Tuesdays with TMAC – A First at Huset’s!
(Bill W) September 3, 2013 – Terry McCarl’s 94 wins at Huset’s is first on the all-time list. But surprisingly, through the years, he hadn’t won a 360 feature…until now. Monday night, he drove Jeremy Scadden’s #6 to victory at the 3/8-mile oval. That followed up a charge from the tail to fifth the night before in the 410 feature aboard the TMAC Motorsports #24. This week will see big money on the line again, with $10,000 up for grabs in both Burlington and back at Huset’s.
Sunday night at Huset’s, TMAC set quick time for the third time in a row in the 410. “I think we were quick time again by about two-tenths of a second, so I was happy with our qualifying effort,” he says. “We were able to move up to third in our heat. We had a really good car, and we felt good about winning the Bolte Roll-Off Service feature like we had last year. I appreciate them putting up the money for that.”
Some experimentation in the shop backfired a bit. “We had taken a mag box out of Austin’s car that we thought there may be a problem with,” says TMAC. “I put a question mark on it and put it aside. I told him, ‘Let’s put it my car and see if it starts. It started right up in the shop. We took off in the feature, and it was cutting out once in a while.”
On an early restart, the car lost power. “We were running third and I know we had a good shot at winning it,” says TMAC. “We had a good racecar. We had a restart with six laps down. I hit the gas to take off, and the motor just shut off. We were extremely lucky that everyone didn’t pile into us. Everyone did a great, great job. I don’t know how they did it. I wasn’t even to the cone.”
A quick attempt at a fix put TMAC back out on the tail. “We pulled in, unplugged it, and plugged it back in,” he says. “With nineteen laps to go, we were able to drive from 20th to fifth. Of course, we needed yellows, and there weren’t any. We had run up to fourth, behind Dusty (Zomer) and Lynton (Jeffrey). I thought we may have a shot at second and it started cutting out again. Jody (Rosenboom) ended up getting back by us and we were fifth. It was an exciting race for the fans, but disappointing for us.”
With some partners in town, the run from the back made it fun. “We had some folks from SCE Gaskets in town, so we were able to put on a good show for them,” says TMAC. “They were excited about it. That’s kind of the way the year has been. We’ve been fast, we just haven’t closed the deal. I need a full-time guy to help really. Austin (McCarl) is my crew chief, and he’s back to college now. It makes it hard. We have some folks who really help us a lot at Huset’s and Knoxville, but it would be nice to have a full-time guy again. I think we’re a team that can win any night out, and it’s fun in that it’s a family deal with some friends involved as well.”
A special Memorial Day show for the 360’s was next up. “We were already in the area,” says the Altoona, Iowa driver. “Lori and I stuck around and raced with Jeremy. We really didn’t know each other before the Outlaw show in July. I didn’t have a spare rear end, and I borrowed one from him, and got to know him a little bit. He doesn’t get too high or low, he just loves racing like I do. He wanted to run Monday, so we did.”
TMAC has competed in the #6 on a few occasions, and found himself in Victory Lane Monday. “He’s got a really good car and motor,” he says. “We’ve had some success and some wins with him. We were able to run second in the heat. It was kind of a tricky track. It was really, really slick. We started fourth in the feature. It took a while to get going. Dusty Ballenger kind of got out there on us. We were able to run him down. The rubber came in three and four a little after the halfway point, and we found it before he did. It was a night where I was lucky to be running second at the time. Jeremy’s car runs around there so nice. I felt good about it.”
This weekend will see a $4,000 to win show on Friday and $5,000 to win Saturday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa. There is a $1,000 bonus for winning both features. Then it will be back to Huset’s on Sunday for a $10,000 to win event. “We’re definitely looking forward to it,” says TMAC. “We’re capable of winning one of them, or two of them, or maybe all of them. Burlington is one of my favorite racetracks. We’re anxious to get back to Huset’s too, and go for that $10,000. We love putting on a good show for the fans, but we’d rather make it boring and lead the whole thing than come from the back and run fifth!”
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!
Driving the family #7x, TMAC finished fourth on Knoxville’s Season Championship Night in 1989 on September 2. Rick Ungar posted the quick time of the night in Guy Forbrook’s #5 at 16.350 seconds. TMAC was 8th quick with a lap of 16.812. Jerry Richert Jr., driving the Durst/Smith #1x, passed Jeff Tuttle who was in the Jordan Brothers #1 on lap 15 to take the victory. Ray Lipsey was third and Glenn Berkner from Sleepy Eye, Minnesota was fifth. Dean Chadd won the 360 feature after starting 15th.
"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 Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, “Lord I Apologize BBQ Sauce”, Deanfield Farms, Bosma Poultry, SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, DeBerg Concrete, Colin Bulmer – Bayaire Industries, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, SCE Gaskets, Justice Brothers, 212 The Boiling Point Bar & Grill, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, Schoenfeld Headers, K&N Filters, Rens Trucking, Pick Farms, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Superflow Technologies, T&P Brothers, Mediacom, Larry Fleck Trucking, Winters, DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Jocko's Sprint Parts, Sander, Brown and Miller, Pro Shocks, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Van Der Brink Designs, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, Justice Brothers, KSE Steering, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Weiland Racing, Butlerbuilt, PBS Bushings and Mote Fasteners.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia
- administrator on Sep 03, 2013
- Article Date: 9/3/2013