Austin at Jackson (Jeff Bylsma Photo)
(Bill W) September 6, 2017 – The TKS Motorsports #2KS team and driver Austin McCarl scored a top five finish Saturday at Jackson Motorplex in Minnesota. The team also showed good speed on Friday, but rain canceled the feature. A return to action is planned on September 15 and 16 with the IRA at the Clay County Fair in Spencer, Iowa and Deer Creek Speedway near Spring Valley, Minnesota.
Friday started well before the rains came. “Things went well on Friday with qualifying and the heat until the rain came,” says TKS Motorsports owner and crew chief, Troy Renfro. “This was a car we had built to run at Jackson last year. It’s different from our normal cars. We didn’t take it up at the beginning of the year, because I didn’t think we could throw two different cars at Austin at that time. I think we were right with that. My cars are a little different. This car had been in storage and it worked with Craig (Dollansky) last year up there. We brought it out for Oskaloosa a few weeks ago, and Austin liked it. At Jackson, he was much more comfortable in it.”
Austin agrees. “We were fast both nights,” he says. “It kind of stinks that we weren’t able to run Friday. We would have had a good starting spot, and the track was going to be decent with the moisture in the air. I felt really good qualifying (Saturday, he was eighth quick). That was probably the best I’ve felt in the car. I felt comfortable in the car at Oskaloosa too. We were fortunate that the first start came back in the heat (after starting fourth). The second one went really well and I was able to cruise by them on the top and get the lead. We were able to show our speed there in clean air.”
That set the team up outside row two for the main event. “It had laid rubber in the 360 feature, and they went out and cut the corners up,” says Troy. “I told Austin we’d probably have to fall in line to start with. That’s what he did. Then we had a red about seven laps in. I felt we’d have to hold the bottom on the restart, because we didn’t have the wing speed to run up there. The top wasn’t quite coming in yet, but the guys behind him like the Madsen’s and Dobmeier were pounding the top and working it in. I told him that he’d have to run up there, but he’d have to make the decision on when he’d go up there.”
“The track was tricky,” agrees Austin. “To be honest, I didn’t know what the track was going to do. I just stayed on the bottom and couple of laps too long (after the red). Once I went up top, the car felt really good. By that time, it was too late. We were sixth, and we were fortunate enough to get one more spot and finish fifth. It was a situation where I had a bit of a lack of experience. Kerry (Madsen) was a rocket ship and got around us all on the top. It was a good learning experience, and we’ll know that for next time.”
Overall, Troy was happy with the weekend. “All in all, we were pretty good,” he says. “We ran fifth. I’m very happy with Austin and the job he’s doing for us. It was a good racing weekend for us. We have to thank Rens Trucking and Simplot Grower Solutions for their help with tires this weekend. That really helped us in being able to go up there.”
Sponsor the Front Wing with TKS Motorsports
TKS Motorsports is always open to new perspective partners! Looking for an affordable way to be a part of a sprint car team? Whether you’d like to partner with the team for the full season, or put your company’s name on the nose wing for a night of your choice, contact Troy at tsrenfro8725@gmail.com!
TKS Motorsports would like to thank Casey's General Stores, Des Moines Industrial Products (DMIP), 1 Way Technologies, AL Driveline, AO Designs, “All Star Performance, ATL Racing Fuel Cells, Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, Fibreworks Composites, Hoosier, Indy Race Parts, KSE Racing Products, Mag Tech Ignition, Maxim Racing Chassis, Schoenfeld Headers, Tony Moro Collision Center, Tony Moro Powdercoating & Sandblasting, Butlerbuilt, Aurora Rod Ends, HRP, Volcano Joe’s Coffee, Walker Filtration Systems, Snyder Landscaping & Lawn Care, Justice Brothers, Webb Family Farms, Wilwood, Winters Performance Products, www.BillyBellHouseMoving.com and Gail Dielman.
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Photo: Austin at Jackson (Jeff Bylsma Photo)
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