Home Sweet Home: McCarl Wins at Knoxville to Score First World of Outlaws Win of 2009
Knoxville, IA— June 27, 2009—Terry McCarl had been in contention a number of times for wins this season with the World of Outlaws and came up just short in each of those bids. He entered Saturday night’s event at his home track of Knoxville Raceway with three runner-up finishes with the series in 2009 and also had three second-place finishes at the legendary half-mile.McCarl put all of those near misses behind him with a dominating performance in the World of Outlaws final stop of the season and the famed track on Saturday night leading flag to flag to pick up his eighth career A-Feature win with the series in a race that was completed in less than seven minutes and ran caution free.
“It felt good to come home and win tonight and to hold off Donny Schatz,” said McCarl. “I always feel like these are good tune-ups for the (Knoxville) Nationals. We almost won this race last time and he got us late in the race. I feel like we are a contender if we keep our stuff together.”
McCarl started on the pole for the 25-lap A-Feature for the second consecutive night in the Big Game Treestands Maxim and the fourth time on the season as he chased his first World of Outlaws win since last fall. After starting first on Friday night at U.S. 36 Raceway, and falling to sixth by the end of that race, he was determined on Saturday night to stay at the front of the field. McCarl set a blistering pace, lapping all the way up to the eighth-place finisher.
“I couldn’t sleep last night, I was so disappointed in myself,” admitted the winner. “We were really fast last night at U.S. 36 (Raceway). What a great race track it was. I just misread the track and we backed her up last (Friday) night.”
Leading from the outset on Saturday at Knoxville, McCarl battled Kraig Kinser for the first couple of laps, with the latter using the high side in turns three and four for each of the first three laps to try and get a run on the leader. McCarl began to pull away on the fourth lap and was in traffic by the seventh circuit. He continued to work traffic for most of the remainder of the 25-lap contest. A couple of times he was held, giving Kinser a chance to close in, but once he put a lapped car back between himself and the runner-up, he would pull away again.
“We were great at the beginning and then I got a little loose and I had to settle down and figure out where my car was good,” explained the veteran driver. “My brother Tom was on my shoulder there, telling me to get back up top and drive like I used to when I was a kid and let it rip and honk that thing around there. When I moved up I felt a lot better and built up some speed. I was thinking about him right there and settled down and was able to be aggressive up top and let the motor ring out. If someone was going to beat us, they were going to have to be pretty damn fast.”
Donny Schatz, who won last month at Knoxville with the World of Outlaws, started fifth on Saturday night and used a late pass of his teammate Kraig Kinser to come home second in the Armor All J&J. He fell back to sixth on the start and it took him nine laps to work his way around Don Droud Jr. to move back into fifth. The three-time and defending series champion then worked on 20-time series title winner Steve Kinser for a number of spots as the pair battled for the fourth spot. After Kinser moved into third on lap-20, Schatz followed him and was able to get around Lucas Wolfe for fourth. Just two laps later coming off the fourth turn, Schatz went low and powered his way around both Steve Kinser and his son Kraig to go from fourth to second in one corner.
“It really did come on at the end,” Schatz said of his car. “It will be fun when its 40 laps for the Nationals. These 25 lap races are short and that’s just the way it goes. We knew that going in and could have made a few adjustments for that, but my guys gave me an awesome race car. It just took me too long to figure out how to drive it. Typically I don’t have that problem, but right now I did. I guess I’ll have to go sit down at the drawing board and figure out what I did wrong and what I need to do to fix it.”
Despite not having the help of any cautions to bunch the field up, Schatz was able to gain significant ground throughout the race in lapped traffic as he patiently worked his way to the front.
“That’s what we always strive for,” said the North Dakota native of non-stop races. “When you get on tracks that fast you have to pick it up a level. We had to definitely pick it up a couple of levels. It was a great night. To have a two-three finish for TSR (Tony Stewart Racing) is a great finish. Obviously we wanted to win, but we’ll settle for a second tonight because we have to.”
Kraig Kinser wound up third in the Bass Pro Shops Maxim to earn his third consecutive finish of fourth or better. He started the week with a fourth-place effort at Nodak Speedway in North Dakota on Sunday, then was third on Friday night at U.S. 36 Raceway in Missouri and wrapped up the three-race stretch with a podium finish at the famed Knoxville Raceway.
“Anytime you can run this well at Knoxville is good,” said Kinser. “We ran second for a long time and thought we might have had something for Terry (McCarl) in traffic. It just never really played out for us. We got behind two lapped cars racing and Donny caught us and got a big run on us. I figured someone would be knocking on the door with how much I got slowed up there. We good and everyone did a good job.”
The third generation driver was not surprised to see the 25 lap event go non-stop. With the level of competition this season on the World of Outlaws trail caution free races have occurred a few times.
“When you get 40 cars here, the 24 that make the feature are really good cars and really good racers,” he shared. “It’s not unusual to have it go all the way green. We have had a few this year and probably more than I remember in the past.”
Steve Kinser ended up fourth in the Quaker State Maxim, with Jason Sides rounding out the Top-Five in the Wetherington Tractor Service Maxim after starting 12th to earn the KSE Racing Products Hard Charger Award,
Jason Meyers was sixth aboard the GLR Investments KPC, with Lucas Wolfe seventh in the Allebach Racing Maxim. Johnny Herrera was eighth in the Perfect Circle Bending Maxim. Don Droud Jr. was ninth in the Casey’s General Stores Maxim and Tim Kaeding rounded out the Top-10 piloting the DTR Transport KPC.
The World of Outlaws return to action on Friday, July 3 at Huset’s Speedway in South Dakota, before heading to Eagle Raceway in Nebraska on the Fourth of July.
KNOXVILLE RACEWAY NOTES
• FAST QUALIFIER: Jason Meyers paced the 39 cars that took time with an AMB i.t. timed lap around the semi-banked half-mile oval at 14.886 seconds at 121.082 mph. For his qualifying effort, Meyers earned five bonus points. The next four fastest qualifiers also earned bonus points, including: Bronson Maeschen (4), Lucas Wolfe (3), Donny Schatz (2), and Johnny Herrera (1).
• QUALIFYING WINNERS: Steve Kinser, Terry McCarl, Don Droud Jr. and Donny Schatz won heat races. Terry McCarl won the Crane Cams Dash. Wayne Johnson won the B-Main.
There has been 32 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series A-Feature event held in 2009. The winners include: Joey Saldana (Volusia Speedway Park, Silver Dollar Speedway, Thunderbowl Raceway, Lone Star Speedway, Houston Raceway Park, The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Virginia Motor Speedway, Lawrenceburg Speedway, Dodge City Raceway Park-twice and U.S. 36 Raceway), Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park-twice, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Knoxville Raceway, Eldora Speedway, Canandaigua Speedway, Lawrenceburg Speedway and River Cities Speedway), Jason Meyers (Silver Dollar Speedway, Paducah International Raceway, I-96 Speedway and Red River Valley Speedway), Danny Lasoski (Delaware International Speedway and Nodak Speedway), Dale Blaney (Attica Raceway Park), Randy Hannagan (Thunderbowl Raceway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Tim Kaeding (Riverside International Speedway), Chad Kemenah (Manzanita Speedway), Steve Kinser (Tri-State Speedway) and Terry McCarl (Knoxville Raceway).
• HALF-MILE WINNERS: \ Knoxville Raceway is a semi-banked half-mile oval. The World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series has raced 14 times this season on a track that size. The winners include: Donny Schatz (Volusia Speedway Park-twice, The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Knoxville Raceway and Eldora Speedway), Joey Saldana (Volusia Speedway Park, Lone Star Speedway and Virginia Motor Speedway), Jason Meyers (I-96 Speedway and Red River Valley Speedway), Greg Hodnett (Williams Grove Speedway), Chad Kemenah (Manzanita Speedway), Danny Lasoski (Delaware International Speedway) and Terry McCarl (Knoxville Raceway).
World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Statistical Report; Knoxville Raceway; Knoxville, IA; June 27, 2009
Qualifying
1) 14-Jason Meyers 14.866
2) 1-Bronson Maeschen 14.887
3) 5W-Lucas Wolfe 14.894
4) 15-Donny Schatz 14.897
5) 2W-Johnny Herrera 14.920
6) 12-Lynton Jeffrey 15.040
7) 7S-Jason Sides 15.045
8) 9-Joey Saldana 15.052
9) 11-Steve Kinser 15.077
10) 24-Terry McCarl 15.111
11) 20-Kraig Kinser 15.113
12) 22A-Billy Alley 15.127
13) 55-Kerry Madsen 15.143
14) 83-Tim Kaeding 15.145
15) 47-Don Droud Jr 15.187
16) 49-Josh Schneiderman 15.193
17) 21-Brian Brown 15.194
18) 6-Danny Lasoski 15.194
19) 13V-Seth Brahmer 15.218
20) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. 15.230
21) 14AJ-Wayne Johnson 15.230
22) 17G-Dusty Zomer 15.233
23) 70-Calvin Landis 15.234
24) 22-Brian Ellenberger 15.279
25) 19-Craig Dollansky 15.281
26) 21AU-Brooke Tatnell 15.284
27) 13-Mark Dobmeier 15.290
28) R19-Jac Haudenschild 15.299
29) 10I-Rager Phillips 15.335
30) 56-Davey Heskin 15.371
31) 71R-Ryan Anderson 15.372
32) 17A-Austin McCarl 15.386
33) 1AU-Garry Brazier 15.388
34) 7K-Chris Morgan 15.410
35) 69-Mike Moore 15.411
36) 23W-Scott Winters 15.447
37) 30-Brant O’Banion 15.537
38) 1PC-Pete Crall 15.577
39) 19W-Bob Weuve 15.811
40) 2-Skip Jackson -.—
41) 10-Sammy Swindell -.—
Heat 1 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 11-Steve Kinser
2) 2W-Johnny Herrera
3) 14-Jason Meyers
4) 55-Kerry Madsen
5) 21-Brian Brown
6) 10I-Rager Phillips
7) 19-Craig Dollansky
8) 1AU-Garry Brazier
9) 30-Brant O’Banion
10) 14AJ-Wayne Johnson
Heat 2 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 24-Terry McCarl
2) 83-Tim Kaeding
3) 12-Lynton Jeffrey
4) 17G-Dusty Zomer
5) 6-Danny Lasoski
6) 21AU-Brooke Tatnell
7) 1-Bronson Maeshen
8) 7K-Chris Morgan
9) 56-Davey Heskin
10) 1PC-Pete Crall
Heat 3 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 47-Don Droud Jr.
2) 20-Kraig Kinser
3) 7S-Jason Sides
4) 5W-Lucas Wolfe
5) 13-Mark Dobmeier
6) 13V-Seth Brahmer
7) 70-Calvin Landis
8) 69-Mike Moore
9) 71R-Ryan Anderson
10) 19W-Bob Weuve
Heat 4 (8 Laps, top 5 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 15-Donny Schatz
2) 22A-Billy Alley
3) 9-Joey Saldana
4) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.
5) 49-Josh Schneiderman
6) R19-Jac Haudenschild
7) 10-Sammy Swindell
8) 22-Brian Ellenberger
9) 17A-Austin McCarl
10) 23W-Scott Winters
Crane Cams Dash (6 laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature)
1) 24-Terry McCarl
2) 20-Kraig Kinser
3) 11-Steve Kinser
4) 5W-Lucas Wolfe
5) 15-Donny Schatz
6) 47-Don Droud Jr.
7) 2W-Johnny Herrera
8) 22A-Billy Alley
9) 14-Jason Meyers
10) 83-Tim Kaeding
B-main (12 laps, top 4 finishers transferred to A-feature)
1) 14AJ-Wayne Johnson
2) 13V-Seth Brahmer
3) 19-Craig Dollansky
4) 70-Calvin Landis
5) 22-Brian Ellenberger [$200]
6) 10-Sammy Swindell [$180]
7) 21AU-Brooke Tatnell [$175]
8) 71R-Ryan Anderson [$160]
9) 10I-Rager Phillips [$150]
10) 56-Davey Heskin [$150]
11) 1AU-Garry Brazier [$150]
12) R19-Jac Haudenschild [$150]
13) 23W-Scott Winters [$150]
14) 69-Mike Moore [$150]
15) 7K-Chris Morgan [$150]
16) 17A-Austin McCarl [$150]
17) 1PC-Pete Crall [$150]
18) 30-Brant O’Banion [$150]
19) 1-Bronson Maeschen [$150]
20) 19W-Bob Weuve [$150]
21) 2-Skip Jackson [$150]
A-main (25 laps) – Starting Position [#]
1) 24-Terry McCarl[1] [$10,000]
2) 15-Donny Schatz[5] [$5,500]
3) 20-Kraig Kinser[2] [$3,200]
4) 11-Steve Kinser[3] [$2,800]
5) 7S-Jason Sides[12] [$2,500]
6) 14-Jason Meyers[9] [$2,300]
7) 5W-Lucas Wolfe[4] [$2,200]
8) 2W-Johnny Herrera[7] [$2,100]
9) 47-Don Droud Jr[6] [$2,050]
10) 83-Tim Kaeding[10] [$2,000]
11) 6-Danny Lasoski[17] [$1,500]
12) 55-Kerry Madsen[14] [$1,200]
13) 21-Brian Brown[16] [$1,100]
14) 9-Joey Saldana[13] [$1,050]
15) 22A-Billy Alley[8] [$1,000]
16) 14AJ-Wayne Johnson[20] [$900]
17) 19-Craig Dollansky[23] [$800]
18) 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr.[19] [$800]
19) R19-Jac Haudenschild[25] [$0]
20) 17G-Dusty Zomer[21] [$800]
21) 12-Lynton Jeffrey[11] [$800]
22) 13-Mark Dobmeier[24] [$800]
23) 22-Brian Ellenberger[26] [$0]
24) 49-Josh Schneiderman[15] [$800]
25) 13V-Seth Brahmer[18] [$800]
26) 70-Calvin Landis[22] [$800]
Note: Jac Haudenschild and Brian Ellenberger used World of Outlaws Provisionals to start the A-Feature.
Lap Leaders: Terry McCarl 1-25
SuperClean Start of the Night Award: Sammy Swindell
Penske Power Position Award: Kraig Kinser
KSE Hard Charger Award: Jason Sides
