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Tuesdays with TMAC – Georgia On My Mind!
(Bill W) March 27, 2007 – After a disappointing weekend in Tennessee, Terry McCarl and the TMAC Motorsports team will head to the "Peach State", this weekend and tackle Dixie Speedway, near Woodstock, Georgia this Saturday with the World of Outlaws.
This weekend's show at Dixie will be the first of the winged 410 variety there since 1999, when the WoO visited in March and April. Terry looks forward to returning. "It's fun going to track's like (Dixie Speedway). They're kinda stock car tracks and they haven't seen the 410 sprints. The fans get excited, because they're used to seeing a stock car go around there. They're going to see the speed of the sprints, but they're also going to see a good show."
Terry was second quick in the April WoO Dixie finale in 1999 driving his own #24. A tangle with Craig Dollansky while battling in the top ten brought him a DNF in that event. TMAC's best finish at Dixie Speedway came on July 12, 1997, when he finished fourth in the Holbrook #8h in All Star Circuit of Champions action. Kenny Jacobs won, followed by Van Gurley Jr. and Danny Smith.
Bulls Gap Bull
TMAC took one look at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tennessee, and knew the high-speed, high-banked joint would be to his liking. The excitement didn't even last a lap of qualifications. "What a fun place! Too bad we really didn't get to run it. I love the high-banked places, where you're bangin' the fence...you know…where people are kinda scared. I wanted to show them that I drive it in higher and deeper than anybody! Which I pretty much did in time trials…and I went straight into the fence (laughs)! There was a little bit of cushion getting in (turn three), and I got above it. The banks let your car stick a bit, but we got the car a little tight, and drove it straight into the fence. It bent our front axle back about two or three inches. It broke the Jacob's ladder off, bent both rear arms, bent both rear radius rods, it tore the heck out of the car, and I pulled in real quick."
WoO rules state that timing out of your qualifying spot will get you no better than 17th quick, with only one lap to do it, and that's where McCarl ended up. "(Crew Chief) Steve (Fitzpatrick) got the Jacob's ladder, got it hooked up and I went back out for one lap at the end."
There was no rest for the weary. "When something like that happens, we have to change everything, and, of course, we were in the first heat. All we did was change the front end, and both rear arms were still bent," Terry relates. Nonetheless, he was able to pass Chad Kemenah, garnering the final transfer spot to the main event.
More dumb luck would follow in staging for the big one. This time a locked up brake was the culprit. "It's just one of those deals. The brake line got knocked off, and eventually the caliper stuck on the rotor. It was just kind of a fluke deal."
McCarl got the car to the work area as quickly as possible, but it was too late to start the race. "I thought we would get two minutes, but the rule says before the race starts, you don't get that two minutes. I pulled in to fix it, and they threw the green. We were lucky there wasn't an alternate ready to go, or that would have cost us 27 points."
The crew got the brakes unlocked, and took back to the track on the first caution (five laps in) of the event. "We went out there without any brakes, the brake line was broken off, so we went out and looked for a possible red…not that we wanted to see that." McCarl took a few laps and exited with a disappointing 25th place finish.
"It was one of those nights. When you race 100 nights a year, you're going to run into nights like that. My biggest disappointment was that it was a good racetrack, and it ended up being a great race, and we weren't a part of it. It was a great crowd, a great atmosphere, a lot of the (Nextel) Cup people were there, it was a lot of fun," says Terry.
With Georgia on their mind, TMAC Motorsports will be as ready as ever this Saturday night! Stop by and say, Hi!
Other Notes
The McCarl family (Terry, Lori, Austin and Carson) was able to catch Nextel Cup qualifying at Bristol, Tennessee. Everyone had a blast!
Catch Terry in IRA action on Sunday, May 6, at 34 Raceway in Burlington, Iowa.
In"Terry"gation
Pat Murray from Laurens, IA asks: Just wondering how your ankle is doing this summer? I know you were in a lot of pain all last summer, more than you wanted anyone to know! I hope it is better this summer. Good luck Terry, Steve and crew!
TMAC answers: Thanks for the question. The leg is better then it was last summer. My ankle was sprained very badly and that was the cause of most of the pain last summer. My Tibia is what was broke. I have a steel plate and twelve screws in it now. All of that can be taken out after one year. Unfortunately the one year anniversary is in May, so I will have to wait until the end of the season to get them out. I don't think the pain will fully go a way until I get all the hardware out. My biggest problem at this point is getting through airport security!!
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?
Much of the 1982 movie, "Six Pack" was filmed at Dixie Speedway. Kenny Rogers played stock car driver, Brewster Baker, and crooned the movie title song, "Love Will Turn You Around."
Website
Keep up to date with McCarl Motorsports at www.TerryMcCarl.com. We keep it fresh for TMAC fans!
Front Row/Ultimate Challenge Update
Advanced ticket holders to the Front Row Challenge and/or Ultimate Challenge can order their tickets now until Thursday. All other seats become available April 3. Call McTwo Promotions Tuesday-Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 515 957-0020 to renew!
Infield Party Passes are $20 in advance or $25 the day of the race!
For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com.
"Tuesdays with TMAC"
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TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Big Game Treestands, Bosma Poultry, Inc., AmeriCash Advance, and Ground Max Hunting Blinds.
 (Michael Hill)
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