McCarl grabs “Warm-up” Nationals feature at Knoxville Raceway
Saturday, August 8, 2009
By Bob Wilson
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (August 8) Terry McCarl was on a roll at Knoxville Raceway Saturday night as he swept to a 20-lap feature event win in the “warm-up” before the Nationals at this central Iowa race facility. “TMAC” also won the 19th annual 360 Knoxville Nationals on this night as he could claim $13,000 for his efforts at the Knoxville track. The Nationals win was his third in the nineteen years of the event.
Starting beside pole sitter Brian Brown, McCarl chased the fleet Missouri driver on the big half-mile oval. Four yellows plagued the event with the first coming on lap six followed by another on lap seven. Both cautions were for cars that struck the front stretch wall. On each restart, Brown was able to fend off any McCarl challenge.
It was on the ninth lap that McCarl slid Brown in turns one and two to take the lead during that single file start. Once in front he would not be denied this 46th career win on Knoxville soil and the $3,000 that went with it.
Lap 12 saw the third yellow of this race as Toni Lutar spun at the track pit entrance. Also at that same point, McCarl had just entered lap traffic.
Leading the field back to a single file restart, McCarl again shot away from Brown as Skip Jackson trailed. “TMAC” had built a 20 car-length advantage when the final caution of the night was shown, this time for Kaley Gharst who had stopped on the track.
The final four laps would be all McCarl as he flew his car past the finish line while Brown was exiting turn four. Johnny Herrera passed Jackson on that final restart to take third while Billy Alley had a gamey race to finish fifth after starting sixteenth. Completing the top ten finishers were Davey Heskin, Mark Dobmeier, Lynton Jeffrey, Paul McMahan, and Cody Darrah.
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