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Tuesdays with TMAC – Year in Review!
(Bill W) November 13, 2007 – Looking back at the 2007 season of sprint car driver Terry McCarl could lead one to wonder what could have been. Through it all, when the spotlight was on and the money on the line, he was towards the front of the field. When the dust settled, he had 20 top five finishes (23%) and 43 top ten finishes (50%) in the 86 features he competed in during 2007. That is no small accomplishment with the level of competition he faced with the World of Outlaws, and considering many of the obstacles that were faced during the long season.
Four wins highlighted the season for the colorful Altoona, Iowa native, with the biggest two coming on national television on ESPN2. The first came at Knoxville Raceway on June 16, and the second at K-C Raceway near Chillicothe, Ohio on July 28. "We were able to win the first ESPN2 show…that was big!" says TMAC. "It was also our first World of Outlaws win at Knoxville. There were a lot of positives. We won two of the TV shows, and I think we ran fourth in the ESPN2 Summer of Money points, so that was good too."
The success didn't stop there. In the biggest shows in sprint car racing, TMAC was on the podium three times. "We had a chance to win the (Knoxville) Nationals (he finished 3rd)," he says. "We almost won the Knight Before the King's Royal (at Eldora Speedway), we ran second there. We had taken the lead from Steve Kinser and the yellow came out, and that gave him a chance to get back in front of us. We all know that's not a good thing. We started in the sixth row at the King's Royal and ran third. We ran well at Knoxville and Eldora for the most part all year long. We also ran seventh and eighth at the Gold Cup (Chico, California)."
Despite a lot of big successes, there were some lulls that usually resulted from mechanical difficulties or tire problems. "We were fast, but lacked the consistency this year," says TMAC. "We went through a lot of different crew changes, a new engine builder, and had a lot of inconsistencies, but through it all there were a lot of positives to draw on. When we didn't have a good night though, it seemed it was a really bad night." The final WoO point standings saw TMAC 12th in the driver rundown and 11th in the owner tally.
At times, TMAC fans needed a scorecard to keep track of the crew. Brian Kemenah was brought on as crew chief in April and May, and it seemed to be a match that may stand the test of time. Unfortunately, things didn't work out. "Brian Kemenah is a great guy and a good friend, but we just had so many problems during that time," laments TMAC. "Flats, broken shocks, tires, everything went wrong and Brian happened to be there for it all. It was all crazy stuff that was no one's fault. It just wasn't working."
Around King's Royal time, Tyler Swank was brought aboard as crew chief. Veteran mechanic Troy Renfro joined Tyler as a co-crew leader towards the end of the season, and TMAC is looking forward to 2008 with two experienced mechanics on board. "We're looking next year to be consistent," he says. "Everyone says, 'We should have won this one, we should have won that one,' but I really think there were a couple that I felt we should have won. For example, I remember spinning at Lake Ozark when we were running down (Craig) Dollansky for the lead, and breaking a shock at US36 when we were running up front. We cut 10-12 tires this year. We did finish a lot of those races, so that is a positive, but it definitely sets you back. With the team we've assembled due to the help of Tod Quiring at Big Game Treestands, I'm really looking forward to next season!"
A-MAC and C-MAC
Austin and Carson McCarl dove into the racing game headfirst in 2007. Both competed in the Micro-Sprint division at the English Creek Speedway south of Knoxville. "It was a great year for the boys," says dad. "Glenn (Freeland) and Kenny (McCarl) did a great job helping them out! Austin won the Championship and Carson was fourth. Most importantly, they both had a lot of fun and won some races. They'd never run Micros before, and we're really proud of them. We're actually working on some sprint stuff for Austin for next year. Maybe Austin can run a few places like with the Sprint Invaders once in awhile."
December 31 Deadline for UC Rainchecks
Refunds or ticket exchanges will no longer be accepted after December 31 for the rained out 6th Annual Ultimate Challenge. Please get your requests in before then.
Refunds or ticket exchanges (for your same seats) for 2008 can be requested at:
McTwo Promotions
Box 185
Altoona, IA 50009
(Please include your raincheck and a SASE with your request)
In"Terry"gation
Bill in Minneapolis, MN asks: When you are preparing over the winter for another WoO season, how hectic is it? Do you set timelines for what you need to get done? What are your priorities?
TMAC Answers: Sometimes these days it's not about money with parts, it's that you can't get them when you want them. You need to order things way ahead of time. Most Outlaw teams order their stuff for the next season right after the Nationals (August). This year, we haven't been able to do that, so we're a little bit behind and nervous to be honest with you. Prepping your cars and engines takes a lot more time than you think. This is when you win races in July, is the next couple months. We still have a couple cars from last year, and we'll sell those off for new ones and figure out what we're doing with the engine program. It seems like you have time, but Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, banquets, PRI show…the time really flies so there's really not that much time. The first thing up for me is surgery this morning at 7 a.m. I've still got 12 screws and a plate in my leg (from 2006) that I need taken out. I'll be laid up for awhile, but I wanted to get that done as quickly as I could.
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.
Did you know?
Terry's final stats for 2007 included 86 feature starts with 4 wins (5%), 12 top threes (14%), 20 top fives (23%) and 43 top tens (50%). His wins came at a prelim in the ASCS East Bay "King of the 360's" on January 26, with the WoO at Knoxville on June 16, at Huset's Speedway (from the back) on June 17, and with the WoO at K-C Raceway on July 13.
Website
Check out new photos from Charlotte from Doug Johnson and Jason McConnell in the "Terry McCarl" and "At the Races" galleries. Look for the 2008 Schedule which will be posted soon.
Keep up to date with McCarl Motorsports at www.TerryMcCarl.com. We keep it fresh for TMAC fans!
"Tuesdays with TMAC" is Winterizing
Tuesdays with TMAC will be taking a break to reenergize, but we'll be back with any news from TMAC that arises as we head towards 2008!
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., AmeriCash Advance, and Ground Max Hunting Blinds.
TMAC at Charlotte (Jason McConnell)
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IAUSA
[email protected]
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