“My record at the Kings Royal is pretty amazing, actually. I don’t think I’ve ever finished outside the top 10 except when I was running fourth and I crashed. I stuck it in the fence and knocked the front end out.”
McCarl and his wife, Lori, met at a roller-skating rink when they were 12 years old.
“We are a great team and I’ve never loved another girl in my life but her,” McCarl said. “She does so much for all of us, not just washing our driving uniforms and taking care of us that way. She prepares my helmet, she does all the hotel stuff, she does the bookwork. She doesn’t mount tires or anything like that, thankfully, but she’s been a great partner for me — especially on the promotional end of it.”
These days, McCarl juggles numerous roles, including driver, team owner, mechanic, mentor, promoter (see separate story) and even landlord.
“Lori and I just bought a property down in Knoxville and we are on our way down there. So I’m juggling that. We’re going through it, getting it fixed up and painted. There’s a lot of stuff to do to get it ready to rent,” McCarl noted. “Then, trying to help my sons, Austin and Carson, on their cars — and promoting the Front Row Challenge.
“I laugh at people who have one car and are worn out after the Knoxville Nationals. We have a T-shirt trailer that we have to get ready, promote the races, and all three of us racing basically every night with the 360 Nationals, the Cappy, Osky and the 410 Nationals.
“It’s tough, but it’s what we love. It’s our passion. For us, it’s like Christmastime if we had a store in the mall. It’s our time to kick butt, work really, really hard and make some money to get through the winter.”
Earlier this year, Terry and Lori McCarl proudly accepted yet another role when they became grandparents.
“Honestly, racing is our life, one way or another – promoting, racing, the kids. But we also have a grandbaby now — Cole,” Terry McCarl said with a big smile. “Austin and Aylssa had a baby four and half months ago and he’s awesome. He’s a great kid and he’s the light of our life right now. If I have a bad night, all I’ve got to do is see him or see a picture of him and it puts a smile on my face.”
This story appeared in the July 26, 2023 edition of the SPEED SPORT Insider.
