Austin McCarl – A Good Closure!
(Bill W) October 11, 2011 – Austin McCarl’s last ride was one that went upside down at Huset’s Speedway. On Saturday night, he was able to put that behind him with a strong second place run after a duel with Gregg Bakker in JSTS action at the Dodge County Speedway in Kasson, Minnesota. The event was a good way to close a strong year that saw a sixth place standing in the Knoxville Raceway 410 points and a first appearance in the A main on Saturday night at the Knoxville Nationals.
The Altoona, Iowa driver got some time off of basketball duties at Grandview College to make the trip North with the family. He didn’t know he would be driving. “I actually woke up to a text from my Mom on the way up asking if I had brought my suit,” he says. “I didn’t know until we got there. It was kind of a joke. I was planning on getting tires ready, changing gears and giving my two cents worth.”
Father Terry McCarl decided to turn over the reigns of the #55 to Austin, who scrambled to find a suit, helmet and shoes. “My Dad went to the driver’s meeting, and my brother (Carson) came back and asked if I wanted to race,” says Austin. “I said, ‘Hell yeah!’ So I went to the driver’s meeting.”
Austin would start seventh and finish fourth in his heat race, qualifying him for the third row of the main event. “The draw wasn’t too bad, because I knew I could pass cars,” he says. “I had never seen the track. It was a fun track. They had (turns) one and two great, and three and four were kind of around the bottom. With a little experience there with sprint cars, it could be a real racy joint.”
Starting fifth, Austin settled into the feature. “We had a great racecar,” he says. “Brad (Goebel), Cory (Miller) and my Dad worked their butts off. I was trying to be patient the first half of the race. The car was good.”
Austin reeled in leader Gregg Bakker. “I got to Bakker and I kind of ran him down quicker than I thought I would,” he says. “He’s won a bunch of races and he is good. I’ve got a lot of respect for him, and I’ve been watching him race my whole life at Huset’s.”
In the end, Austin would settle for second after a great race. “I had an opportunity to pass him and couldn’t make it stick,” he says. “It was kind of an experience deal…I hadn’t been in that spot before. I don’t want to make excuses, but I kind of blew my only shot.”
A solid run was a good way to cap off 2011. “My Dad didn’t want me to end the year with destroying the car at Huset’s,” says Austin. “This was a way to end on a good note.”
Austin hopes to build on his success this season by partnering with someone in 2012.
“I’m looking forward to next year,” he says. “I’d love to put a deal together to run with somebody. I’d like to build on what we did last year, finishing sixth in the points at Knoxville and running well at the Nationals.”
Video of the Action at Kasson...
http://www.meeksvideo.com/
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Austin would like to thank AmeriCashAdvance.com, Rossie Feed and Grain, DeBerg Concrete, Deanfield Farms, Phillips’ Floors, Phil and Vivian, L. Wayne Trucking, Vortex, CM Rock, Mark Burch Motorsports, Engler, HRP, Aurora Rod Ends, Butlerbuilt, KSE, Hoosier Tire, BRMS, K&N Filters, Sander, Jocko's Sprint Parts, Crow Safety and Bell Helmets for all their help!
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