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Tuesdays with TMAC – 2014 in Review!

(Bill W) December 23, 2014 – A record eighth Huset’s Speedway track title highlighted the 2014 season for Terry McCarl. The Altoona, Iowa sprint car driver also finished a close second at Knoxville Raceway. The competition at both tracks was arguably at the highest level ever seen. TMAC was able to record wins for three different owners including TMAC Motorsports along the way. The veteran is looking forward to 2015, where the Front Row Challenge he promotes will pay $20,000 to the winner for the first time, and the National Sprint League will bring more 410 racing to the Midwest.

Over the course of the season, TMAC recorded thirteen top tens and five top fives in just twenty features with the World of Outlaws. “We had a good year with the Outlaws,” he says. “We skipped Tucson, or we were going to be in the top five in Outlaw points heading to California. We had a sponsor commitment in Las Vegas. We just had a lot of great finishes with them. We would have liked to have picked off another win, but it was a good year.”

The early success in the season was not reserved for the Outlaws only. “We ran third at the ‘King of the 360’s (at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa),” says TMAC. “We had fast time and led for a while with the Outlaws in Tulare. We ended up running third there. We just had some great finishes there. Until Knoxville started and we got to the first part of May, we just had one motor and one car.”

TMAC’s wins on the season came in three different cars. “We were able to win three in Jeremy Scadden’s car, two for Jimmy Davies, and of course in our own car,” he says. “That was kind of cool. Driving for Jeremy and Jimmy really helped to offset our costs. To run every week at Huset’s in Jeremy’s car was great.”

Adversity struck in early June with the Outlaws. A rainout at Knoxville sent the team down to the road to Kansas City’s Lakeside Speedway with the WoO. “We had the Lakeside incident and we destroyed the car,” says TMAC. “We just didn’t have a car for the next week at Knoxville. It was the first of June and we didn’t have a backup car. We were able to have Jeremy loan us his #6 car, and we were able to finish second at Knoxville with the Outlaws.”

TMAC was able to carry Jeremy Scadden and his #6 to the Huset’s championship, while finishing second in points at Knoxville in the TMAC Motorsports #24. “You always want to win, but again, with our issues and our team…and with all the rainouts, I think we did really well,” he says. “To win the Huset’s title for Jeremy was really big for me. We wanted that for him. He also won the hobby stock title there, so he’s really the Jack Roush of Huset’s, I think. He loves racing, and he does everything he can to do that. I was really happy for him.”

The veteran also turned in a solid Knoxville Nationals in August. “We were back in business there,” says TMAC. “We were able to run fourth on our qualifying night, and seventh in the finale. We were right there, and we’re back to where we’re capable of winning that thing.”

Another premiere event is October’s Trophy Cup at the Tulare Thunderbowl in California. “It’s the toughest 360 race in the country,” says TMAC. “We were there with our ASCS engine against a lot of drivers who had open motors. We drew 98 out of 100 to qualify and ran third the first night. We had a little bit of a motor problem, which was our issue, and Clyde Lamar was kind enough to loan us an engine for the second day. We started a ways back and ended up eighth, so it was a good trip.”

TMAC won his heat and the Dash at the prelim of the World Finals in Charlotte with the Outlaws before suffering some mechanical issues in the feature and finishing tenth. “We ended up back at Charlotte and we had a top ten there,” he says. “I think, along with Volusia at the beginning of the season, those are the two toughest fields you’ll see outside of the Knoxville Nationals. We just had a great year.”

He is excited about the prospects for 2015. “Sure, we’d like to have had some more wins, and I think we’ll be able to do that this year,” says TMAC. “(Crew chief) Doug Rankin has been a huge asset for us and has really helped me. Austin (McCarl) was a big help again, but he’s going to try and race more on his own next year. Doug and I know each other well after a year, and I think we’re both happy with our situation heading into 2015.”

The National Sprint League will offer more opportunities for 410 racing in 2015. “I’m excited about the NSL,” says TMAC. “It’s been needed for years in this area. The PA Posse and Ohio drivers have a lot of races close to them. Then you have the All Stars you can go out and race with too out there. Now we have that around here as well, and I think we’re going to build the fan base for sprint car racing in the Midwest.”

The TMAC Motorsports team is gearing up for the new season. “We’ve got a strong team,” says TMAC. “I’ve got a spare car already. The Snow Plow folks and Randy Anderson have helped me to build an arsenal of engines here. We’re starting the year with two cars and three engines, and we’re working on a fourth.”

The Front Row Challenge will be NSL sanctioned and offer $20,000 to the winner. “I’m really excited about that,” says TMAC. “We’re in the top five as far as payoff for 410 racing in the country. That’s exciting for Oskaloosa and the 410’s. It’s going to be a great year for sprint car racing all around.”

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 this week in 1992, TMAC embarked on the Slick 50 Series races in Arizona. TMAC ran seven races over six weekends that winter at the Manzanita Speedway near Phoenix in his own #27 machine following his rookie season with the World of Outlaws in the Offill #88. His best finish was eighth, coming on January 3, 1993. In the winter of 1993/1994, TMAC would return to the series in Arizona, this time competing in five features at the Canyon Raceway.

"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@hotmail.com with "TMAC" in the subject line.

TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, Bosma Poultry, SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, DeBerg Concrete, Colin Bulmer, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, Justice Brothers/Gillund Enterprises, Ryan Yager Trucking, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, SuperFlow, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Rens Trucking, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Snap On Tools, Sposato Paint, Winters, Kilani Fender, Inc., DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Taco Bravo, Brown and Miller, Pro Shocks, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Van Der Brink Trucking, Van Der Brink Designs, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Buttman BBQ, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, KSE Steering, Snyder Lawn & Landscaping, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Butlerbuilt, PBS Bushings and Mote Fasteners.

Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia

Tuesdays with TMAC – Helping Hands in Cali!

(Bill W) October 21, 2014 – There were plenty of thanks to dish out for Terry McCarl after last weekend’s Trophy Cup. After a strong run on his prelim night at the Thunderbowl Raceway in Tulare, California, a freak incident saw the Country Builders Construction #88 in need of a motor. Long-time car owner, Clyde Lamar, came through with an engine to aid the team backed by the Weldon Offill family and Taco Bravo’s Dennis Woullett. In the end, TMAC would finish third and eighth in his features, and tallied eighth in the final point rundown.

The draw didn’t go as planned in Thursday’s prelim. “We drew 98 out of 100 pills,” says TMAC. “It wasn’t what we were looking for, but we ended up being 15th quick in our group. We had two groups of forty or so. We had a legal ASCS engine, and with open 360’s legal out there, we were about 50 horses shy of what a lot of teams have.”

The Altoona, Iowa driver would run second in his heat. “We had a great heat race,” says TMAC. “We were all over (Dominic) Scelzi for the win. The top two locked into the feature, which was good. It was tough for a lot of guys though.”

TMAC would start the prelim from the pole. “It looked in the B like it was going to lay rubber,” he says. “I don’t know the track that well, or the track prep guy does. We went back and loosened the car up for more of a rubber racetrack.”

It proved to be too much. “We led for a few laps at the beginning, but we were loose,” says TMAC. “We did a good job. I pulled the wing back and drove it as straight as I could. (Kyle) Hirst started right behind us, and he was a rocket ship. We dropped back to third, and we were up to second at one time.”

TMAC would checker third. “I was feeling some rubber in three and four, but I really wasn’t in one and two,” he says. “Hirst was still running the top, so I went back up there. Tim Kaeding ended up getting us on the bottom. It was starting to lay rubber. I was kind of doing the right thing at the wrong time. We finished third and that was a solid run. If you had told me we were going to end up on the podium after drawing 98, I would have taken it.”

It was enough to garner the sixth place spot in point standings after night one. Unfortunately, a freak incident sidetracked the team the following day. “Somehow the fuel shut-off got left on all night after the first night,” says TMAC. “The oil pan filled up with fuel. I’ve never seen it, but after talking to a few people, I know it does happen. Anyway, I started the car, and it blew up! It was too bad, because we were going to be the third car out for time trials.”

It was a big explosion. “The whole side of the oil pan blew off,” says TMAC. “I’ve never seen anything like it. You could put your foot in where the crank is. It blew it off the block. I really don’t think the motor itself is hurt. We were thinking about just putting an oil pan on and going. It may have been fine, but we’re going to send it back to Rider to make sure.”

Luckily, Lamar stepped in. “Clyde Lamar was nice enough to loan us an engine for Saturday,” says TMAC. “I got to drive for him last fall, and I’ve known him for years and years. He’s a great guy. It was just a crazy thing that happened.”

TMAC would register twelfth in points after his heat race on Saturday. “They totally invert the heats, so we started on the inside of the last row of our heat,” he says. “We gained a couple spots there. We were still sitting pretty good points-wise.”

He would start the finale in row seven. “We took off really well,” says TMAC. “At one point, we passed (Carmen) Macedo for sixth, and I was thinking we were a top five car. Then the yellow came out and we had to go back. That happened a couple times, and we lost some momentum. The car really took off around halfway. I think we had a shot at running in the top three in points, but the track took rubber and we ran eighth.”

The team was happy with their run considering the obstacles thrown at them. “Overall, we came out pretty well, with a third, an eighth, and an eighth in points,” says TMAC. “It was great hanging out with the Offill’s again. It’s great to hang with them in the Spring and Fall. I have to thank Dennis Woullett too from Taco Bravo. Dennis was a big help to us, and of course, we wouldn’t have even been able to race Saturday without Clyde Lamar.”

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!

TMAC holds two wins on October 27. Both occurred at Volusia Speedway Park in Volusia, Florida. Both were also 360 USCS shows. In 2000, he won aboard the Mulligan #3 machine ahead of Kenny Adams, Mike Woodring, Sport Allen and Terry Witherspoon. In 2001, he drove the #24 to victory ahead of Terry Gray, Adams, Jim Raptis and Allen.

"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@hotmail.com with "TMAC" in the subject line.

TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, Bosma Poultry, SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, DeBerg Concrete, Colin Bulmer, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, Justice Brothers/Gillund Enterprises, Ryan Yager Trucking, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, Superflo, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Rens Trucking, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Snap On Tools, Sposato Paint, Winters, Kilani Fender, Inc., DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Taco Bravo, Brown and Miller, Pro Shocks, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Van Der Brink Trucking, Van Der Brink Designs, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Buttman BBQ, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, KSE Steering, Snyder Lawn & Landscaping, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Butlerbuilt, PBS Bushings and Mote Fasteners.

Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia