Austin McCarl – Those Rookie Mistakes!
(Bill W) June 15, 2011 – Austin McCarl is no rookie, but he felt like one last Sunday night. Coming for the checkers after pulling away from his father and Mark Dobmeier for the second week in a row, he spun out in turn four. The incident collected Dobmeier and handed the lead to his father, Terry, who was the reluctant winner. This weekend will be busy, with three dates planned at Rock Rapids on Friday, Knoxville Saturday and Huset’s again on Sunday.
Things started on Friday night at Knoxville Raceway with the World of Outlaws. Coming out mid-pack, Austin qualified a disappointing 28th. “I have been a pretty consistent qualifier, but as of late, that hasn’t been the case,” he says. “I need to get back to the old ways.”
In the heat, he would start seventh, but challenge Craig Dollansky for the fifth and final transfer. He would fall short after passing the veteran. “I should have waited another half-lap to slide Dollansky,” he admits. “I think we could have made the show there in the heat. I think I was faster, I just tried it too soon and he got back around me.”
Starting eighth in the B with some heavy hitters was tough, but Austin challenged Steve Kinser for a final transfer, before a late caution mixed things up and left him on the outside looking in. “I just started behind a lot of good guys back there,” he says. “I was gaining on Steve (Kinser). Dobmeier was rolling on the bottom. Late on the restart, Steve was in the middle and we got by Dobmeier on the top. He must not have seen me and stuck me in the fence. At least we were lucky and brought it back to the trailer.”
The Altoona, Iowa driver knows the double-wide restart was made for Steve Kinser, who restarted inside row three. “In that situation, Steve Kinser is not going to miss a transfer.”
Things started at Huset’s on Sunday night with a fifth quick time trial and a third place heat finish. Starting outside row one, Austin would work up front for the length of the feature (minus a ¼ lap). “I got by (Gregg) Bakker and (Scott) Winters and I were in traffic,” he says. “I was kind of hanging there waiting for an opportunity. I started to run him down, and he made a mistake and crashed.”
For the second week in a row, he was out front and dominating. “After that, I got in a rhythm and we were running well,” says Austin. “They told me we had a good lead. I wish I would have known that in the car, but we will live and learn. We just made a big mistake, I guess. It was a missed opportunity.”
The mistake came in turn four headed for the checkers. “The cushion was basically on the fence,” he says. “The track went away in the middle, and I drove into it a little too hard. I was a little excited to get the second win in a row, I guess. I just made a mistake.”
The good thing is, he will try it again this weekend. He’s thankful for help from a special sponsor…one he works for. “It’s been great to have Bianchi Boys Pizza & Pasta on board here the last two weeks,” he says.
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Austin would like to thank AmeriCash Advance.com, Rossie Feed and Grain, DeBerg Concrete, Deanfield Farms, Phil and Vivian, L. Wayne Trucking, Vortex, CM Rock, Mark Burch Motorsports, Engler, HRP, Hoosier Tire, BRMS, K&N Filters, Sander, Jocko's Sprint Parts, Crow Safety and Bell Helmets for all their help!
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