7/11/2018
TKS Motorsports – (Hard) Luck of the Draw
Des Moines, IA (July 11, 2018) – Austin McCarl and the TKS Motorsports team were the high point man and advanced to a 4th-place finish last Saturday at the Knoxville Raceway after the invert was set at eight. The Troy & Tammy Renfro-owned team has opened up a comfortable lead in the 410 point standings and are looking to expand on that margin this weekend as they aim for their fourth victory of the season!
Qualifying on Saturday night at the Knoxville Raceway ended with a surprise for the driver of the Casey’s General Stores/Midwest Basement Systems #2KS. “I didn’t really feel too confident with either of the laps we ran in time trials,” said Austin. “When I saw that we ended up second I was pretty shocked; that just shows how strong we have the motor running when what feels like a bad lap can leave us near the front.”
The strong qualifying effort left the TKS team with a starting spot on the outside of the third row in their heat. “Being able to move from 6th to finish second in the heat was great,” said Troy. “It put us in a good position point-wise, though the invert draw didn’t quite go our way.”
Ending preliminary action as the high point man, Austin noted the cyclical effect of the draw process. “We had to be really cautious in the heat, but it definitely felt good to run our way up to 2nd and be the highest point earner,” said McCarl. “Unluckily, the eight was drawn for only the second time in the 410s this season, but the other time was opening night and we were able to benefit from it that night, so it’s all even in the end.”
Austin was able to work his way forward over the course of the first 15 laps of the twenty-lap A-main, but the track conditions and hard racing took a toll on the tires. “The track was very similar to the second night of the Outlaws show,” said Troy. “It was pretty crumbly and not taking rubber, and the best way to make a pass was to throw a slide job. Austin did a great job getting up to 4th, but when you’re sliding the tires that much, they get pretty used up.”
The TKS team would end the race in fourth, while the top three cars duked it out for the win. “I had destroyed the tires to get up to 4th,” said Austin. “We really didn’t have much left for the top three, which is too bad because they were having a hell of a race ahead of us.”
All things considered, it was another strong points night for Austin and Renfro-owned team. “It was a good points night overall,” said Troy. “Austin did a great job of recognizing the big picture and realized that with what we had left for the last handful of laps, he had a fourth-place car.”
The TKS Motorsports #2KS and Austin McCarl will be back at the Knoxville Raceway this Saturday for the Marion County Fair race and looking to grab win #4 on the season! Check out the new TKS Motorsports website for the season schedule and more from the TKS team.
TKS Motorsports is thankful for the support from all of their loyal sponsors:
Casey's General Stores, Des Moines Industrial Products (DMIP), Midwest Basement Systems, Neumann Brothers Construction, AFA Wheels, AL Driveline, All Star Performance, AO Designs, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, Aurora Rod Ends, Billy Bell House Moving, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Butlerbuilt, Chalk Stix Torsion Bars, Fibreworks Composites, Gail Dielman, Hoosier, HRP, Indy Race Parts, Justice Brothers, KSE Racing Products, Liberty Ready Mix, Mag Tech Ignition, Maxim Racing Chassis, Parker Performance, PennGrade Motor Oil, Schoenfeld Headers, Slade Shock Technology, Snyder Landscaping & Lawn Care, Tony Moro Collision Center, Tony Moro Powdercoating & Sandblasting, Top Flight Wings, Walker Filtration Systems, Webb Family Farms, Wilwood, and Winters Performance Products.
Morgan Broeg
broegracewriting@gmail.com
West Des Moines, IA USA
Twitter: @BroegW