(Chuck Stowe Image)
Des Moines, IA (July 25, 2018) – The TKS Motorsports team ended Saturday night in the runner-up spot at the Knoxville Raceway, but driver Austin McCarl and Brian Brown put on a show for the fans battling for the lead throughout the race. The Troy & Tammy Renfro-owned team now find themselves with a healthy lead in the Knoxville point standings and will look to conquer the All Stars this weekend when they take the Casey’s General Stores/Midwest Basement Systems #2KS out for battle in three nights of racing against the ASCoC!
Saturday night at the Knoxville Raceway saw a packed infield, with plenty of invaders making their way to the track to tune-up for the fast approaching Knoxville Nationals. “We qualified well again,” said Austin. “There was a big field of cars there getting ready for Nationals and it felt good to go out and lay down a time in the top five.”
The strong qualifying run was attributable to more than just the driver and team, said Troy Renfro. “I can’t say enough about Al Parker; the motors he gives us just run and it often makes us look better than we should.”
Scheduled to start his heat on the inside third row of his heat, Austin moved up a row after Sam Hafertepe Jr. scratched for the night and McCarl made the most of it. “We had a great run in the heat,” said Austin. “We caught a bit of luck to start third instead of 5th and nearly won the race, missing by just a few feet.”
The A-main invert left Austin with the pole position in the main event and the intensity picked up immediately. “Brian [Brown] made a great move on the start to get the lead from us early,” said Austin. “We were able to keep close and when he had some trouble with a lapped car, we grabbed the lead back.”
Once the leaders hit the back of the field, it made for some pretty tense moments for the Renfro. “As an owner/crew chief, that race had me biting my fingernails,” said Troy. “Between them dealing with lapped traffic and the late restarts, it made for a great race and if you weren’t excited watching that one, you’re not a race fan.”
One of those late restarts would give Brown the opportunity he hadn’t been able to grasp in traffic. “I made a bit of a mistake on the restart with four laps to go,” said Austin. “I should have chosen a different line, but that mistake let Brian get by and we didn’t have another good chance after that.”
While the TKS team would end the night as the first bridesmaid, the fans definitely benefitted and the team feels that they’re heading in the right direction. “Running 2nd isn’t much fun, but, most importantly, we’re there to put on a show for the fans and they got that Saturday night,” said Troy. “Knoxville did a great job on the track surface and Austin & the team keep getting better every week. He really has the desire to keep working hard and it’s showing.”
A busy weekend with the All Stars kicks off Friday for the TKS team. “I’m looking forward to having three full nights of racing this weekend to see how we compare to some different competition,” said Austin.
“We just need to keep doing what we’re doing,” said Troy. “This weekend will be exciting to see how we can do against the All Stars. Between this Saturday and the Capitani Classic next Sunday, we should be able to get a great read on any changes we need to make to have a great qualifying night at the Nationals!”
Austin McCarl and the TKS Motorsports team are gearing up for an All Star weekend! They will race three nights this weekend with the All Stars Circuit of Champions: Friday at Jackson Motorplex, Saturday at Knoxville Raceway, and Sunday at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, IA. 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.
Photo Credit: Chuck Stowe
Morgan Broeg
broegracewriting@gmail.com
West Des Moines, IA USA
Twitter: @BroegW