Ricky Carmichael
No. 4 Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado
Event Preview Fact Sheet
Event/Date: WinStar World Casino 350K – November 4, 2011
Venue: Texas Motor Speedway – Fort Worth, Texas
. This Week’s Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado . Ricky Carmichael will pilot chassis TMS-013 from the Turner Motorsports (TMS) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) stable in Friday night’s WinStar World Casino 350K at Texas Motor Speedway. This is the same truck Carmichael raced earlier this fall at Kentucky Speedway (St. 16, Fn. 6). The truck also saw track-time this season at Pocono Raceway (St. 15, Fn. 20) and Dover International Speedway (St. 20, Fn. 29). Following Dover, the truck was outfitted with a new body, including front and rear clips after a hard crash sent him into the Turn 4 wall and ultimately to garage area prior to the conclusion of the event. This truck also saw action in April at Nashville Superspeedway where Carmichael started 23rd and finished 14th. Built new in 2010, this Chevrolet Silverado was the workhorse of the Monster Energy Team’s fleet last fall. Carmichael drove the same Monster Energy Chevy last year at Chicagoland Speedway (St. 13, Fn. 28), Kentucky Speedway (St. 5, Fn. 9), Las Vegas Motor Speedway (St. 8, Fn. 9) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (St. 22, Fn. 21).
. Texas Totals . Carmichael has five NCWTS starts to his credit at Texas Motor Speedway and posted a career-best sixth-place finish in the division’s June stop at the lightning-fast, mile-and-a-half Fort Worth oval. The Tallahassee, Fla., resident has logged an impressive 8.4 starting average, an 11.8 average finish, completed 756 of the 798 total laps run over those four races (94.7 percent) and earned just over $66,000 in purse money.
. Martinsville Minutes . Carmichael and the Monster Energy Team made an early exit at Martinsville Speedway when brake-related issues sidelined the No. 4 machine just 37 laps into last Saturday’s Kroger 200. Carmichael started 23rd and picked up a handsome eight positions in the early goings before informing crew chief Doug George that he was having brake problems. Less than half of a lap later, the brake pedal in Turner Motorsports’ No. 4 machine went to the floorboard, sending the 15-time AMA National Champion into the Turn 2 retaining wall. Unfortunately, the damage to the Monster Energy-sponsored Chevrolet Silverado was too substantial to repair, leaving Carmichael and Co. with a hard to swallow 35th-place finish. As a result, Carmichael slipped from 13th to 16th in the series’ championship point standings.
. 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 66 races ago, he has gone on to earn four top-five and 17 top-10 finishes. Over those same 66 races, the motocross legend has logged a 14.9 average start, a 17.0 average finish, led 40 laps, completed 90.2 percent of the laps run and earned just over of $847,000 in purse money.
. Chevrolet at SEMA 2011: Sonic All Activity Vehicle – Ricky Carmichael Concept . When the Chevrolet Sonic’s designers sought inspiration for an all-activity-style concept for the 2011 SEMA Show, they found the perfect partner in Carmichael – a15-time American Motorcycle Association (AMA) National Champion, three-time X-Games gold medalist and NASCAR racer. When Carmichael is not racing for points, he’s pursuing his other passions, including bikes, boards and more. The fully customized Sonic All Activity Vehicle – Ricky Carmichael Concept is equipped for those adventures, with the storage capacity for his biking and wakeboard equipment. The Sonic All Activity Vehicle – Ricky Carmichael Concept reflects the driver’s high-performance personality, with custom interior and exterior design cues, performance enhancements and an upgraded sound system. Carmichael was very active in developing the car, working with Chevrolet designers to convey his style and attitude. Carmichael was on-hand in Las Vegas at the SEMA Show on Monday when the car was unveiled to the media. For more information about the Chevrolet Sonic All Activity Vehicle – Ricky Carmichael Concept, members of the media may visit media.gm.com/sonic.
. Turner Truck Totals . In 22 NCWTS races in 2011, TMS entries have earned 13 top-five and 30 top-10 finishes. James Buescher leads the way with 19 top 10s and is second in points. With the exception of this year’s first race at Martinsville, Chicagoland and Las Vegas, Buescher has finished inside the top 10 in every race in which he has competed in the division this season. Carmichael has logged one top five and six top 10s and is 16th in the standings. Blake Feese finished fourth and Ryan Newman was fifth in Atlanta. 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.
. Get to the Point(s) . Carmichael slipped to 16th in points after last week’s disappointing end-result at Martinsville. With two races remaining on the 2011 NCWTS schedule, the 31-year-old, father of twins is still just three points outside the top 15. Buescher is second in the standings and trails current point leader Austin Dillon by 11 points. While Blake Feese has made just eight starts in 2011, he is 27th in points. The No. 32 machine is also assured a spot on Friday’s starting grid by virtue of being 17th in the NCWTS owner point standings.
. Turner Motorsports is Texas Strong. Turner Motorsports owner Steve Turner considers Texas Motor Speedway his home track. Turner, along with his wife Sandra, live outside of Houston, only four hours from the Great American Speedway. The organization is in its sophomore season of NASCAR competition and has captured five poles, three wins, 43 top-five and 90 top-10 finishes in both NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series competition. Turner Motorsports expanded from a two-team Truck Series operation in 2010 to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-three touring series, fielding three full-time entries in the NCWTS and four in the Nationwide Series.
. Welcome Aboard . Turner Motorsports and Monster Energy are pleased to welcome Kroger and QT Kitchens to the lower-rear quarter panels of the No. 4 Monster Energy Silverado this weekend in Texas. QT Kitchens, located inside select QuikTrip locations, offers fresh sandwiches, wraps, fruit, salads and pastries. The Kroger Co., (NYSE:KR) headquartered in Cincinnati, is one of the nation’s largest grocery retailers, with fiscal 2010 sales of $82.2 billion. The Kroger Co. spans many states with store formats that include grocery and multi-department stores, convenience stores and mall jewelry stores. Kroger operates under nearly two dozen banners, all of which share the same belief in building strong local ties and brand loyalty with our customers.
. RC Live . Carmichael, along with teammate Blake Feese and NCWTS staple Ron Hornaday Jr. will appear at the Chevy Stage on Friday, Nov. 4 at 3 p.m. The Chevy stage will be located outside the front straightaway, inside the TMS Midway area.
. See the Monster Energy Silverado . The Monster Energy Chevrolet Silverado show truck will make a host of stops in the Dallas/Fort Worth area this week. Dates and times are listed below.
Wednesday, Nov. 2
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Kroger 6550 North Beach Street Fort Worth 76137
3 p.m. – 7 p.m. QuikTrip 9635 Coit Road Plano 75024
Thursday, Nov. 3
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Kroger 3300 Texas Sage Trail Fort Worth 76177
3 p.m. – 7 p.m. QuikTrip 1100 North Industrial Boulevard Euless 76039
Friday, Nov. 4
9 a.m. – 1 p.m. QuikTrip 801 East SH 121 Bus. Lewisville 75057
3 p.m. – 7p.m. QuikTrip 3113 West University Drive Denton 76207
. Nationwide Notes . In 31 NASCAR Nationwide Series races in 2011, TMS-fielded teams have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 60 top-10 finishes. TMS’s No. 32 Dollar General team maintained seventh in owner’s points after Brian Vickers finished 10th two weekends ago at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Justin Allgaier, driver of the No. 31 Brandt Chevrolet, was seventh in the final rundown at Charlotte and jumped from fifth to fourth in the driver point standings. Jason Leffler was credited with 11th in Charlotte and held on to sixth in points. After a two-week hiatus, the drivers and teams of the NASCAR Nationwide Series return to the track this weekend at Texas Motor Speedway. ESPN2’s live coverage of the O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge will be televised on Saturday, Nov. 5 beginning at noon Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also be broadcast on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90. Qualifying for Round 32 of the 2011 Nationwide Series Championship will be televised live on SPEED Friday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m. EDT.
. Up to Speed . Live coverage of the WinStar World Casino 350K will take the green flag Friday, Nov. 4 beginning at 7:30 p.m. EDT. The race will be televised live on SPEED and broadcast on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
RICKY CARMICHAEL QUOTES
Texas is one of your favorite race tracks and a place where you feel like you’ve got a legitimate chance to run in the top five or possibly even win. What makes Texas such a good track for you?
“I’m not sure really sure I can put my finger on it but I like the amount of grip the track has. I just love everything about that track. The first time I went there, when I was a rookie and hadn’t been on a track like that before, I ran pretty good. It’s just one of those tracks we go to that gives me a really good feeling. I’m really excited to go to Texas this weekend.”
What’s the key to a fast lap at Texas Motor Speedway?
“The truck needs to be good and secure underneath you. The track has a fair amount of grip so that’s not usually a problem. You need to run the truck along the white line on the bottom of the track as best as you can. Texas is typically a place where the fast guys will run around the bottom of the race track. The top line will probably start working once we get a little deeper in to the race but I think if you can get your truck working good on the bottom, that’s the best place to be. Fortunately for me, every time I’ve raced at Texas, I’ve been fast on the bottom and fast on the top.”
Texas is essentially a home race for Turner Motorsports. Does that provide a little extra motivation for you to do well?
“Absolutely. I know all three of us . myself, James (Bueshcer) and Blake (Feese) would all really like to run up front. As long as we run the way we’re capable and figure some things out, we should be able to run inside the top five. For us to do well as a team, for Mr. Turner in his home state where he conducts his business, would be outstanding. Mr. Turner has placed a lot of faith in me and given me a great opportunity so I’d really like to reward him with a good finish.”
You had a very cool opportunity to play a key role in the design process and development of Chevrolet’s new Sonic All Activity Vehicle – Ricky Carmichael Concept. Can you talk a little bit about that?
“The car looks so cool, colorful and fun to drive. I live my life on the go and this Sonic really represents that active lifestyle and my desire to have fun when I’m off the race track. The Sonic would be a perfect vehicle for someone who wants to get the most out of their time – and I also really appreciate how Chevrolet was able to incorporate my loyal sponsors into the design of the car.”
Wins – 0
Poles – 1
Top Fives – 1
Top 10s – 6
Laps Led – 39
3,106 of 3,571 Laps Completed – 87 percent
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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 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (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 the Camping World Truck Series and four entries in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. The team boasts an all-star driver line-up that includes Kasey Kahne, Mark Martin, Jason Leffler, Brian Vickers, Justin Allgaier, Ricky Carmichael, James Buescher, Brad Sweet 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.
