Ricky Carmichael No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: F.W. Webb 175 – September 24, 2011
Venue: New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Loudon, N.H.
· This Week’s Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado … Ricky Carmichael will pilot chassis TMS-018 from the Turner Motorsports (TMS) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) stable in Saturday’s F.W. Webb 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). This is the same truck Carmichael raced three times this season including Phoenix (St. 28, Fn. 31), Martinsville, (St. 20, Fn. 8) and Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis (St. 27, Fn. 19). Built new in 2010, the same truck also saw action last fall at Martinsville Speedway where the 15-time AMA National Champion started sixth and finished ninth.
· A Look at Loudon … In his lone NCTWS start at NHMS, Carmichael started 13th and finished 29th. An early- race spin stifled his efforts last September but Carmichael still calls Loudon “one of my favorite tracks.” Meanwhile, Carmichael has a pair of NASCAR K&N Pro Series East division starts at the “Magic Mile.” In 2008, the father of twins finished fifth and 16th, respectively while driving for Ken Schrader Racing.
· RC in the Windy City … After starting on the outside of the second row and proving to be as competitive as anyone in town, a wayward piece of debris found its way into the engine bay of the Monster Energy Chevrolet slicing both an oil line and Carmichael’s hopes for a strong finish in last Friday night’s Fast Five 225 at Chicagoland Speedway. The 32-year-old driver was forced to spend seven laps behind the wall while his team replaced the damaged part and ultimately finished 25th – eight laps down to the leaders.
· In a Nutshell … The 2011 season marks Carmichael’s second year competing on a full-time basis and third overall in the NCWTS. Since making his series debut 60 races ago, he has gone on to earn three top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. Over those same 60 races, the motocross legend has logged a 14.9 average start, a 17.1 average finish, led 39 laps, completed 91 percent of the laps run and earned just over of $780,000 in purse money.
· Turner Truck Totals … In 18 NCWTS races in 2011, TMS entries have earned 10 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes. James Buescher leads the way with 15 top 10s and is the division’s current points leader. With the exception of Martinsville and Chicagoland, Buescher has finished inside the top 10 in every race in which he has competed in the division this season. Carmichael has logged four top 10s, including a season-best sixth-place showing at Texas Motor Speedway and is 18th in the standings. Blake Feese finished fourth and Ryan Newman was fifth in Atlanta, two races ago. Mark Martin finished seventh in the No. 32 machine at Pocono while Brad Sweet drove the same truck for the first eight races of the year, logging a pair of top-10 results.
· Blake’s Back In … For the fourth time this season, Feese will climb aboard the No. 32 AccuDoc Solutions machine for Saturday afternoon’s race in New Hampshire. The Saybrook, Ill., driver drove the No. 32 entry in July at Nashville Superspeedway (St. 17, Fn. 18), in August at Bristol Motor Speedway (St. 35, Fn. 18), and earlier this month at Atlanta Motor Speedway where he stared 27th and earned a career-best fourth-place finish. Feese will fill out the remainder of the 2011 schedule in the seat of the third truck in the TMS stable.
· Get to the Point(s) … Carmichael slipped from 16th to 18th in the NCWTS driver point standings after finishing 25th last weekend. Still, he’s just 10 points outside the top 15 and13 behind 14th-place Miguel Paludo. Buescher maintained the points lead after his 11th-place showing in Atlanta and currently paces second-place Austin Dillon by three points. While Feese has made just three starts in 2011, the No. 32 machine is assured a spot on the starting grid by virtue of being 16th in the NCWTS owner point standings.
· Welcome Aboard … Turner Motorsports and Monster Energy are pleased to feature Alliance Energy on the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 4 Monster Energy Silverado Saturday at NHMS. Alliance Energy LLC is one of the largest petroleum marketing distributors in New England. Alliance has been providing quality products and services to its customers since 1985. Alliance distributes gasoline and diesel through a network of company owned gasoline stations and convenience stores as well as a network of independently owned stations. It distributes fuel through approximately 500 locations in seven U.S. states from Maine to Pennsylvania. Alliance also distributes a variety of gasoline brands, which include, Exxon, Mobil, Sunoco, Shell, Citgo, and Gulf. Alliance also offers unbranded fuel under the Global flag.
· Nationwide Notes … In 28 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011, TMS-fielded teams have notched three wins, 20 top-five and 54 top-10 finishes. Reed Sorenson, driver of the No. 32 Dollar General Chevrolet, maintained third in points after finishing 10th last weekend in Chicago. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, was 14th in the final rundown and held on to fifth in the standings. Jason Leffler was credited with 12th last Saturday and held on to sixth in points. The drivers and teams of the NASCAR Nationwide Series will enjoy the weekend off before heading to the Dover International Speedway’s “Monster Mile” next week for the One Main Financial 200.
· See the Monster Energy Silverado … The Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado show truck will make a pair of stops in the Loudon area this week. On Thursday, Sept. 22, the No. 4 machine will visit Mobil on the Run located at 5 Bradford Road in Henniker, N.H. from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. The next day, Carmichael’s race truck will make a final pit stop from 3 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Mobil on the Run located at 191 Epping Road in Exeter, N.H.
· Up to Speed … Live coverage of the F.W. Webb 175 from New Hampshire Motor Speedway will take the green flag Saturday, Sept. 24 beginning at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will be televised live on SPEED and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
RICKY CARMICHAEL QUOTES
You’ve mentioned that New Hampshire Motor Speedway is one of your favorite tracks? What makes it so special for you?
“I did really well at New Hampshire both times when I raced there in the East Series. I finished fifth the first time I was there and we were running second and contending for the win the next time but I ran out of gas with a lap-and-a-half to go. I had a chance to test there before NASCAR tightened up the testing rules so I had time to get comfortable on the race track. I really like flat race tracks. These types of track put a lot of control back in the hands of the drivers relative to the throttle, brakes and the steering wheel. It’s just a fun race track for me.”
What’s the key to a fast lap around NHMS?
“New Hampshire is tricky. It’s a really tough place to qualify. You’re always fighting for grip. For me, it almost feels like an overgrown Martinsville. You have to get as much as you can out of the tire without overdriving the truck. In race trim, you have to be able to roll thourgh the center of the corner to be really good and get good grip up off the corner. If you can keep the truck turning, you’ll be in good shape.”
You had a tough break last weekend in Chicago but right up until you had a problem it looked like you were in position for another strong run. You have to be excited about how things have been going.
“Obviously, we were a victim of circumstance last week but I’m really excited about this weekend. I’m really happy with how we’ve been unloading and with what we’re bringing to the race track every week. We’re running good and qualifying a lot better. We’ve had some bad luck but sooner or later, we’re going to get that monkey off our back and start getting the results we deserve.”
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About Turner Motorsports: Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, is in the midst of its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NCWTS to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C., and will compete with three entries in NCWTS and four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Ryan Newman, Jason Leffler, Reed Sorenson, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher, Brad Sweet, Steve Arpin, Blake Feese and Brandon McReynolds. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, which will provide engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, Kevin Harvick Inc. for body and aero support, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Dollar General, Great Clips, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Monster Energy, BRANDT, Rexall, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.
