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Tuesdays with TMAC – Getting the Timing Down!
(Bill W) June 17, 2008 – Sprint car driver Terry McCarl has been getting his timing down. Three more races this week resulted in three more top five qualifying efforts and three trips to dash with the World of Outlaws. The end result was a pair of top ten finishes, and the next step for the Altoona, Iowa driver is to better that and get to the top of the podium! Tonight, he'll compete at the Ollie's Bargain Outlet NASCAR 360 challenge at Sharon Speedway in Ohio, before settling in for a two-night show Friday and Saturday in Dodge City, Kansas.
Great improvement has occurred in the qualifying efforts and motor performance since crew chief, "Dyno" Dave Lawrence joined the team before the Eastern Swing in May. "We've been qualifying really well," says TMAC. "Dave has really helping us in that department. We've been in the dash almost every night, and you need to do that. The times we haven't been in the dash were my fault. You call this Motorsports for a reason. You need good motors, and we have that. We just need to get the car better in the feature. We've got some top tens going, we need to get some top fives and some wins going now."
Last Wednesday night, at the State Fair Speedway in Sedalia, Missouri, things started well with a third quick effort in time trials. After running well in the heat, TMAC spun in the dash. "We were good in the heat race," he says. "I think we were the only ones to finish top two from the second row. In the dash, we just had a rough start getting crowded by Jason Meyers, who has been fast lately, and (Sam) Hafertepe Jr. That got us above the cushion and we spun sideways."
After starting inside row five of the 25-lap main event, TMAC went backwards. "They did a great job with the racetrack, and I didn't anticipate it staying as heavy as it did," says the driver of the Big Game Treestands #24. "It was the nicest I've ever seen it. We put a big tire on the left rear and we were really tight. That was probably the worst setup we've had since Attica! We just expected it to blow off more."
Hopes were high going into Huset's Speedway on Friday night. TMAC is a six-time track champion at the popular banked 3/8 mile oval south of Brandon, South Dakota. After registering fourth quick time of the night, a third place heat run, and a tenth place finish in the dash, Terry was slotted outside of row five for the feature. Again the track stayed heavier than expected, and he finished where he started, 10th. "I kind of went with my normal setup at Huset's, but the track just stayed really good all night," says TMAC. "They were doing ten second laps in the B main, so I should have taken more of a note there. I was just so tight at the beginning of the race, and couldn't hang on to it. We had a top ten there, and we're definitely not happy settling for that at Huset's, especially with so many of our good sponsors around."
At Eagle Raceway in Nebraska on Saturday, he registered fifth quick, ran fourth in the heat, and was sixth in the dash, putting himself outside row three of the feature. He would ride out an eighth place finish. "We qualified well again, and that's something I think we can really continue to build on," he says. "It's a lot easier qualifying well with the Outlaws than being in the back behind the 8-ball," says TMAC, who won the Icebreaker Challenge at Eagle earlier this season. "Eagle is notorious for being really really slick…maybe the driest this side of Ohio. We started sixth, and we were battling Schatz for fifth early on. I tried to run the bottom to middle like I usually do, and the top was just too nice to do that. I got passed by Joey and Shane before I could get back on top. From there, it went 40 laps non-stop. The cushion held up, Larry (Hillerud) did a great job with the track. We could have used a yellow or two to bunch things up. We were actually a little tight on the top, and I think we could have done something low or in the middle with a restart, but we'll take eighth and move on."
Tonight TMAC will team with Nebraska car owner Mark Burch and his famous #1m. The Ollie's Bargain Outlet NASCAR 360 Challenge pits NASCAR stars versus the best in the sprint car business. The three-race series will also run at Eldora in July and Williams Grove in August. Claiming two of the three features could pocket someone $50,000. Friday and Saturday, the World of Outlaws will be back in action at the Dodge City Speedway.
Crazee Combos Continue!
TMAC and Daryn Pittman are continuing their "Crazee Combo" deals at the merchandise trailer! For $25, you can purchase a t-shirt, hat, sticker and coozie from TMAC! Take advantage of the "Crazee Combo" this weekend!
WoO at 34 Raceway!
The World of Outlaws are coming to another of TMAC's favorite tracks, the 34 Raceway near West Burlington, Iowa on July 30, 2008. The race will be a prelude to the 10-day Southern Iowa Sprintweek. "The deal was finalized last Friday," says TMAC, who will have a hand in promotion. "What a great place that will be for an Outlaw show!"
Stay tuned for more info on the event!
2008 FRC/UC Tickets!
Order your Front Row Challenge and Ultimate Challenge tickets right now! Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday beginning from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to secure your seats for these popular events!
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
Ken in Bloomington, IL asks: Have you seen a boost in ticket sales for the Ultimate Challenge since you made the announcement that USAC will be involved? TMAC Answers: Not a whole lot, but that event has been growing and growing every year. My wife (Lori) thought we were going to have a bigger crowd for the Ultimate Challenge than the Front Row Challenge last year. No one can convince me that we didn't have the best non-wing field assembled in racing history last August. It was just a shame it got rained out. As a fan, I was so disappointed. The field we had was awesome, and I think with the USAC moniker on board, it will be just as good or better this year! Paying $30,000 is kind of crazy, but we want this to be the biggest event a lot of these drivers and fans will ever see!
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!
TMAC has three wins on this date in history. One year ago, he raced from the back of the pack to victory in 25 laps at Huset's Speedway, topping Mark Dobmeier, Wade Nygaard, Gregg Bakker and Gary DeWall. A 1995 win at Knoxville bested Johnny Herrera, Jaymie Moyle, Dennis Moore Jr. and Randy Smith. A 2001 win at Huset's topped Don Droud Jr., Bakker, DeWall and Skip Jackson.
Website Updates
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, AmeriCashAdvance.com, DeBerg Concrete and Remington Treestands.
TMAC at Eagle Raceway (IBRACN Photo)
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IAUSA
[email protected]
If this post isn't results, stories or something c
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@BillWMedia
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