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| Tuesdays with TMAC – Back Aboard the Banana Wagon! | | |
Tuesdays with TMAC – Back Aboard the Banana Wagon!
(Bill W) January 29, 2008 – It is race time again for sprint car driver, Terry McCarl! The Altoona, Iowa veteran will embark on a campaign in search of a 2008 World of Outlaws championship. The next couple of weeks will see lots of sprint car action in the “Sunshine” State in preparation for another long season with the WoO in the Big Game Treestands #24. It begins on Thursday as TMAC will pilot Mark Burch’s famous “Banana Wagon” #1m at East Bay Raceway Park’s “King of the 360’s” event.
After a year in which there was a bit of turmoil in a lot of areas, one thing that TMAC is sure about this year is the stability of his crew. “I don’t know about mentally stable, but I think they’ll be here for awhile,” he quips. “(Co-Crew Leaders) Tyler (Swank) and Troy (Renfro) both worked with me a long time ago. Troy worked for me for a couple of years, and Tyler was a teenager back in 1995, and that gave him a taste of this business. They are both good hard workers, and have a great knowledge of the sport, so I’m definitely excited going into the year. Glen Saville, who races sprint cars in Australia will be joining the team too. So we have a solid team assembled.” Saville recently finished fifth in the B main (one spot out of a transfer) in the $50,000 to win race at Parramatta Raceway Park near Sydney.
An aggressive schedule is part of traveling with the WoO. “The schedule is a good one,” says TMAC. “It’s a bit scary with the projected prices of diesel fuel they’re predicting for this summer though. As a car owner, and as a promoter, that is certainly a worry, but we’re excited about our prospects this year. The World of Outlaw product is a strong one, am I’m excited to get going. We seemed to have a little bit of a dark cloud over us last year, but we’re staying real positive this time around. Tyler is really positive. If we can keep ‘grumpy’ Troy that way, we’ll be o.k.!”
TMAC points to two Friday dates at Huset’s Speedway (April 25 and June 13) near Brandon, South Dakota. It’s a place where he has won six track championships. “A couple years ago, I was able to win one of the races there, and finished second in the other,” he says. “We love going there no matter what. I just love the racetrack. It’s a great track for the fans. It is a high-speed chess match. It’s so fast for a little joint. It makes you pay for every little mistake you make. I always look forward to it, because we have a lot of fans as well as our sponsors up there. I think it’s the first time they’ve tried a Friday, and I think it will work well for (track operators) Steve and Greg (Rubin). The Friday night should get some hardcore fans from the Iowa and North Dakota areas that don’t have to work the next day.”
TMAC’s up and down 2007 season netted a twelfth place standing in driver points with the WoO (11th in Owner points). It was highlighted by victories at Knoxville (IA) Raceway, where he was the seven-time track champ, and a late pass of series champion Donny Schatz at the K-C Raceway in Chillicothe, Ohio. Tough mechanical luck and crew instability led to a bit of a disappointing season, but all of that is behind the Big Game Treestands team as they look forward to 2008.
A march from the C to the A in midget racing’s biggest showcase earlier this month gave the veteran some momentum going into this week’s start. “I felt good in the Chili Bowl, and I hope to carry that momentum on to the sprint car,” says McCarl. “My confidence is high heading in, and hopefully we can keep it going this weekend in Mark Burch’s car. He’s always got an excellent car, and it’s always ready to go. He does a great job in preparation, and making sure we have everything we need. It’s a great way to start to get mentally and physically prepared for the races ahead.”
Burch hails from the Lincoln, Nebraska area and has always fielded competitive cars whether it be in the 360 or 410 classes. Much of that has to do with his meticulous preparations. “We get down there and Mark literally has every wheel and tire mounted for our stay, from practice night to the final night,” says TMAC. “We won’t have to mount any of them down there (Florida). Marvin Brees helps him out as well, and I’d love to steal him and take him on the road with me, but he’s got a good job at S&S Trailers back in Omaha.”
TMAC has had a lot of success at East Bay in both 360 and 410 sprint cars and won a prelim in the “King of the 360’s” last year. He has recorded no less than six feature wins there, including both the 2006 $10,000 to win “King of the 360’s” event with Burch, and the 2006 $10,000 to win 410 Winternationals event in the Big Game Treestands #24. “East Bay is a fun track,” says TMAC. “Generally, it’s easy on tires. We’ve run a 50-lapper in the 410 on a D10, so it’s a good place for a car owner in that respect. We have Burnett Rock and Landscaping and Morgan Strawberry Farms to help us out down there, so it’s kind of nice to go down there, get out of the cold weather, and visit with those friends we have.”
This week’s three-night event at East Bay will run Thursday through Saturday’s $10,000 to win finale. After East Bay, TMAC and the Big Game Treestands #24 team will head to Volusia Speedway Park for six straight nights of racing, February 5-10. The first three nights will be All Star Circuit of Champions races, while the WoO 2008 campaign culminates with the final three nights at Volusia.
TMAC is confident going to the “Sunshine” state, but knows it will be a challenge. “We’ve always seemed to run well in Florida,” says TMAC. “We’ve won at Volusia on the big track and the small track. We’ve won at East Bay several times, and at Jacksonville. Last year, we ran third, fourth and fifth with the All Stars at Volusia, and the first night with the World of Outlaws, it laid rubber and we ran nineteenth. For some reason, that first Outlaw show has gotten the best of us the last couple years, so we’re hoping to change that!”
2008 FRC/UC Tickets!
Advanced ticket holders to the Front Row Challenge and/or Ultimate Challenge can order their tickets beginning February 19. All other seats become available April 1. 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 $20 in advance or $25 the day of the race!
For more information on the Challenges or on TMAC Motorsports, visit www.TerryMcCarl.com.
In"Terry"gation
Terry Green asks: Did you take a vacation during the off season? What does a sprint car driver do to keep from getting cabin fever in Iowa during the winter months?
TMAC Answers: No vacations. Our vacations usually stem around go-karts and micro racing. I had surgery immediately after the season was over, so I kind of took it a little easy this year. (son) Austin is a really good basketball player, so we’ve been watching plenty of that lately and that keeps him busy every day of the week. Our only real break came for the Tulsa Shootout, and we had a great time down there with the boys. We seldom get vacation time. I always tell (wife) Lori that I’ve taken her all over the country, and she’s seen a lot of exits to some really cool places!
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.
Today in TMAC History!
Terry has posted two wins on this date in history! Both came at East Bay Raceway Park in 360 action. On January 29, 1999, he drove the Mulligan #3 to a victory over Kenny Adams, the late Ronald Laney, Brian Schnee and Kenny Jacobs. On January 29, 2003, he bested Lance Dewease, Gary Wright, Shane Stewart and local hot-shoe Sport Allen.
Website
Check out TMAC’s up to date 2008 racing plans/results on the “Schedule” page!
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, Bosma Poultry, Inc., AmeriCashAdvance.com and Remington Treestands.
TMAC hopes to duplicate his victory of a year ago at East Bay (LuvRacin.com)
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@iowatelecom.net
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