4/16/2013
Terry McCarl
Tuesdays with TMAC – Exciting Charge in Burlington
Tuesdays with TMAC – Exciting Charge in Burlington!
(Bill W) April 16, 2013 – A decision to run the MOWA opener at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa definitely paid off for the fans. Terry McCarl’s mechanical issue put him on the rear of the feature field, and he didn’t disappoint. A charge placed him on leader, Ian Madsen’s bumper with a second place run at the finish.
While many area tracks canceled their program, 34 Raceway stuck it out. The pits and tracks were ready for the MOWA opener. “I think they did what they had to do with the track,” says TMAC. “We have a pretty heavy truck and trailer and we barely made it through the pits. They do a really good job getting things ready there. Many tracks would have canceled with the amount of rain they had. They deserve credit for what they did to pack the track. Otherwise, it would have been a heavy, rough mess.”
The new Hoosier tires were the talk in the pits. A hard track surface took its toll. “I was fortunate in that I had some tires from California,” says the Altoona, Iowa driver. “I had quite a few used ones that I could sell people cheap. As far as the track, there were very few yellows and no reds, so to me…we burned off a few tires, but it’s better than getting people upside down.”
TMAC would run second in the heat, having been passed late by Madsen. “We started up front with some used tires on,” he says. “We went the right direction with the car. We tightened it up after hot laps. We were still loose, and I couldn’t figure out why. I pulled the wing back, and I just couldn’t hold Ian off. I was trying to move around, block him and everything. I came in, and the left rear shrunk like two inches and the pressure went down.”
The finish still qualified TMAC for the Dash, where he ran from the fourth row to fifth. “We were able to move up two spots and I was on the next guy (Jerrod Hull) for fourth,” he says. “Getting into the first couple rows is a key. With Ian and Lucas on the front row, you want to stay close.”
A main event starting spot in row three vanished when TMAC pulled into the work area. “Going back to hot laps, the motor was missing,” he says. “I thought maybe we didn’t have it heated up enough. The motor missed a bit in the heat. On that track, that should have helped us a little. We changed the mag box after the heat. It’s kind of tricky with the new Dash to get it in there properly. It was falling out and shutting the motor off.”
TMAC made the decision to change it. “I kind of panicked,” he says. “I didn’t want to lose power in front of a bunch of guys and cause an accident. It was hard to make that decision, but it was the smarter one. I don’t think we delayed the program. Austin and Ian’s crew were able to get me going again.”
Starting at the tail of the field with some good cars ahead of him, TMAC weighed his odds. “I knew coming from the back, it would be tough to have a shot at it,” he says. “The car was awesome! They did a good job in reworking the track on the top and the bottom. That made for two good grooves. It was crazy back where I was at. I was going where they weren’t.”
With most eyes on him, TMAC entered the turns high and exited low, reeling in the leaders. With seven laps to go, unbeknownst to him, he was challenging for the lead when the caution flag came out. “I really didn’t know where I was at,” he admits. “I was on Ian’s bumper. I still don’t recognize him in that car. When I come through there, I really don’t know who anyone is. I get in a zone, and they are all gray obstacles I’m trying to pass.”
He still didn’t know his running position. “When I saw it was Ian, I wondered if he was backing up,” says TMAC. “When we got to the frontstretch, I saw we were running second. I was just going as hard as I could. We went with a little harder tire than the rest of them and that worked out for us.”
Two lapped cars were placed between the leader and TMAC, making the job a little harder. “He got a good start,” says TMAC. “I got by the lapped cars pretty quickly, but he had a straightaway on me. I closed it up pretty well, but he won it. Going from the back to second was a pretty good run for us.”
Knoxville fans in attendance know the lead pair at West Burlington will be putting on a weekly show this season. “I hate to get beat like that at anytime,” says TMAC. “(Madsen’s) been having an excellent season in Australia and he finished strong here last year. It looks like he has a really strong team this year. Hopefully, we can put on great races like that all year long at Knoxville, and we beat him more than he beats us.”
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!
This Month in TMAC History!
On April 21, 2001, TMAC performed a clean sweep of the Season Opener at Knoxville Raceway. He set quick time at 15.087, won his heat after starting sixth, and with an invert of eight took the feature over Dennis Moore Jr., Kerry Madsen, Don Droud Jr. and Leonard Lee. Madsen started on the pole, and led the first ten laps before TMAC took command. TMAC edged Droud by 95 points for the track title that year. Both won five features that season.
"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 Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, “Lord I Apologize BBQ Sauce”, Deanfield Farms, Bosma Poultry, Eagle Motorsports, DeBerg Concrete, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, SCE Gaskets, Justice Brothers, 212 The Boiling Point Bar & Grill, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Pick Farms, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Superflow Technologies, T&P Brothers, Mediacom, Larry Fleck Trucking, 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 Designs, Morgan Strawberry Farms, 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.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@hotmail.com
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