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Tuesdays with TMAC – Thunderstruck!
(Bill W) February 19, 2008 – After a weekend off as the results of a rainout, sprint car driver, Terry McCarl will set his sights on the familiar Thunderbowl Raceway in Northern California. The 1/3 mile high-banked bullring on the Tulare Fairgrounds will play host to the World of Outlaws this weekend, and TMAC should have some confidence heading in based on his past performances there. The two-day show will be this Friday and Saturday night.
In seven career WoO feature events, TMAC has one win (2004), four top five finishes, and five top ten tallies at Tulare. One year ago, he scored a fifth place finish in the prelim and he was second in the finale. "It's funny, because I don't look at Tulare as one of my favorite tracks, but actually we've done pretty well there the last three or four years," he says. "This time last year, we were able to pass Tim Kaeding in one of the races, and everyone knows he is one of the best at Tulare. That was big for us."
When the track gets right, the Thunderbowl can lend to some great racing action. "I like Tulare, mainly because it's a racy joint," says the Altoona, Iowa native. "The problem with the tracks in California, is they can get too wet like it was last fall there, and you are follow-the-leader sometimes. When it slicks off though, it gets really racy."
The night he won in 2004, TMAC started deep in the field, but managed to use the track and the right selection of a right rear tire to his advantage. After picking his way forward, leader Daryn Pittman was slowed by a blown right rear coming for the checkers. TMAC pounced on the opportunity. "I've watched video of that several times and people always bring up the tire thing," he says. "We started 17th in that race, and only passed five cars because of the tires, the other twelve we were good enough to get by. The main one, of course, was Daryn, and I still like to remind him of that once in awhile. We were smart enough to put a hard tire on, when others weren't. Also, we had a great racecar. The rubber was on the bottom, but we had it working well around the middle."
After a lackluster qualifying effort, and starting back in row nine, TMAC wasn't asking for much that night. "I remember praying before the race for a top ten," he says. "Then, I got up to tenth and I was thinking, 'A top five would be pretty good'! Then we kept moving up and I realized, 'We could win this thing!' It was a crazy race, and we were fortunate that Daryn had that problem. Daryn's year in 2004 was one where not much went his way."
The veteran WoO competitors have become good friends, and now share a merchandise trailer. They have invested in a much bigger trailer to sell their wares on the road this season. "We won't bring it out West with the way the fuel prices are right now, but we'll be at most of the races," says McCarl. "Daryn and (wife) Mandy are pulling it with their motor home right now, and it's more cost effective for Daryn to fly out West this time."
Fans of the pair can look forward to great things this season. "We've got some great promotional items in store for the fans throughout the year," says TMAC. "We have a bigger trailer, which can carry more stuff. That gives us a lot more options and display area than we had before. Lori (Terry's wife) and Mandy are coming up with some great ideas, so stay tuned."
The trip to Tulare brings TMAC back to a place that he made home in the early 1990's. "It's nice to go there because we have so many friends out there from when we were living and racing there," he says. "The Pace Brothers from Indiana will be there, 'Cowboy' Craig Smith who I used to race with, and just a bunch of good friends will be around. For me, it's kind of like 'Old Home Week' looking back at our San Jose days."
While some racetracks that TMAC frequented in the Golden State have gone the way of the bulldozer, the Thunderbowl has prospered. "It's a neat facility right in the heart of town on the interstate," says the veteran. "That's unique in California…unfortunately, racetracks are getting pretty rare out there. There is no lack of great sprint car fans though! They have an awesome sound system for our shows out there, and I know they have a live band coming in to perform before the races. That makes it a great 'event'!" TMAC hopes to be a big part of that show this weekend!
2008 FRC/UC Tickets!
Advanced ticket holders to the Front Row Challenge and/or Ultimate Challenge can order their tickets beginning today, February 19! All other seats become available April 1. 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 $20 in advance or $25 the day of the race!
For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com.
In"Terry"gation
Richard from Rock Port, MO asks: With races occurring all over the country with the World of Outlaws, sometimes in a matter of days, that has to strain the crew. What about the drivers? How many of them fly to races, and how many drive?
TMAC Answers: I just finished driving from Florida to Louisiana, and from Louisiana out West, so if I could fly home, that would be great! We've got to cut costs wherever we can. I don't fly back as much as most of the drivers do to be honest. I think the bulk of them fly home quite a bit. We all have such great crews. They are people you can trust to get stuff taken care of when you're gone. Once the season gets cooking toward summer, there's really not much time to go home, so that's not an option. The spring and fall races are the times you can get home once in awhile.
Got a question for TMAC? Send it to us at [email protected], and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for TMAC" in your subject line.
Today in TMAC History!
February 19 marks the 20th Anniversary of TMAC running at the historic Ascot Park Speedway in Gardena, California. The year was 1988 and the race was a World of Outlaws preliminary feature. Jack Hewitt won the show in Darryl Saucier and Ron Pack's #4a. He was followed by Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, Mark Kinser in the Reid #6r and Bobby Allen.
Despite suffering a 22nd place DNF in his father's #7x, TMAC remembers Ascot well. "I remember that as about a week before Baylands where Hewitt and I got in the fistfight in his book (Hewitt's Law co-authored by Dave Argabright). We've been buddies ever since! I remember Ascot as a place I was just starting to figure out as it was closing. It was an awesome location, and a really great non-wing track. They tried to emulate it with the way they built Perris. It was a bit of a paperclip that forced you to pitch it sideways without the wing. The very last WoO show there (1990), we were running in the top ten and broke a rocker arm. That was rough."
Website Updates
John Meirhofer from John's Racing Photos caught several shots of the Big Game Treestands #24 at Volusia. Check the "Terry McCarl" and "At the Races" galleries in the "Photos" section for updated photos!
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 [email protected] with "TMAC" in the subject line.
TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Big Game Treestands, Bosma Poultry, Inc., AmeriCashAdvance.com and Remington Treestands.
TMAC is caught in action at Volusia (John's Racing Photos)
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IAUSA
[email protected]
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