ALTOONA, Iowa – Austin McCarl will jump at a new opportunity next season, as he heads west to take over the driving duties for Tarlton Motorsports.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to drive the iconic No. 21 for the Tarlton family,’ McCarl said. “I really am so thankful for Tom and Tommy Tarlton and I’m excited to get to work for the season ahead with (crew chief) Paul Baines.”

For McCarl, the new endeavor checks off a lot of boxes for him personally, as he had hoped to find an opportunity to venture out in 2021.

A fixture at Knoxville Raceway over the years, McCarl will now set his sights on the King of the West crown, as Tarlton Motorsports again focuses on the California-based series.

The rest of the schedule for the team from there remains to be determined.

“This is a huge opportunity, and it allows me to travel a bit around the country and get a ton of experience in California,” McCarl added. “After a really strong 2020 season I was hoping to put something together to venture away from Knoxville and gain experience on short tracks, and California provides just that.”

McCarl joins Tarlton Motorsports after a very strong season that saw him capture his first career All Star Circuit of Champions feature event win to go along with two podiums with the series, as well as three Top-Five finishes.

The Altoona, Iowa, native also picked up a career best finish with the World of Outlaws by way of a runner up finish at Jackson Motorplex.

McCarl was victorious during his season at Knoxville Raceway, capturing a preliminary night win during the 360 Nationals and picking up an additional win during the season en route to a second-place finish in points.

“I can’t wait to get started,” McCarl said. “I am really looking forward to (working with) Paul Baines, who is someone I think wants to win just as bad as I do.”

For longtime Tarlton Motorsports crew chief Baines, he is just as eager to get going next season as McCarl is.

“Austin McCarl as really made some huge strides over the last couple of seasons, and we are thrilled to have him in our car this year,” Baines said. “He brings another dimension to our team, and I can’t wait for things to get rolling. The Tarlton family loves to race, and I truly thank them for providing us with great equipment to do this again.”