Austin McCarl – Down the Stretch He Comes!
(Bill W) August 31, 2011 – Coming off a great showing at the Knoxville Nationals (minus the crash that ended it), 18 year old Austin McCarl ran in the top five most of the way last Saturday night at the Knoxville Raceway before settling for seventh. He’ll enter Season Championship night this week sixth in points, and no matter the outcome, has secured a career-best finish in the 410-point race.
With 27 cars in the 410 field last Saturday night, Austin registered the eighth quick after coming out past the halfway point. “I thought I maybe messed up a little bit,” he says. “I probably left a tenth or two out there. It was what it was and the invert of six for the feature ended up helping us in the end.”
The Grandview College freshman, who has started classes this week, ran a steady fourth in his heat race and transferred to the main event. “I thought the heat race was pretty tough,” says Austin. “Having Danny Lasoski beside you, and Bronson Maeschen and Lynton Jeffrey behind me. They only took five so it was a little nerve-wracking.”
The invert would put Austin outside of row one beside pole-sitter Ryan Anderson, who set a quick early pace. “I knew Ryan Anderson had the juice on the bottom,” he says. “The first couple of laps, I ran the bottom and I wasn’t really gaining on him. He wasn’t leaving me by a drastic margin, but I wasn’t catching him.”
The strategy changed to the top. A caution came out with six laps down, and Austin struggled from there. “I moved up on the track from there,” he says. “After the restart, the car just wasn’t as good as it had been. I don’t know if we had a bleeder problem or what. I don’t know what happened.”
Another caution with three laps to go, bunched things again and the Altoona, Iowa driver would end up seventh. “We’re putting the Nationals car back together for this week, so hopefully, it’s a different story,” says Austin. “I’ve been good in the car we were running. It is a little bent, but we were just off.”
Austin will be ready for Saturday. “It’s hard to believe it’s season championship night already,” he says. “I have to thank the Berryhill Family, Rossie Feed and Grain, Deanfield Farms, Phillips’ Floors, and everyone who has helped me this year. It’s been a blast.”
Visit Austin on the Web!
Keep up to date on Austin’s exploits and check out the new look at www.AustinMcCarl.com!
Austin’s Releases
If you’d like to be included via e-mail, shoot one to sprntcar@hotmail.com with “Austin” in the subject line.
Austin would like to thank AmeriCashAdvance.com, Rossie Feed and Grain, DeBerg Concrete, Deanfield Farms, Phillips’ Floors, Phil and Vivian, L. Wayne Trucking, Vortex, CM Rock, Mark Burch Motorsports, Engler, HRP, Aurora Rod Ends, Butlerbuilt, KSE, Hoosier Tire, BRMS, K&N Filters, Sander, Jocko's Sprint Parts, Crow Safety and Bell Helmets for all their help!
Bill W Media
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Monroe, IA USA
- administrator on Aug 31, 2011
- Article Date: 8/31/2011