(Bill W) April 21, 2009 – History was made for Austin McCarl when he qualified for not one, but two 410 features! It marked the first time for the accomplishment, in his second and third career race with the “big iron”. This weekend, he’ll try it again at Knoxville in the Janet Holbrook #17A.
The 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa hosted the Interstate Racing Association, and 42 cars filed into the pits on Friday. With 22 cars filing in, Austin had his work cut out for him after registering the 22nd quick time of the night. An hour rain delay followed setting up some fast heat races. “After the rain, it was heavy with a bottom and top,” says Austin. “You drive into the corners a lot harder with the 410, that’s for sure.”
The 16 year old started on the pole in heat race number three, and ran steady to finish third, and transferring to the main event. “I was pumped!” he says of his accomplishment. “It was good for my confidence, just getting through it, and getting it over with. To make the show with 42 cars there…I was proud of myself.”
Austin started outside row nine for the 30-lap feature. Leader Johnny Herrera wasted no time in lapping several cars including Austin, who was stuck between first and second on the restart. “There was nothing to grip on the bottom in the feature,” he says of track conditions. “I kind of got shuffled back a little bit with the guys at the back. They were all over the place for awhile. That held me back and we got lapped right before that first caution.”
That was not all bad. “We were starting right between Johnny Herrera and Brian Brown,” says Austin. “It was actually a good thing, because I could see where they were running and we stayed in the top ten in the running order. It was good to be running in there and know I could hang with them.”
The end result at Burlington was a 16th place finish, and Knoxville loomed on Saturday night. With the IRA in town, 41 410’s took time and Austin was 28th quick. He started and finished seventh in his heat. “We had the car screwed up in the heat race and I lost it going into one there,” he says. “The first couple laps after that, I started running guys down and got by (Josh) Schneiderman late on a restart.”
With four transferring out of the B, Austin had to hustle from his seventh starting spot. After battling with fellow second generation driver, Phillip Mock, Austin found himself in fifth in the caution plagued race. He found his way by Bill Wirth late for the final transfer to the feature. “(Uncle) Kenny told me to go to the top, and it seemed to work,” he says. “I was so happy to transfer through that, I couldn’t see straight. With three laps to go, it started running out of fuel and the thing started shutting off on me. It was a good thing I was leaning it down on the yellows and much as I was, or there would have to be some explaining to do in the pits.”
Starting 24th, Austin steadily advance to 18th and got some seat time in the feature. “We got some good laps and experience,” he says. “We got by a few guys. In one and two the top was good, and you had to stick it perfect on the bottom. In three and four, you could still work the bottom nice.”
Austin would like to thank Janet Holbrook, Lenard, Kenny, Jimmy, DeBerg Concrete, AmericashAdvance.com, Burnett's Rock and Landscaping, Phil and Vivian, and Goodyear Tires for all their help!