Knoxville, IA — August 11, 2005 — By Chris Dolack, World of Outlaws
Senior Writer
Terry McCarl has been coming to Knoxville Raceway for nearly all of his
40 years. As a kid, he used to sneak into the barns during the
Nationals and watch from the lofts as the car owners gambled the nights
away.
McCarl, who hails from nearby Altoona, grew up to become one of
Knoxville’s most intense competitors, winning the track’s 410-sprint
car championship the past six years. In the 2004 Knoxville Nationals,
he started on the pole in the main event and led the first 15 laps.
As a touring member of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series this season,
McCarl has been the fastest qualifier seven times, tied with Steve
Kinser and Chad Kemenah for the lead in that category. He also is 10th
in points with nine top-five runs, including three fourth-places
finishes with the Outlaws earlier this season at Knoxville, two in
A-features and one in a preliminary.
So it’s not hard to understand why McCarl was a little choked up after
he broke the Knoxville Raceway speed record in time trials Thursday
night, a mark that will stand despite heavy rain forcing the entire
program to be re-run Friday night after it was canceled Thursday during
heat races. McCarl turned a lap around the half-mile oval in 14.907
seconds at 120.769 mph. His time was one-thousandth of a second faster
than Joey Saldana’s record-breaking run on the second night of a
two-day show in April when McCarl was locked into the feature and did
not have to qualify. Joey Saldana’s father, Joe, was the 1970 Knoxville
Nationals champion and for a long time held the track’s single-lap
record.
“When I was a little boy sitting up … Joe Saldana was my hero,” an
emotional McCarl told the frontstretch grandstands, backing away from
the microphone several times to compose himself. “He always had the
track record. It meant a lot to me. 20.37 when I was growing up. That
was the track record forever. Then Joe got beat, then he came back the
next week after he got beat and broke it again.
“A couple of times ago when we were here, I knew it was going to be
track-record material. We had all the lightweight stuff on our car but
the track wasn’t ready. Then we got locked in and on the second night
they broke the track record and I didn’t get a chance to do it because
I was locked in. I told my wife I wanted to give up being locked in to
break that record and she thought I was pretty stupid. Track records to
me might last a lifetime, being locked in only lasts for that night.
This place is special. To do it at the Nationals is a pretty big deal
to me.”
After the second qualifying night was pushed back to Friday because of
the rain, McCarl couldn’t believe how difficult it was to face the
crowd and talk about breaking the record.
“I swallowed a fly or something,” he said. “I’m a little embarrassed
about it now. I didn’t feel that way at all, it came out of nowhere. It
just shows you what this place means to me.”
He does believe he had the car that night in April to break the record,
and was serious when he told the fans he was ready to give up his spot
in the Stacker 2® Dash just to take a shot at the mark.
“I wanted to give it up and everybody thought I was an idiot, but track
records last and I think we had a shot at it,” he said. “I didn’t think
that shot would ever come again for me. Joe Saldana was my favorite
driver as a kid. He had it for 12 years. It was always a big deal. They
had it in the program all the time and as a kid that was a really big
deal. I’m a bit of a historian and to me track records and things like
that mean a lot. I know I’m not going to be around forever and those
things might last for a long time.
“It’s what makes Knoxville, Knoxville. It’s the historic value of it.
I’m just lucky I only live 30 minutes from the best track in the
world.”
McCarl will have another chance to better his record Friday when time
trials will be re-run to kick off the second qualifying night, which
also will include heats, the C, B and A features as well as the Clean-O
World Challenge Dash.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is brought to the fans across the
country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors
Hoosier Racing Tire, Stacker 2®, and The Outdoor Channel. Promotional
Partners include AMB i.t., RACEceiver, HUMMERSGONEWILD.COM, Zippo
Lighters, The University of Northwestern Ohio, Timberwolf, and Race
Punk apparel. Slick 50 is an Associate Program Sponsor and Contingency
sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions, and Wrisco Industries.
Senior Writer
Terry McCarl has been coming to Knoxville Raceway for nearly all of his
40 years. As a kid, he used to sneak into the barns during the
Nationals and watch from the lofts as the car owners gambled the nights
away.
McCarl, who hails from nearby Altoona, grew up to become one of
Knoxville’s most intense competitors, winning the track’s 410-sprint
car championship the past six years. In the 2004 Knoxville Nationals,
he started on the pole in the main event and led the first 15 laps.
As a touring member of the World of Outlaws Sprint Series this season,
McCarl has been the fastest qualifier seven times, tied with Steve
Kinser and Chad Kemenah for the lead in that category. He also is 10th
in points with nine top-five runs, including three fourth-places
finishes with the Outlaws earlier this season at Knoxville, two in
A-features and one in a preliminary.
So it’s not hard to understand why McCarl was a little choked up after
he broke the Knoxville Raceway speed record in time trials Thursday
night, a mark that will stand despite heavy rain forcing the entire
program to be re-run Friday night after it was canceled Thursday during
heat races. McCarl turned a lap around the half-mile oval in 14.907
seconds at 120.769 mph. His time was one-thousandth of a second faster
than Joey Saldana’s record-breaking run on the second night of a
two-day show in April when McCarl was locked into the feature and did
not have to qualify. Joey Saldana’s father, Joe, was the 1970 Knoxville
Nationals champion and for a long time held the track’s single-lap
record.
“When I was a little boy sitting up … Joe Saldana was my hero,” an
emotional McCarl told the frontstretch grandstands, backing away from
the microphone several times to compose himself. “He always had the
track record. It meant a lot to me. 20.37 when I was growing up. That
was the track record forever. Then Joe got beat, then he came back the
next week after he got beat and broke it again.
“A couple of times ago when we were here, I knew it was going to be
track-record material. We had all the lightweight stuff on our car but
the track wasn’t ready. Then we got locked in and on the second night
they broke the track record and I didn’t get a chance to do it because
I was locked in. I told my wife I wanted to give up being locked in to
break that record and she thought I was pretty stupid. Track records to
me might last a lifetime, being locked in only lasts for that night.
This place is special. To do it at the Nationals is a pretty big deal
to me.”
After the second qualifying night was pushed back to Friday because of
the rain, McCarl couldn’t believe how difficult it was to face the
crowd and talk about breaking the record.
“I swallowed a fly or something,” he said. “I’m a little embarrassed
about it now. I didn’t feel that way at all, it came out of nowhere. It
just shows you what this place means to me.”
He does believe he had the car that night in April to break the record,
and was serious when he told the fans he was ready to give up his spot
in the Stacker 2® Dash just to take a shot at the mark.
“I wanted to give it up and everybody thought I was an idiot, but track
records last and I think we had a shot at it,” he said. “I didn’t think
that shot would ever come again for me. Joe Saldana was my favorite
driver as a kid. He had it for 12 years. It was always a big deal. They
had it in the program all the time and as a kid that was a really big
deal. I’m a bit of a historian and to me track records and things like
that mean a lot. I know I’m not going to be around forever and those
things might last for a long time.
“It’s what makes Knoxville, Knoxville. It’s the historic value of it.
I’m just lucky I only live 30 minutes from the best track in the
world.”
McCarl will have another chance to better his record Friday when time
trials will be re-run to kick off the second qualifying night, which
also will include heats, the C, B and A features as well as the Clean-O
World Challenge Dash.
The World of Outlaws Sprint Series is brought to the fans across the
country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors
Hoosier Racing Tire, Stacker 2®, and The Outdoor Channel. Promotional
Partners include AMB i.t., RACEceiver, HUMMERSGONEWILD.COM, Zippo
Lighters, The University of Northwestern Ohio, Timberwolf, and Race
Punk apparel. Slick 50 is an Associate Program Sponsor and Contingency
sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions, and Wrisco Industries.
