(Bill W) March 31, 2009 – Things didn’t end the way he had hoped, but Terry McCarl was still able to bring the Big Game Treestands #24 to another fine finish with the World of Outlaws in the last race he will run at the historic Manzanita Speedway. The Phoenix ½ mile has been sold and the WoO ran for the last time there Saturday night. The team will rest this week before hitting Texas for a pair of WoO dates April 10 and 11.
TMAC has been qualifying well lately, and came out late in the field to record the second quick time of the night on a quickly fading racetrack. “Unfortunately, the track was chewing up tires already in time trials,” he says. “It was quite a feat to come out late and get second quick like we did. There hadn’t been a good lap put down for awhile. I’ve been really happy with our qualifying efforts lately.”
After getting through his heat (4th) and the dash (8th), TMAC lined up outside row four for the feature. Tire conservation was of the essence. He worked his way into the top five before his tire said, “no more”. “We worked our way into the top five, and that’s the point that our tire was just gone,” he relates. “We had a 15 (compound) on and it was bald…really bald. There was not a tread to be found.”
Still TMAC managed to maintain a seventh place finish, and is currently fifth in the WoO points, even though the team doesn’t plan on running the entire schedule. He had plenty of time to think about the main event on his ride home to Iowa. “I thought a little bit about how we would have changed the car, but that wouldn’t be an option because we wouldn’t have finished,” he says. “I can’t believe there weren’t more tires that went down. Kraig Kinser and Johnny Herrera were the only ones on 25’s (compound).”
Was it a letdown not to win the final race at Manzy? “It was a little disappointing because it was packed. I never won there, and that was a goal of mine. I watched my dad race there with guys like Lealand McSpadden and Darrell Dockery.”
Fond memories remain. “I have a lot of memories there to be sure. I remember going down in 1974 and 1975 with the family. I remember riding down with (the late) Jack and Nickie Anderson in their Camaro when they went down with Mackie Heimbaugh too. They’d let my brother Tommy and I ride with them. We’d have quite a caravan going.”
TMAC got some racing in too. “There were go-kart tracks all over at the time,” he says. “Jack and Mackie would take my brother and I go-kart racing. When I was little, the big three races in the country were the Knoxville Nationals, the Western World at Manzanita and the Pacific Coast Nationals at Ascot.”
The Big Game Treestand team is running well. “I’m really happy with our team right now,” says TMAC. “We’ve really kind of picked up where we left off last fall. After Gary (Isom) came on, we didn’t finish outside of the top eight, except for when we broke a u-joint. We’d like to keep going and pick up some wins.”
The team’s Texas venture with the WoO is scheduled for April 10 and 11 at Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, and Houston Raceway Park in Baytown.
Front Row Challenge/Ultimate Challenge Tickets On Sale!
Advanced ticket holders to the Front Row Challenge and/or Ultimate Challenge can order their tickets right now! Act soon, because all open seats become available April 2. 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 $25!
For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com.
In"Terry"gation
Doug Fisher asks: I see where the A-main for the Knoxville Nationals is being increased from 30 to 40 laps. As a fan who LOVES the Knoxville Nationals, I think it is great, but what is your opinion as a driver?
TMAC Answers: Overall, I love it! There have been some years like last year (charged from 23rd to 8th), that I had wished it was 40 laps because I believe we had a top three car. There have been years, like the year I led it until my tire sealed up. If it went another ten laps, I would have dropped all the way back to 20th instead of where we did. The one thing I don’t want to see is a fuel stop! I have no problem putting our 33 gallon tank on if we have to. Most of the guys out here (Outlaws) have them. You’d hate to make that mandatory, because there are guys that don’t have them, but I think it’s around $7,000 to start the race, and around $1,400 for a fuel tank you could use for quite awhile.
Got a question for TMAC? Send it to us at sprntcar@iowatelecom.net, and we may answer it in this section! Put "? for TMAC" in your subject line.
This Week in TMAC History!
On March 30, 1991, TMAC drove the Weldon Offill #88 to victory at the San Jose Fairgrounds. The win came ahead of Danny Olmstead, Tim Green, John Golobic and Rick Martin. TMAC won a total of eight times in the track’s existence. The track would close in 1999 and TMAC would win the last race held, the Trophy Cup. That win came in front of Brent Kaeding, Tim Kaeding, Randy “Boo” Tiner and Craig “Cowboy” Smith.
Website Updates
Steve’s Racing Photos has some great images on the site now. More is coming from Manzy. Check it out!
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 sprntcar@iowatelecom.net with "TMAC" in the subject line.
TMAC Motorsports would like to thank sponsors Big Game Treestands, AmeriCashAdvance.com, DeBerg Concrete and Remington Treestands.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@iowatelecom.net