Tuesdays with TMAC – Second Doesn’t Always Suck!
(Bill W) May 24, 2016 – Second is often called the first loser, especially in racing. But for Terry McCarl and the TMAC Motorsports #24 team, second didn’t suck Saturday night at Badlands Motor Speedway’s Silver Shootout. The Altoona, Iowa driver cashed in 83 silver bars worth just north of $13,700 for his runner-up run. The weekend actually started Friday at the newly renovated Jackson Motorplex in Minnesota, where TMAC registered a top ten run with the NSL. This weekend will find him back at Badlands on Saturday and with the NSL in Des Moines at the Iowa State Fair Speedway Sunday.
At Jackson’s Folkens Brothers Trucking Spring Nationals on Friday, TMAC timed in a disappointing 16th quick. “I just got a new Rider engine and Jackson was a good place to try it out,” he says. “We were kind of off early. It needed to get worked in. There was too much fuel in the plugs early on. We didn’t get qualified well, but the motor got stronger and stronger as the night went on.”
After finishing second in his heat, he lined up outside row eight for the feature. “It’s just such tough competition,” says TMAC. “It’s like an Outlaw show. We were 16th quick, and that meant we were in deep trouble. We’ve been really good come feature time. We were coming through there pretty well. I needed a couple more yellows early.”
TMAC worked his way into the top ten. “We worked our way up to eighth,” he says. “We had just passed a car for that spot, and Brian (Brown) blew his tire and we had a red. We had to go back behind that car. It went low, so I went high and it came up the track. I got so close to it, that I got over the cushion to avoid it. I was in the pucker position there almost. Davey (Heskin) was able to get by both of us at that point and we ended up tenth.”
Folkens Brothers Trucking and Bargain Barn Tire do a lot for this event every year, and even finishing tenth was worth the trip. “We came out of there with a top ten,” says TMAC. “My Dad always told me, when he ran tenth he didn’t expect to get paid for winning. But when he won, he expected to get paid for it. With this NSL payoff, it was $1500. We also got the Bargain Barn bonuses and stuff. It ended up being a decent night for a tenth place finish.”
TMAC would come out for one-lap time trials 43rd in the 47-car field assembled at Badlands’ Silver Shootout on Saturday. “We got the motor running well,” he says. “With one lap, if you happen to make a mistake, you are in deep trouble. I kind of got in a rut in one and two and got on two wheels. My first half lap was bad, but I came back and nailed three and four. When I came back, I was shocked that we were good enough for ninth quick.”
That would put him inside row two of the fourth heat. “We’d prefer not to start on the bottom of heat races, especially at Badlands,” says TMAC. “The track was sticky early on. We were able to get a good start thought, and we caught a yellow. We were able to get by Kaley (Gharst) there for the win. It worked out for us, because we ended up being the high point car for the night.”
A nice little girl drew the pole for TMAC. “I think I’ve started on the pole about eight times in my life at Badlands,” he says. “I’ve maybe won two of those. I really don’t like starting there. I just kind of read the track wrong on Saturday. We were able to get the jump on Aaron Reutzel and went down into turn three on the first lap. I knew we were in trouble at that point, because the car was loose. That’s definitely not my style.”
He would try making adjustments in the car at speed. “I pulled the wing back, and that kind of made me tight,” says TMAC. “The track was in great condition. You could run the top, run the bottom, you could run the middle coming off of two. We just missed the setup. I also smacked the fence on the back straightaway a ton. It tore a two-inch chunk out of the bead lock.”
Despite the trouble with the car, TMAC sliced and diced for the lead. “It was such a fun race,” he says. “It’s tough to beat Mark Dobmeier on a track like that. He’s probably the best in the country at that kind of a racetrack. The conditions were perfect for him and he had a great racecar. Mark and I went at it for a while, and Dusty (Zomer) and I were racing back and forth. We were both banging the fence. I think that’s what eventually took him out. It was exciting where I was at. We were having a lot of fun, so I know the fans were.”
In the end, he would checker second, and feel fortunate to do so. “We were so lucky,” says TMAC. “The way the car was set up, and with the gash in the bead lock, we were just lucky to finish. I’ve never been so happy to finish second in my life. On top of being lucky, we were paid over $13,700 for second…so second doesn’t always suck!”
TMAC appreciated the Silver Shootout promotion. “I really thought the silver bar thing was a cool idea, but it was even better than I thought,” he says. “It came in a cool wooden box that was custom made to fit the bars. The bars are all personalized. I think everyone loved it whether they got one bar, or 166 like Mark. It was such a unique thing that took a lot of planning and work.”
McCarl Family Websites!
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 won May 27, 2001 at the Huset’s Speedway. He topped Dennis Moore Jr., Don Droud Jr., Mark Toews and Skip Jackson. The field was a solid one assembled over the Memorial Day Weekend. He won his fifth of a record eight Huset’s track championships that season.
"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 SnowPlow Snow Pushers – www.TheSnowPlow.com, Country Builders Construction, Rossie Feed and Grain, Bosma Poultry, Destiny Motorsports, Searsboro Telephone Company, Elk Grove Ford, A.R.T. Speed Equipment, Berryhill Racing, Phil and Vivian, Justice Brothers/Gillund Enterprises, Vortex Racing, Hoosier Tire, Chris Spaulding – Attorney at Law, SuperFlow, Schoenfeld Headers, Rens Trucking, NutriShop – Maple Grove, MN, HRP, All Pro Cylinder Heads, Maxim Chassis, Bob and Beulah Elder, Engler Injection, Snap On Tools, Sposato Paint, Winters, Kilani Fender, Inc., DriverWebsites.com, CM Rock, Brown and Miller, Pro Shocks, Ben Cook, Bell Helmets, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Octane Ink, Morgan Strawberry Farms, Dynasty Stucco, Aurora Rod Ends, Crow Safety, KSE Steering, Snyder Lawn & Landscaping, Strange Performance, Saldana Racing Products, Scribner Plastics, Waterman Fuel Pumps, Butlerbuilt and Mote Fasteners.
Photo: TMAC’s 83 silver bars (since cashed in) for second place at the Silver Shootout
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IA USA
sprntcar@hotmail.com
Twitter: @BillWMedia
- administrator on May 24, 2016
- Article Date: 5/24/2016