Terry McCarl Teams Up With Wilke/PAK for Chili Bowl!
(Bill W) – Terry McCarl will partner with the potent Wilke/PAK team as they try to conquer the 22nd Annual Chili Bowl at the Tulsa Expo Center January 8-12! The Chili Bowl has quickly become the biggest show on dirt for midgets, and again looks to field 250+ of the best in the midget racing business! The regular with the World of Outlaws in the winged sprints looks forward to his second Chili Bowl appearance.
"T-MAC" will compete in his second Chili Bowl in a row. "I am so excited about this opportunity," he says. "I've been going to the Chili Bowl for years and years, and last year, Dan and Scotty Pace and Daryl Saucier gave me a chance to get my feet wet." The Altoona, Iowa driver fared well, but his bid ended in the B main on Saturday night.
The Wilke/PAK team won the Chili Bowl in 2005 with driver, Tracy Hines. With three cars entered this year, they will look to make that number two. The team has also won nine preliminaries at the Chili Bowl with drivers like Ken Schrader, Donnie Beechler, Kevin Doty, Dave Darland and Hines. "To drive for one of the top teams in midget racing will be an honor," says T-MAC. "I've been watching their cars for a long time…it is just an honor and I'm pumped up about it!"
Car owner Greg Wilke is equally excited. "We're excited to be able to run with Terry," he says. "He seems excited too. It's the Chili Bowl, so you kind of put a good racer in there and hope things go your way! Terry's a professional and if we get the breaks, who knows?"
Winning the Chili Bowl is about much more than a fast car. "The Chili Bowl is a really tough event," says T-MAC. "With the close confines on the quarter mile, you can get into trouble in a hurry. Like in any race, you need some luck on your side. This is a top notch ride, and I think we have a shot at running up front."
Terry's teammate will be a familiar face and no stranger to the seat of the Wilke/PAK midget. Jerry Coons Jr. was the National Midget Driver of the Year in 2007. He captured the USAC National Championship, the Belleville Nationals and Indiana Midget Sprintweek. Despite also driving sprint cars and Silver Crown cars, he registered 16 midget wins in 2007. He has qualified for six out of the last seven finales at the Chili Bowl.
"We had an opening in our second car, and Jerry suggested Terry," says Wilke. "Apparently, they became great friends after Jerry took all of Terry's money ($30,000 at the 2006 Ultimate Challenge). I actually hadn't met Terry before the PRI Trade Show. I did recognize him, because I saw him waving on TV last summer." Wilke/PAK sponsors include Speedway Motors, Mopar, Hoosier tires, K&N Filters and Quik-Change.
McCarl knows about the stiff competition that starts with his own teammate. "Driving with Jerry will be a lot of fun. I figure he took $30,000 from me a couple years ago, he owes me a little bit! We've become good friends since then, and I think he's one of the most underrated drivers out there. He's so versatile and can drive anything to the front."
The Chili Bowl will be broadcast for the first time on a pay per view basis on HBO. "It will be good for the sponsors to be on HBO pay per view," says T-MAC. "I'm excited about that. Pace Motor Sports Park in Brownsburg, Indiana will be helping us out. They've got a business park that is going to be great for race teams." The 25-acre Industrial Park is located on the town's east side and is aimed toward race car enthusiasts, investors, renters and developers.
