC lined up beside Craig Dollansky to start the 40-lap feature on Friday, he found the rough stuff. “I hooked one (a rut) in one and two right at the start, and Craig got me. We were lucky we didn’t tip over there. Several drivers were hooking it and driving off the track. It definitely made things interesting.”
The race had numerous slowdowns and took about an hour in real time. TMAC persevered, dropping back to fourth at one point. In the end, he had surged back to a podium finish in third. “I think our team competed well and had a car to run up front, obviously,” he says. “Runs like we’ve had lately give you some confidence, and you just look forward to the next time out.”
Saturday’s finale saw a much different racing surface. With over 50 cars assembled both nights, one lap of qualifying was used. The format and track conditions didn’t work in TMAC’s favor in time trials. “They started early because it looked like rain was coming, so it was really dry,” he relates. “The track had moved up to the bad rut we had in three and four right away, and I caught it. With 53 cars, the pressure is huge with that one lap and I blew it.”
WoO rules state you are done with no time if you spin during qualifying. TMAC used the opportunity to have a discussion about the rule. “I wasn’t sure of the rule at that point with one lap of qualifying, but you are done,” he says. “I had a good conversation with the officials, and I tried to discuss it from a promoter’s view. I wasn’t angry, because I wasn’t going to change the rule that night. I just thought that in the future that it would be the right thing to change it. I don’t think it would be fair for Donny Schatz to lose a driveline in qualifying and not be able to come back out at the end, for example. You end a guy’s night that way, and look how far some of these guys travel. Maybe that person could qualify no better than 25th or something if he came back out. On the other hand, two teams had illegal cars (front wings) when they went out, and were allowed to qualify again later. That doesn’t make sense. They agreed with me I think, and came down later and said they would work on it. We had a good conversation.”
Starting at the tail of his heat, TMAC rewarded the fans with arguably the best race of the night. He grabbed the fifth and final transfer in the last corner. “To go from thirteenth in the heat at a tight place like Chico and make it to a transfer spot without any yellows may rank up there with all my memories,” he relates. “I’m really proud of that. That’s stuff I’ve seen Steve Kinser do. I think the key was keeping a good positive attitude. It was no one’s fault but mine that I spun out earlier. I told my guys we were going to make it out of the heat race. I don’t think any of them really believed me, but amazingly it ended up happening.”
Obviously, his feature starting spot would be 24th (last). The track didn’t yield much passing with rubber developing, but he did manage to gain six spots (18th). “I screwed up in the feature by going with too hard a tire (25 compound),” says TMAC. “I blew a tire there a few years ago running third, and I was thinking about that a bit. I talked to (Steve) Kinser and his guys and they thought a 25 would be the way to go to. They came by later and said, ‘We screwed up there didn’t we?’”
Most competitors stayed around the bottom, but a couple found success high in turns one and two. Did TMAC try it? “The leaders went with a 15 compound for the most part,” he says. “We tried the high side a couple of times but just ended up spinning the tires.”
Front Row Challenge/Ultimate Challenge Tickets On Sale!
Advanced ticket holders to the Front Row Challenge and/or Ultimate Challenge can order their tickets right now! Act soon, because all open seats become available April 2. Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday beginning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to renew your seats!
Infield Party Passes for the August 4 and 5 events will be $25!
For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com.
In"Terry"gation
Ryan Carpenter asks: Did any of your dad’s (Lenard) famous crashes stand out to you as a memory?
TMAC Answers: The crash at Granite City is one I remember well. He didn’t break any legs in that one, but the roll cage went through his shoulder. It was in the heat race, and I was in the stands by myself. I was only 10 or 12 years old at the time. I jumped the fence and went out there. It tore the roll cage up. I remember the thing he was the most pissed about was the fact that he had a new uniform on. The “X” on the back of the roll cage went right into his arm. The other thing was, when we got in the ambulance, the driver took off and was flying. Then he asked us, “Where is the hospital?”
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 Week in TMAC History!
TMAC finished third with the WoO at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on this week in 2006. TMAC battled with eventual winner Sammy Swindell and said at the time, ““I missed the bottom one time and Sammy got me and then we both got Haud.” Donny Schatz finished second, with Randy Hannagan fourth, and Joey Saldana fifth. The run followed a fourth place showing the night prior.
Website Updates
Check out the pictures from Chico courtesy of John’s Racing Photos and www.PushinTheCushin.com in the “Photos” section!
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 and Remington Treestands.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@iowatelecom.net
